Neither of these recipes use a ginger bug, so they’re good for people that are too impatient or scared to grow a ginger bug. There are two variations here. The first recipe is simpler and has intense ginger and a medium sweetness. The second recipe is the original recipe and is more dry and more spiced, but more complicated. Seven years later, people still email us about this recipe, so it’s pretty popular!
These recipes were created by Kendall.
Recipe 1 – Intense Ginger & Medium Sweetnes (1.25 Gal)
Batch Size
Boil Time
IBU
SRM
Est. OG
Est. FG
ABV
1.25 gal
10 min
0.0 IBUs
5.3 SRM
1.035 SG
1.01 SG
3.5 %
Fermentable
Amount
%
Panela aka Piloncillo (Cane Sugar)
1 lbs
100
Item Name
Amount
min
Usage
Type
Ginger Root
12 oz
10 min
Steep
Herb
Cinnamon Stick
1.00 Items
10 min
Steep
Spice
Lime (zest)
1.00 Items
10 min
Steep
Spice
Yeast Name
Lab
Attenuation
Temperature
Safale US-05
Fermentis – Saf
81%
60°F – 75°F
Steep in 0.5 gallon hot water (10-20 minutes): Ginger (grated), herbs, lime zest
Dissolve: Panela aka Piloncillo. You can find this in any hispanic market.
Add: 0.75 gallon cold spring water to cool down
Strain: Strain through cheesecloth, sieve, or keep herbs in nylon bag.
Once that’s cooled down, pitch your yeast and let it ferment out. Carbonate with 1.25 oz of table sugar for a fizzy, refreshing summer drink.
Recipe 2 Details – Dry, Spiced (2 Gal)
Batch Size
Boil Time
IBU
SRM
Est. OG
Est. FG
ABV
2 gal
20 min
0.0 IBUs
5.3 SRM
1.022 SG
0.997 SG
3.3 %
Fermentable
Amount
%
Panela aka Piloncillo (Cane Sugar)
1 lbs
50
Brown Sugar, Light
0.25 lbs
12.5
Honey
0.75 lbs
37.5
Item Name
Amount
min
Usage
Type
Ginger Root
1.00 lb
20 min
Steep
Herb
Anise, Star
1.00 Items
20 min
Steep
Spice
Cardamom Pod
1.00 Items
20 min
Steep
Spice
Cinnamon Stick
1.00 Items
20 min
Steep
Spice
Cloves (ground)
0.05 oz
20 min
Steep
Spice
Lime (zest)
2.00 Items
0 min
Steep
Spice
Rum (dark)
1.00 tbsp
0 min
Primary
Other
Vanilla
1.00 tsp
0 min
Primary
Spice
Yeast Name
Lab
Attenuation
Temperature
Lalvin D-47 (D-47)
Lallemand – Lalvin
75%
50°F – 86°F
The original recipe used the juice of 4 limes and the zest of 1 lime. As I’ve brewed more over the years, I’ve found that fermented citrus juice frequently tastes bad. Using zest only will give a citrusy flavor without any of the off flavors, but feel free to try the original version
You’ll notice there is a lot of spice going on here. I suggest starting with 1.5 gallons of water at first, and then using cold spring water at the end to make 2 gallons. This does NOT need to boil, but you should heat it up enough to pasteurize everything. Please remember to use actual ginger root, and not dried ginger. And make sure you grate it, or you won’t get as much flavor out!
Steep in hot water (10-20 minutes): Ginger (grated), star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, pinch of cloves
Dissolve: Brown sugar, Panela aka Piloncillo. You can find this in any hispanic market.
Mix in: Honey, lime zest, dark rum, vanilla
Strain: Strain through cheesecloth, sieve, or keep herbs in nylon bag.
Once that’s cooled down, pitch your yeast and let it ferment out. Carbonate with 1 ounce of table sugar if you want a more traditional, flat ginger beer, or 2 ounces if you want a fizzier drink.
Also, the honey and brown sugar are in weight, but if you don’t have a scale, it’s 1 Cup of honey and 1/2 Cup of brown sugar.
