Hi mate, I've made this with whatever yeast I've had on hand. So Youngs brewers yeast that comes in a tub, a home-brew shop off brand yeast, Gervin Ale Yeast GV12, and Safale US 05. I've also made this with yeast harvested from the slurry after bottling a beer. I've not noticed a difference between them. I'd say the ginger overpowers any influence the yeast would have. The cheaper yeast is usually about a teaspoon per UK gallon. The ale yeasts are about 11g per 22.5L batch.

Thanks Spindlegrind appreciate it! Apologies for the late reply, had to take a hiatus. Ah I feel your pain. I hate losing recipes. I've started using an app called paprika which keeps them all in one place, very handy! The champagne sounds lush, not enough elder trees around here for me to try

Wow thanks a lot Andy that's very much appreciated! Cheers

Thank you Roger, you're most welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks Rage Kroc much appreciated mate! Enjoy the beer its got a real kick :)

@cluckifikno I'm going to scale this recipe to 3 gallons and I'm looking forward to it. I lost my notes on a fantastic ginger beer i made in 2017 and was looking for tips on how much ginger to use. Regarding the white sugar/dry flavour conundrum...i have a tip sir! You can use white sugar and target for a total dry fermentation, then back-sweeten to taste with ERYTHRITOL (a non fermentable sugar substitute). Dose the brew to taste and then add sugar (and maybe some more yeast for insurance) for carbonation as normal. Total winner!

Thanks Nilo much appreciated I'll give it a go on the next batch!

Better still, 30 seconds in the microwave.

Welcome Miata! That's much appreciated, I try to keep it as simple as possible. Good luck with the beer. Tepache and Rhubarb beer are on my to do list!

Hi Faces of Japan. Glad to hear it! Spent a week or two thinking of ideas for the name until it hit me :)

Cheers fracture much appreciated! Apologies for the late reply, had to take a hiatus. Hope it worked out for you!

Thanks Simon much appreciated! Yes that's a good idea, been a while since I made the ginger beer last and certainly didn't think it through. Previous versions I put the ginger in my bag from the BIAB and used it like a big hop bag. Next time I'l try cold crashing it to see if that helps drop the ginger! I love the idea of a micro brewery, its just such an awesome hobby who wouldn't like to share their creations? Pleased it's inspired you to dust off your kit, good luck with it!

Awesome! Have fun with it and enjoy!

Thanks Mark much appreciated! Great minds think alike, I was thinking of doing a spiced version for winter.

Thanks mate, love from the Highlands!

Thanks Nagarajk much appreciated!

Thanks Jonathan enjoy!

Thanks Cypre672! Enjoy!

You are welcome!

Thanks Ken much appreciated. I took a couple of years off brewing but it feels good to be back. There's a certain alchemy to brewing that I find fascinating. Drinking the results aren't bad either!

Thanks Austin much appreciated!

Haha I'm sure all of us into home brewing have been there. I was about my daily chores when I heard an explosion. Thought I imagined it and went back to it, then another bang and another. Went into the brewery to find the walls painted in beer. I know my Dad experienced something similar after he back sweetened some wine and bottled it. Went into the garage and found corks flying all over the place!

I used to make home brew Guinness on a regular basis and used barrels which were so much easier to clean and refill . All went well until we went on holiday for a couple of weeks . I had left a full newly made barrel on a chair in a spare bedroom ; the sun had warmed up the barrel and the tap was pushed out of the barrel . You could see how the beer had exploded out in a funnel shape by the stain on the wall six feet away . my wife was not happy and it took a while to clean up and get rid of the brewery smell ! I never tried ginger beer but you might have kick started me into action ! Blackberries and Elderflower will be soon ready for picking .... that made my best wine ever . Oh ! It was like a thinner port . Yum

@@davidyendoll5903 Oh dear! I bet that brewery smell lingered for a bit! My wife doesn't mind the hobby until things go wrong or I prioritise brew time over something else lol. Right you are! I made a blackberry wine a couple of years ago that wasn't far off a Port absolutely lush. Gooseberries and plums are another favourite. Haven't got round to elderflower or elderberries yet, definitely on the bucket list!

I was wondering about the "boom factor". I guess it depends on how much sugar is added, afterwards. (?) Love your story, I'm still chuckling... 👍

Thanks Greg much appreciated!

Hello, ask and you shall receive. Makes about one UK gallon. 500g Ginger - peeled and thinly sliced 500g sultanas - chopped 4 lemons - Juice and zest 5L water 1.4 kg sugar Yeast and nutrient Add ginger, sultanas, and zest into fermenter with 2 litres of nearly boiling water and leave for 24 hours. Add juice, remaining water, and sugar, then stir until sugar dissolves. Take gravity reading then add yeast, and nutrient. After primary fermentation strain through sieve and leave in demijohn for a week or so before racking off and bottling. Highly recommend carbonating and storing in beer bottles unless you have champagne bottles, corks and such!

make your own channel.

How much suger ???

Hi John thanks! Funny enough I came to the same conclusion, next batch I intend to drop the white sugar. I'm also going to drop the lemons and add away more limes. I can't get organic ginger here, if I could I'd definitely be trying the ginger bug.

@@cluckifikno Marks & Spencer sell organic root ginger. I know, because I have some. 😊

@@blue246 Thanks Blue, next time I go near Inverness I'll be sure to pick some up!

Thanks Andy hope you enjoyed it! Sorry for the late reply Ginger wine recipe as follows: makes 1 UK gallon 500g ginger 500g sultanas 4 lemons - juice and zest 1.4 kg sugar Yeast and nutrient Add ginger, sultanas, and zest to fermenter and cover with 2 Litres of nearly boiling water. Leave 24 hrs Add juice, remaining water, and sugar then stir til sugar dissolves. Take gravity reading then add yeast and nutrient. After fermentation strain through a sieve then rack off sediment at a later date and bottle. Highly recommend carbonating and storing in beer bottles with crown caps if on a budget!

I've made a pale ale and drank it after two weeks and it was awesome. Guinness clone needed three months. I think the more complex the recipe the longer the maturation period. Straight Ginger beer, no added time needed thanks to the ginger packing such a punch. Like you say glucose (white sugar) is fully fermentable so works well with your diet and ready in 2 weeks, happy days!

Thanks for the tip Hunter! I left the skin on for my ginger bug and it was bubbling nicely but didn't ferment. Might be because I used tap water!?

@@cluckifikno Well, it's always better to heat up tap water to drive off any chlorine and then let it cool but if it was bubbling, then it was probably fermenting. How did you determine that it wasn't fermenting? I have also heard that a lot of lemon/lime juice at the start may slow down natural fermentation due to the acid since it takes a while to build up a good yeast colony so I usually add my lemon juice after 1 or 2 days.

@@cluckifikno yeah the chlorine in the tap water will kill the bacteria that allows the bug to ferment. I ruined two bug starters using tap water

@@0909183 That's good to know thanks for the confirmation! I bought a big bottle of mineral water ready for the next attempt.

@@cluckifikno distilled water is what was recommended from another brewer. They also recommended stirring the bug, to get oxygen and allow the bacteria to grow.

I didn't Ian great pro tip thanks!

Microwave 😅

Thanks Jack! Demerara isn't pure sucrose like white sugar so not all of it will ferment. Some, not a lot mind, but some molasses is left by the yeast. This imparts a sweetness and malty flavour. Love the idea of using thistle and burdock, that's def. on my to do list. I tend to fancy my ales with a bit higher carbonation but that said I'm really enjoying my Pale in a pressure barrel with a much lower carb rate than normal.

Much appreciated Chris hope you enjoyed it! Sorry it's late but for in the future Ginger wine recipe as follows: makes 1 UK gallon 500g ginger 500g sultanas 4 lemons - juice and zest 1.4 kg sugar Yeast and nutrient Add ginger, sultanas, and zest to fermenter and cover with 2 Litres of nearly boiling water. Leave 24 hrs Add juice, remaining water, and sugar then stir til sugar dissolves. Take gravity reading then add yeast and nutrient. After fermentation strain through a sieve then rack off sediment at a later date and bottle. Highly recommend carbonating and storing in beer bottles with crown caps if on a budget!

Thanks Glyn much appreciated! My apologies I dropped the ball there. I just used standard Youngs brewers yeast. I have made it with Gervins Ale yeast and US Safale 05 but I cannot taste the difference in the slightest.

My pleasure! I assume the lemons just add to the flavour and provide a bit of a kick. As for the cream of tartar I think if used when cooking it converts the sucrose (table sugar) to invert sugar which is sweeter. The original recipe I followed used it but I forgot about it for the last couple of batches. Can't say I noticed a difference with or without but I've never done a side by side. Have fun making it!

Thanks Sie much appreciated! It comes in around 6% Abv using the formula original gravity minus finished gravity multiplied by 131.25. To increase or decrease the Abv one pound of sugar is about 1.2%. Cheers!

thanks for that 😃 much appreciated

How did yours turn out in the keg.

@@waynepriddy1603 Worked out pretty well - pasteurizing did the job and you can add sugar to taste with no problem. Even if it ferments some more the keg means it doesn't really matter. It might change the flavour a little though, I didn't keep a non-pasteurized sample to be sure. Next batch I will probably keep some to test, and also do minimum pasteurizing time/temp. I'll have to wait as my kegs are full of beer.

Thanks Stefan apologies for the late reply, had to take a hiatus. Happy it worked out for you! My summer temp is around 20°C going over and under by about 5°C. Warmer temps should just speed up the process, not really an issue with ginger beer but with other ales it may introduce off flavours and you might benefit from a fridge that you can control via a temperature controller like an ink bird used for regulating a lizard terrarium.

Thanks ghost! I will do.

Thanks so much very kind of you to say! No need to refrigerate whatsoever. I only put them in the fridge when I want some cold ones on hand. I’ve kept beer for over a year at room temp (it is an unheated room for the most part). The only important thing is to avoid direct sunlight 👍

@@cluckifikno Oh that's brilliant - thanks so much mate! I'm all over this next weekend! 🤣

Nice, I might try that!

Thanks Rachel that's much appreciated. TBH not only have I not made Kombucha but I had never heard of it until now. Having googled it, it sounds like fun and worthwhile to make for the health benefits. I'll get a scabby ordered and make a vid when it arrives!

Hi Glen sorry for the late reply took a hiatus from being online. I use 1kg white and 2 kg brown for 23 litres and the brown I split 50/50 Demerara and brown

Thanks a lot! Yes and no, but not really. Lager yeast ferments at a cool temp so needs refrigerating but Ale yeast (what I use for ginger beer) needs 20 degrees centigrade. If the temp is lower it will slow fermentation and if it's higher it will speed it up. So you should be fine just expect everything to happen quicker depending how warm your environment is.

Hi Neema apologies for the late reply, had to take a hiatus. Yes it will work no issue!

Hi Ollie, sorry dropped the ball there! I just used standard Youngs Brewers yeast for this batch but I have made it with Gervins Ale yeast and Safale US 05. In a blind test no way would I know which was which, for me the yeast used makes little to no difference. I waited til the temp dropped to 20°C before pitching the yeast. Fermentation, and bottling was done at room temperature, so probably about 16-18°C 😂this is the Scottish Highlands. Fermenting in winter I'd add a heater for sure to keep it at 20°C using Ale yeast!

@@cluckifikno good to know! Cheers for all the information

@@ollierayward9032 No worries Ollie good luck with it!

@@cluckifiknoanother question was, did you figure out roughly what percentage this is?

@@ollierayward9032 Hi Ollie it's about 6.5%. Rule of thumb for a 5 gal / 23 litre batch increase or decrease sugar by a pound to increase / decrease Abv by 1%

I haven't, to be honest I've never heard of the humble plant. Not sure how well it would grow up here in Scotland! I do like the idea of introducing new plants into the recipe though. Great ideas

Thanks Fractode! That's very much appreciated! Enjoy!

Hi ghost apologies for the late reply, had to take a hiatus. Hope it worked out for you!

@@cluckifikno Worked out well....not exactly what I wanted, but drinkable. Thanks.

Hi 007, well you've just introduced me to something new I'd not heard of the ginger bug method. I went shopping earlier and bought some ginger to try and make one so we'll see. I am not a fan of yeast flavour either, can't stand it, but I will say I can't taste a hint of it with this ginger beer. Two things. When the beer has finished fermenting you can cold crash it for 48hrs at 4 degrees centigrade. This will make a lot of the yeast drop to the bottom and you leave it behind when you bottle. Second. After priming the beer and leaving it to carbonate in bottles for a week you can then chill it and again all the yeast will drop to the bottom of the bottle. When you pour into a glass just leave the last cm or so behind in the bottle.

@@cluckifikno It’s 7:00, sir. Please let me know if you find the bug working! As I mentioned I am uet to try this. Would be amazing if you could use the ginger bug as a starter, using only the gingers natural bacteria.

@@agent-700 My apologies, dyslexia, I see one thing but my brain see's something else entirely! For sure I'll keep you updated I'm eager to try it. I love sourdough and for similar reasons and have had good success making a starter from scratch. However, I could only buy non organic ginger so we shall see, fingers crossed!

@@cluckifikno haha no worries! Found a image of a really tired james bond so i figured he woke up 07:00. Hence the new name :D I’ll go ahead and shop all ingrediants as well and get this going!

@@agent-700 Haha class, he does look shattered. To keep you in the loop, I bought some Ginger and started a Ginger Bug. I've been filming the process and it looked like it was working from what I can tell. However, since I used it to make some soda nothing has happened. Might be the tap water so next time I go shopping I'll get some mineral water and see if that works!

Thanks a lot mate. Sorry I wasn't clear! I just used a cheap Dried Active yeast for winemaking and brewing. Ferments at 21-24° C. Amount may depend on brand but mine is 1 teaspoon per gallon.

@@cluckifikno So grateful for your reply and input. Sorry for the delay in seeing it though. Got some ginger beer on the go now and looking forward to it finishing.

I've started a batch with Champagne yeast that I bought online in ireland which doesn't have a specific identifying name on it. I'm worried now that that may have been a mistake and will leave me with a much dryer (as well as more alcoholic) product than I really wanted. Would I have been better to use any particular Brewers yeast or even bread yeast?

Hi Tim apologies for the late reply, had to take a hiatus. I'm sure everything worked out fine for you. Alcohol content is determined by the amount of sugar you use so your yeast wouldn't have made a difference to ABV. Champagne and other wine yeasts can tolerate more sugar than beer specific types. Personally for ginger beer I just use a budget beer yeast because the flavour is so strong a higher quality yeast makes no difference to the finished product, for me personally that is.

Thanks Nodmonkey! I'm pretty new myself so still learning, and experimenting! I really like 2kg brown to 1kg white so 66.66% to 33.33%

@@cluckifikno thanks mate, I actually screwed the whole batch up somehow and it tasted awful, so I'll be re brewing it again soon, cheers

@@Pocketpatriot sorry to hear that mate we've all been there! Fingers crossed for the next one

@@cluckifikno yeah entirely my fault and not down to your recipe, maybe dodgy ginger or me just being impatient and inexperienced

Ooh lovely! I've made syrup from the berries that was delicious and a cordial from the flower also beautiful. Just started a batch of Elderflower champagne yesterday. I've seen the bug method but I think it requires organic ginger for the yeast and I can't get that here. Yes this is definitely simple if not a bit tedious lol. Ah you're so right, last batch I peeled with a spoon and it was so much easier and quicker. Some people say leave the skin on some say off. I think the skin would make the flavour stronger but I wouldn't worry about the natural yeast. I made a mango beer and wild yeast started going wild and it just added to the flavour. It's a bit akin to sourdough.

Hi Richard. It came out 6% with 3kg of white sugar, most of the brown is fermentable so it's not going to be much less.

Hi! Yes to each their own. Many methods to skin a cat and all that. Adding sugar to a bottle is a laborious messy process for me, and sure I could use boiling water but I prefer to use the beer instead. Whatever works for you!

Hi Vee, I haven't used raw cane sugar for brewing, yet, can't get it around here. I would've thought it would be very similar to using brown sugar. Mostly fermentable with a little molasses left behind imparting a sweetness and malty flavour. Sounds good to me!

@@cluckifikno raw cane sugar is white I guess ..that hasn't been processed..bleached. It's not brown sugar.. it doesn't Compact and its grandeur. To me it's more organic.

Champagne yeast all day 😂

With craft Ales and such I'll use whatever comes recommended for the variety. I love Safale 05 for APAs but for ginger beer I couldn't tell the difference between expensive yeast and cheap budget home-brew store off brand yeast. The ginger is so strong the subtle effects of the yeast are lost. For me personally anyway.

Not sure tbh Fred. Did you use brown sugar or all white? That would make the biggest difference colour wise, wouldn't have thought the ginger would have much impact. Mine is definitely quite a bit lighter now it's been in bottles for a while. I'm sure your will be awesome either way!

When I ferment in big buckets I don't bother with an airlock. The yeast produces CO2 which creates a protective barrier at the top and if pressure gets high it will just seep out. If I ferment in something smaller like a demijohn then I'll use an airlock just to prevent a build up of pressure and the cork blowing off.

Hi, no I've just kept it basic with ginger. I love it so I haven't been tempted to experiment with it. May try the malt at some point though as it has been recommended.

So you make the ginger bug from root but the soda from ginger powder? I'm definitely not a fan of rotten egg lol. Great tip using xylitol to sweeten hadn't thought of that! Thanks for your input.

@@cluckifikno not sure what you mean but no i do not use a ginger bug nor fresh ginger i use ginger powder made from fresh ginger (ie dehydrated) for some reason the sulfur or egg funky making chemical is rendered neutral or denatured as opposed to using fresh ginger and it makes for a much easier and cleaner looking final product, i use commercial yeast like wine or champagne yeast but in a pinch even bread yeast may work although id prefer a yeast that ferments as clean as possible so there is no chance of off flavors but bread yeast is good for beers and of course if you like a sweeter product you can use a variety of non fermenting sugars like stevia but be careful some brands leave a metallic bitter kinda taste so that is why xylitol is a good option although expensive there are other cheaper brands that are good without that bitter taste so you need to taste them although the bitter one is great for making champagne and actually champagnes or sparkling wines do have that taste in them which is interesting ,are they also using these? lol

@@cluckifikno "I'm definitely not a fan of rotten egg " don't yours have that taste?

@@ARCSTREAMS Okay I'm with you! Making the beer as I've outlined in the video with fresh ginger there is definitely no sulphur/rotten egg aroma and thanks to the Demerara a touch of sweetness. I used standard beer/wine yeast for this batch although I've made it with Germans Ale yeast and Safale US 05. To be honest the flavour of the ginger is so strong I've noticed no difference. After fermenting on the ginger I've then subsequently made a batch of ginger wine with it which was lovely. I had a couple of litres left over that wouldn't fit in the demijohn so I added some priming sugar and bottle it in beer bottles. The result, a sparkling ginger wine that was not a million miles away from champagne!

@@cluckifikno well perhaps the overpowering ginger is possibly covering the funky taste or maybe you are lucky for some reason with the process its not there,, so for your wine you simply add more sugar and let it ferment again? yeah i love making sparklers myself i once done a store bought fruit juice that finished tasting like an expensive champagne, ppl could not believe it was made from store juice and not actual grapes

Hi fred I can't edit the video now it's uploaded but the recipe is in the video description for you to copy!

Thanks Genius much appreciated! It's about 6%

I had a bottle of Crabbe’s after I ran out, very, very disappointed. I’d not buy it again.

Hi Peelman apologies for the late reply, had to take a hiatus. I just use off brand cheap dried active brewing yeast for wine and beer. I've used more expensive stuff but it made no difference to me

Hey Mutant, it's light brown. Can't for the life of me remember why I use both light brown and Demerara but it works so I've stuck with it.

@@cluckifikno Thanks for the update. I'm going to give it a shot later in the fall. Keep up the good work.

@@mutantryeff No worries at all, and thanks a lot appreciate the support! Good luck with the beer when you get around to it!

Hi Fred. 2 kg sugar or 4.4 lbs. 2.2 lbs of granulated, 1.1 lbs of Demerara, and 1.1 lbs of light brown

Yes sorry about that. I've made it with Safale 05, Gervin Ale, and just basic non branded beer and wine yeast. Couldn't tell the difference between the three so I'd just use the cheap stuff. Can't remember the extra sugar? Possibly for carbonating? About one teaspoon per bottle

He uses the superior metric system.

6.6 LBS of sugar - 2.2 white the rest brown 2.2 - 4.4 lbs ginger

Thanks 👍

Hi! Yes over here it's classed as Ginger Beer. It comes out at 6%. No food processor myself so have to grate. Good to know about peeling it! Cheers

Yes definitely going to get some on my next order, sodium metabisulphate stinks. Not a fan

Hi Kevin, not sure what's gone wrong there! Every batch I make I record the recipe and any changes I make. One constant has been 3kg of sugar for 23 litres. I have messed up gravity readings before though, sometimes I forget hydrometers are only accurate at specific temperatures. Sorry if I've messed that up, next batch I make I'll double check.

Hi Steven apologies for the late reply, had to take a hiatus. Interesting, I'll have an experiment thanks