Bottle this using plastic bottles and let them sit on the kitchen counter for a couple of days to continue fermenting and develop the fizz again. Then add the tops and put the bottles in the fridge. In the last minute or so of the boil, add the raw sugar. We add the sugar late to reduce the chance of boiling over. Ginger beer has clearly seen major growth as a “near beer” – an alternative for drinkers who are not into the bitterness of traditional beer flavours. It can also be made with low or no alcohol and gluten-free, which makes it a viable option for non-beer drinkers or those with dietary requirements or driving responsibilities. Before you start brewing, sanitise your fermenter according to the instructions on your sanitiser, set the fermenter aside with the sanitiser solution to soak.

We wanted to keep it gluten-free as there were lots of calls to have a gluten-free beer on the market and I personally have never enjoyed gluten-free beers. But the ginger beer, I knew I could pull it off,” explained Ward. After 24 hours, you will notice yeast colonies on top of the liquid and settled at the bottom. This is normal! Wash the ginger under cold water, then use a grater or food processor to finely grate or blend. Zest lemons if using zest.

You know real ginger beer if you've tasted it. The second you take a sip, it stomps on your tongue with steel-toed boots, taking glee in reminding you how spicy raw ginger truly is. Add all the ingredients to a large screw top glass jar (use one large enough to hold three cups of water). Stir, screw on lid and leave in a warm place to ferment. In warm weather this takes approx three days, under cooler conditions five to six days. A little froth on the top of the mixture & tiny bubbles rising from the bottom of the jar indicate fermenting is taking place (this can be seen clearly by holding the bottle up to the light). Once fermentation begins, the plant must be fed with four teaspoons of sugar & two teaspoons of ginger every day for one week. (Do not miss a single day or the plant will die.) Once the week has passed, the plant is ready to use to make ginger beer.

Then we use a ginger beer base, it is a flavour but it makes a small component of ginger beer flavour, and it does provide some depth to the ginger character. We ferment it out like any other beer, and there’s a small amount of hops in there too. Replace the dry or liquid malt extract with other sugar sources such as honey, additional raw sugar, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc. Go to flavour town Bring the pot to a simmer, and cook for at least 5 minutes (most people go for 10-20 to be safe). This extracts the flavour from the ginger, and kills bacteria which would spoil the batch. Optionally add the cassia bark and lemon zest to the boil.Ingredients: Carbonated water, ginger root, cane sugar, natural flavours, yeast, acids (citric acid, malic acid), preservatives (211, 223), sweeteners (951, 950, 955), antioxidant (ascorbic acid), stabilisers (412, 415). Contains Phenylalanine.