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Making Ginger Beer

When I was a kid I used to be fascinated by this big jar of bubbling goo that my Grandad had on the shelf.  When I asked him about it he told me it was a Ginger Plant for making Ginger Beer.  

I was intrigued but couldn't see inside and therefore imagined a small moss like plant which exuded some magical liquid.  Eventually I grew older and then realised it was a manufacturing plant - duh!! how stupid am I?  I came across the following on the BBC website recently and felt I should share it.  If this one is anything like my Grandad's Ginger Beer it can be quite effective - so be warned!


INGREDIENTS:
25g (1 oz) fresh yeast or 15 g (1⁄2 oz) of dried yeast
1 kg (21⁄4 lb) sugar
40ml (8 tsp) ground ginger
Juice of 2 lemons
Water
Square of muslin
9 x 1 pint, or 5 x 2 pint cork topped bottles (Boots and good hardware shops sell these
- but DO NOT use screw-top bottles or they could explode!)

METHOD:
For making the ginger beer my Mum used a glass sweet jar bought from the local shop; if you can find one it would be ideal. It is best kept in a cool dark place; we used the a shelf
of the larder.

METHOD FOR MAKING STARTER PLANT:
Put the yeast into a large clean jar. Pour in 275 ml (10 fl oz) tepid, blood temp. warm water. Stir in 10 ml (2 tsp) sugar and 10ml (2 tsp) ground ginger.
Cover and leave in a warm place for 24 hours. You have made your starter plant; over the next week you just 'feed' it till it is ready to bottle.

FEEDING THE PLANT:
Feed the plant with 5 ml (1 tsp) sugar and 5 ml (1 tsp) ground ginger, every day for the next 6 days. Make sure to stir and cover the jar each time.
After you have fed it on the 6th day, cover the plant and leave it for 24 hours.

After that, line a sieve with the muslin, then strain the contents of the jar, reserving both the liquid and the sediment.
In a saucepan over gentle heat, dissolve 900 g (2 lb sugar) in 575 ml (1 pt) water. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved then bring to the boil and boil for 3 minutes.
Allow to cool until almost cool, then pour the syrup into a large bowl and stir in the lemon juice and liquid from the plant.

Dilute this liquid with 3.5 litres (6 pt) water, stir well and pour into clean, and sterilised bottles. Put a cork in each one and store somewhere preferably cool and dark for at least one week.  Then drink and enjoy - don't be tempted to save it as there will be a new batch coming along next week!

MAKING MORE GINGER BEER:
Wash out the large jar and the muslin. 
Add half of the saved sediment, then
continue from ' feeding the plant'.  
Pass the other half of the sediment
to a friend with instructions as to how
to proceed