# The Original Ginger Beer?



## pdilley (12/7/10)

Ginger Beer Water-Kefir,
by Dominic Anfiteatro





This is quite possibly the original Ginger Beer Recipe. It is suggested that water kefir-grains were referred to as the Ginger Beer Plant when the culture was first introduced to the west, by British soldiers on their return back from the Crimean War.

Ingredients

8-cup glass Mason jar or similar with a good strong sealing lid [preserving jars with swing away lids are also ideal]. 
6 cups spring water [hard water-type is recommended, see tip below].
1/2 cup raw sugar.
1 Tsp black strap molasses
About 50gm [2oz] fresh ginger root [Young green ginger root is best].
Slice of Lemon.
1 dry Fig or 2 Tbs Sultanas, Sun Muscat or Raisins or a combination.
2/3 to 1-cup traditional Sugary Kefir-Grains (aka Water Kefir Grains, can be made from traditional Milk Kefir Grains).
1/8 to 1/4 Tsp pure baking powder [sodium bicarbonate].
* 1 cm or 1/2" square piece of eggshell from a boiled egg, either used as flakes or coarsely ground to grit. [Optional ingredient, but provides best SKG growth with bio-available calcium and magnesium, which is desirable. Substitute eggshell with oceanic coral or limestone or a mixture if you wish. Use about 1/4 Tsp coarsely ground grit]

Milk Kefir Grains and Water Kefir Grains side by side:



What the grains look like to scale:



Method

Finely grate fresh ginger root to a coarse consistency. Mix with 2 Tbs raw sugar in a bowl. With a strong spoon, firmly press the mash against the bowl to extract as much juice as possible from the grated ginger. [The sugar draws out more ginger juice through osmotic pressure. If you have a mortar and pestle, then use it to pound the mixture for a minute or so. This should extract more ginger juice from the pulp]. Put mash in a 15cm [6"] square piece of clean, white cloth and squeeze by hand to express the sweetened ginger juice into the 8-cup glass jar. Another option is to use grated ginger, and put this in a piece of cotton gauze, tied with string to make a tea bag of ginger. Simply put this in the jar with the rest of the ingredients.

Add sodium bicarbonate, rest of the raw sugar, molasses and eggshell or coral grit in glass jar with 6 cups water. Stir well to dissolve all the sugar and molasses and then add rest of ingredients including the sugary kefir grains. Seal jar airtight, and let stand for 2 days at room temperature [Stir contents after 24 hours, and again a few times when possible there after]. Strain liquid water-kefir, and store in airtight sealable bottles. Best enjoyed chilled after 1 to 2 days refrigeration. This shall increase carbonation to give a nice, refreshing fizzy ginger root-beer.

Tips: Try storing the sealed bottle at room temperature for one day before refrigeration. This should increase fizz and reduce sugar content faster than fridge storage. Water kefir-grains do not grow well, in fact, growth may cease altogether if using filtered water of any kind, including Brita or active carbon filtered water over some 6 or so batches. Chlorine is not good for natural organisms like in kefir grains so use water previously boiled in a kettle and cooled or leave water out overnight to off gas any chlorine gas.

Notes: Fresh ginger juice can be left to stand for a few hours to precipitate the starch, seen as a white sediment. This white starch sediment can be separated by decanting the ginger root juice. The sediment can be used to thicken stir-fry dishes, or soups, for it has a similar property to Kudzu [Japanese arrowroot]. The wet sediment can be air dried to a powder and stored in a sealed container for future use. If using a unrefined dry cane sugar juice such as muscovado, sucanat or demarara etc. omit molasses.


Cheers,
Brewer Pete


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## bum (12/7/10)

Wikipedia states (without any source or further information, naturally) that ginger beer was invented in England in the mid-1700s. 

Taking nothing away from your post, of course. Very interesting and actually looks pretty tasty for a hot arvo in the sun. Would give it a crack if the kaffir crystals thingos didn't frighten me.


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## Wolfy (12/7/10)

Given the similarity between Water Kefir and 'Ginger Beer Plant', I very much suspect they have a common connection/ancestor, but I was of the belief that it pre-dates the Crimean War.

The (non alcoholic) Ginger Beer recipe I currently flavor is as follows:

1L filtered tap water
Ginger Beer Plant (currently a couple of tablespoons in size)
.1g Yeast Nutrient
.5g DAP
2.5g Cream of Tartar
15ml Lime Juice
30ml Lemon Juice
40g Ginger root (juice only extracted via Fruit Juicer)
180g Raw Sugar
For Melbourne's soft water I also add:
.1g Calcium Carbonate
.1g Calcium Chloride
.1g Epsom Salts

Ferment in a sunny spot for 2-3 days (the sunlight helps keep the bacteria under control).
Strain mixture to separate GBP into PET bottles.
Allow PET bottles to carbonate for 1-3 days, squeeze-test to check carbonation.
Refrigerate to allow remaining yeast to settle.
Pour carefully and enjoy.  

In general the recipe and procedure I use tends to favor the various yeasts in the GBP over the lactobacillus which can tend to lead to a somewhat vinegary taste.

Edit: Some of the members of the GBP Yahoo group tend to ferment a simple sugar solution and then flavour it with various (fruit and other) extracts and flavours when bottling.


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## DU99 (12/7/10)

anyone have a normal ginger beer recipe..like grandma use to make


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## bum (12/7/10)

Yep. I saw one in another thread somewhere.


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## DU99 (12/7/10)

gee ..do i search again..wheres the topic GINGER BEER..or beers other...


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## bum (12/7/10)

I'm pretty sure I read at least 2 plant recipes in active threads in this forum today, you lazy turd.


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## DU99 (12/7/10)

Hey bum..i have tried budriem and bundy..if that thats it ..will try ..but where do they get the recipe from..trial and error


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## bum (12/7/10)

Pretty sure your grandma wouldn't have made ones like those. Regardless, it is really hard to make alc versions like those commercial ginger beers. Some very accomplished homebrewers have tried and I've never read of a proper success yet.

If you wanna do an old school, no/low alc GB, do a search for ginger beer plant and it will turn up some good results. Can't recommend any personally as that's not how I brew mine.

But seriously, this bit of the forum is swamped with GB recipes. It's kinda annoying for you to just jump in someone else's thread, criticise it then demand a recipe with the only quality described to guide us being that your grandma might have made it.

Wait, I've had a complete brainfart moment. Earlier when I said "in another thread somewhere" I meant in this one. Shit. I wanna go back and delete all the faux-help I just typed out.


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## DU99 (12/7/10)

sorry i asked ..i know where the door is


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## bum (12/7/10)

No one wants to show you the door. Least of all me.

I'm sure many of us (definitely me) would just like to show you how to find out these things for yourself. Give a man a fish and all that.

Stick around. There is plenty of great info here and if you show the slightest bit of interest in helping yourself you'll see blokes falling over themselves to offer their experience to help you out.

PMed.


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## DU99 (12/7/10)

we all started from nothing ,i am still learning the brewing..drinking "white rabbit"


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## bum (12/7/10)

Their Dark Ale is a very nice beer. Haven't had the White Ale yet.

I agree that we all start from nothing. I'm still learning to brew, myself.

I have been able to read for sometime though.


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## DU99 (12/7/10)

:icon_chickcheers: Try !st choice


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## bum (12/7/10)

I shall.

Very sorry, Pete.

Sorry mods. Would you be so kind?


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## funkydiscochicken (12/7/10)

bum said:


> Pretty sure your grandma wouldn't have made ones like those. Regardless, it is really hard to make alc versions like those commercial ginger beers. Some very accomplished homebrewers have tried and I've never read of a proper success yet.



I heard from the Bluetongue head brewer that they add a ginger extract after ferment for their ginger beer these days. Originally they used real ginger, but don't any more as this is more consistent.


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## bum (12/7/10)

Look, I've already run Pete's thread off track far enough. I won't get into that (though, I'd dearly love to).

Pete's post shows a really awesome and (for me) rarely seen side of brewing and it deserves better than what I've unintentionally wrought.

I mean coral. CORAL! I can't even begin to get my head around that.


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## Wolfy (12/7/10)

bum said:


> I mean coral. CORAL! I can't even begin to get my head around that.


LOL, I use crushed-coral in my fish-tanks to buffer the (pH) water and the worm-farm gets crushed egg-shells however when brewing prefer to use food grade brewing salts.
But I guess coral, limestone or egg shells are one way to condition the water, I presume it's what happens in some places where the water filters down through coral/limestone substrates.


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## bum (12/7/10)

Ah. That makes sense now that it has been explained to me (thanks) but it just gets dropped in the original recipe like it's something one might have on hand and it isn't in anyway weird to put it in one's beer. Does my head in a little bit. Times were different then I suppose.


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## rendo (12/7/10)

Let me help enhance your quote Bum:

"Pete's posts shows a *are always* really awesome and (for me) rarely seen side of brewing *or anything else for that matter. He has some brilliant recipes, food ideas, etc. He is a GENIUS*"

Check out the Kimchi thread...Tony you'd love this stuff mate...its GOLD. http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...showtopic=32444

Beer and Kimchi.....YUM YUM....mind you Kimchi is meant to be a side dish...but who needs a side dish when u have beer and kimchi. Maybe you can mix beer with kimchi in a side dish and bathe in it?



bum said:


> Pete's post shows a really awesome and (for me) rarely seen side of brewing and it deserves better than what I've unintentionally wrought.


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