Homemade ginger beer

I grew up in a home where my mother made gallons of homemade ginger beer in summertime.  She had the most amazing bottles that she used, glass covered in wicker and I remember lying in bed at night hearing a cork pop every now and then – I also have a memory of her getting covered in ginger beer squirt when trying to release the gas.

As spring has begun here, and the weather is toasty hot again, I thought there would be nothing better than having some ice-cold homemade ginger beer to sip on while lying next the pool, watching the giraffes meander past.

My recipe

• two 5cm long roots of fresh ginger (just estimate – not critical)
• one lemon
• a handful of raisins
• 11g/10ml sachet of dried yeast
• 1 liter of boiling water
• 4 liters of room temperature water
• 3 cups of sugar

You will also need a 5 liter bowl or bucket to make your beer in.

Method

• Grate the ginger into the bucket – I wash it first but don’t bother peeling it.
• Grate the rind of the lemon into the bucket (don’t grate the white pith)
• Squeeze the lemon juice from the lemon into the bucket
• Add three cups of sugar to the mix
• Toss in a handful of raisins
• Pour approx. 1 liter of boiling water over the sugar/ginger/lemon mix and stir till the sugar dissolves.
• Top up to 5 liters with room temperature water
• Test the temperature of the mixture with your clean finger. It must be luke warm – body temperature. If it is still too hot, let it cool for a bit.
• Sprinkle the sachet of yeast over the surface of the water and leave it to dissolve.  If the yeast makes clumps squash them against the side of the bucket with a wooden spoon and stir till the yeast is dissolved. (If the mix is too hot the yeast will be denatured and you will have to throw away the batch)
• Cover the bucket and leave overnight / 8 – 12 hours till it bubbles and makes a scummy layer on top of the mixture.
• Sieve the ginger beer through a clean dish towel or a cheese cloth lined colander.
• Bottle  the beer in plastic or glass bottles with tight sealing lids. (I prefer plastic because this beer builds up a lot of pressure and glass bottles can explode.)
• Leave in a cool place away from direct sunlight for two to three days, remembering to release the pressure in the bottles every day (I do it twice a day). Leave for longer if you want a strong beer.
• Once the ginger beer tastes just like you want it, pop the bottles into the refrigerator. This will stop the fermenting process.
• The longer you leave it at room temperature the more alcohol content you will have. I prefer mine to be a sparkling fresh cold drink rather than a strong beer.

Serve over ice with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint. Enjoy.

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