The Drink Of Kings Can You Resist Ginger Beer (Homemade Non-alcoholic Drinks)

Member Name: JoandLee

Product:	Homemade Non-alcoholic Drinks
Date:	17/01/06 (1348 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tastes Great Welcome Change From Normal Fizzies

Disadvantages: Keeping Track Of The Tme To Avoid Explosions

Have you ever thought I really don't want to drink anymore Irn Bru, Coke or Lemonade and not known what to take instead.

What can I say I did and I was at my grans at the time and she had just made a batch of Ginger Beer and I loved it so much that i got the recipe from her and decided to try it for myself. There's something really rewarding about being self sufficient and it tastes great you really feel you've achieved something.

So I thought I'd share this recipe with all you lovely people and let you try it if the notion takes you.

Here goes

INGRDEIENTS
Two lemons
450gms sugar
8 pints (4.4litres) of water
Flat teaspoonful of Dried Yeast
100gm Fresh root ginger
Two heaped tea spoons of tartaric acid (Cream of Tartar)

EQUIPMENT
A large pan that can boil four and a half litres of water dont worry if you dont have a pan this size two small ones are ok 2.
A jug
A glass
A coarse cheese grater
A wooden spoon
A 1 gallon demijohn or 4 2litre coke bottles
A cork for the demijohn tight lid on coke bottles
A lemon juicer
A lemon zester
A fine sieve
9 glass or plastic bottles of 500ml volume with screw caps (eg plastic coke bottles)

METHOD
1. Put 8 pints of water in the large pan and bring it to the boil
2. While the water is coming to the boil...

scrape the zest from one of the lemons
grate the ginger on the coarse cheese grater
add the sugar to the ginger and lemon zest in a bowl
cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into the jug
add the tartaric acid to the lemon juice
put the yeast into some warm water with a little sugar in a glass
3. When the water has boiled ....
add the sugar, ginger and lemon zest to the water, turn off the heat and stir
allow the water to cool to roughly blood heat, stirring occasionally
add the lemon juice and tartaric acid to the water
add the yeast mixture
4. Use the jug to pour the mixture into the demi-john
5. Seal the demijohn with the bubble seal
6. Stand the demijohn in a warm place for 48 hrs at a bubble rate of 40/minute
7. After 48 hrs pour the mixture through the sieve into the jug and fill the bottles leaving an air gap for the pressure to build up in. Screw the caps tightly onto the bottles (8 pints (4.5l) should fill 9 bottles)
8. Leave the bottles at room temperature for 24 hrs (to generate the fiz)
9. Put the bottles in the fridge for 2-3 days to allow the yeast to settle (failure to do this may result in an explosion!)

Please note if using more than one pot split the amount in accordance with the pot size i.e 2 pots half mixture in each.
Be very aware of the time you leave the bottle in hot area as this is to allow the yeast to work and if left to long it will expolde hence putting it into fridge after 48 hours, this halts the yeast.

Open the bottle slowly releasing the gas and pour. If possible pour it all out at once into the bottles mentioned as this prevents the yeast fermanting in the bottom of the large bottles, demi john. Use the sieve when doing so to catch the yeast thereby not ruining the set.

The longer you leave the yeast the more alcohlic it becomes but it does loose its sweetness. These are the times I use to get it the way I like it you may want to adjust the times depending on your own tastes.

Go on have a try its fun

Summary: Making Ginger Beer