Homemade Ginger Beer

Name: Homemade Ginger Beer
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 3 d
Total time: 3 d 5 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup water; 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger; 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast or brewer's yeast; ginger syrup; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 7 cups filtered water

User Reviews

4.6

291 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
3 d
Total Time
3 d 5 mins
Servings
6 servings
Calories
132 kcal
Course
Drinks
Cuisine
American

Homemade Ginger Beer

Iris Warren

Report

Learn to make ginger beer (aka ginger ale) the old fashioned way, with fresh grated ginger and the power of active yeast. Includes recipe, how-to video and photo tutorial. This recipe makes roughly 2 liters of ginger beer.

Share:

I Made This!

218 people made this

Print

60 people printed this

Save this

174 people saved this

Ingredients

Servings

Ginger Syrup Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

Ginger Beer Ingredients

1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast or brewer's yeast
ginger syrup (ingredients above)
3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
7 cups filtered water

Add to Shopping List

Instructions

Peel a chunk of the ginger with the tip of a teaspoon—the papery skin scrapes right off—and grate it, using the fine side of your grater. Place the ginger, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to steep for an hour.
Strain the mixture (discard the ginger solids) and allow to cool.
You’ve now made ginger syrup (or gingerette, as the Brits call it). Stop right here if you’re looking for a short-cut to ginger ale and you don’t want to mess around with the fermentation process. Pour three or four tablespoons (more or less depending upon how gingery you like it) of your syrup over ice and add 8 ounces of seltzer water or club soda. Bottle the rest of the syrup and store it in the refrigerator.
For the full ginger beer experience, place a funnel in the top of the bottle. Sprinkle the yeast in, followed by the syrup, lemon juice, and water.
Put the lid on the bottle and shake the concoction until the yeast is dissolved. Stow it on a shady shelf or in your pantry out of direct sunlight for 2-3 days, or until fizz is achieved. At this point it is ready to drink, and must be stored in the refrigerator to prevent further fermentation. Don't forget about the bottle, or the pressure will build up so much that it may explode!As with any yeast-powered beverage, the fermentation process continues unless you prevent it from happening. Refrigerating will slow the process down but not stop it completely, that's why it’s best to treat ginger beer as a perishable beverage. Consume within 1-2 weeks.
Serve over ice and savor the spicy taste of your very own homemade ginger beer!

Notes

You will also need: clean 2-liter soda bottle, funnel
CAUTION: be sure to open the bottle every day to release the extra gas, otherwise the bottle might explode and you’ll have a big mess on your hands! The photos in the blog post above were taken using a glass bottle. Please keep in mind that home brew is volatile in nature. If you will not be "on top" of releasing built up pressure as it ferments, we recommend using a plastic bottle instead. Note that as the beverage ferments, sediment will settle at the bottom of the bottle. You can strain it out if you wish.
CAUTION: be sure to open the bottle every day to release the extra gas, otherwise the bottle might explode and you’ll have a big mess on your hands! The photos in the blog post above were taken using a glass bottle. Please keep in mind that home brew is volatile in nature. If you will not be "on top" of releasing built up pressure as it ferments, we recommend using a plastic bottle instead. Note that as the beverage ferments, sediment will settle at the bottom of the bottle. You can strain it out if you wish.