Gingerbeer Recipes

Here are two ginger beer recipes. We prefer the vinegar one (you don't taste the vinegar at all it is part of some cunning chemical reaction rather than flavoring directly - this recipe is very similar to the one we use for elderflower champagne)

Number 1
1 lemon
2 cloves
50g ginger
2.5l water (or there abouts)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
200g sugar
1/2 tsp bread yeast

Number 2
1 lemon
2 cloves
50g ginger
2.5l water (or there abouts)
2 teaspoon cream of tartar
200g sugar
1/2 tsp bread yeast

For both put all the ingredients in to a pan or other container of sufficient size. Juice the lemon then bung in the whole lot, juice, rind, pips etc. I use the bottles I am going to put it in to measure out the water so it may be a bit more or less than in the recipe depending on bottle size.
Stir well and leave for 24 hours stirring occasionally if you remember to make sure the sugar is all disolved.

Strain in to bottles through a sieve (a funnel is helpful here - put the sieve on the funnel and mess is reduced). I would strongly recommend using screw top bottles not swing top. Depending how long you leave it it can be quite enthusiastic when opened. We had an 'incident' where the ceiling was very throughtly covered in ginger beer. I suspect bits are still on the ceiling in our old flat in Camden. We use bottles from fizzy water and just buy the cheapest water to get them (and we make nice sangria with it) and when they are worn out do the same again. Looks nicer in glass though...

If you want it more gingery you can either add more ginger or probably better pour boiling water over the ginger and cloves then leave overnight to cool before adding the other ingredients and proceed as before.

It should be ready in about 3 days or more or less depending on temperature. If you use plastic bottles you can squeeze the bottle and when it feels hard it is ready.