Homemade Ginger Ale

[orangeman747]

I need to make homemade ginger ale for a class... I've seen a few online, but I need one that is not just mixing mashed ginger with sparkling water and sugar. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[cdh]

Peel one thumb sized piece of ginger and grind in food processor. Remove half. Add one cup sugar and 1/4tsp lemon oil and buzz in processor for a minute. Add ground stuff to one cup water and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Cool, and add the other half of the ginger. Let sit in the fridge overnight. Strain. Dilute to taste with fizzy water and a squeeze of citrus. Some like a drop or two of vanilla in there. I don't.

This will be cloudy looking, not pretty golden like commercial ginger ale.

[The Old Foodie]

Here is a selection from one of my (now deceased) English aunts.

Quick Method

1 ¾ cups sugar

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 large teaspoon tartaric acid

1 teaspoon lemon essence

1 gallon water.

Mix well and use immediately.

2-day Ginger Beer

32 cups water

4 cups raw sugar

2 dessertspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon tartaric acid

juice 2 lemons

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon dry yeast

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the other ingredients. Bottle the next day. Ready in 2 days.

Ginger Beer (with Ginger Beer Plant)

2 level dessertspoons caster sugar

2 pints warm water

1 oz dried yeast

2 level dessertspoons ground ginger

To feed each day: 2 level dessertspoons caster sugar and 2 level dessertspoons ground ginger.

To finish making the drink:

1 ½ lb caster sugar

2 pints boiling water

juice 3 large lemons

5 pints cold water.

Melt the 2 dessertspoons sugar in 1 ¼ pints of the warm water, whisk in the yeast and leave in a warm place for the yeast to work (it will get frothy when it is ready – about 15 minutes). Do this in a largish jar.

Stir in the remaining water and the 2 dessertspoons ginger and 2 level dessertspoons caster sugar. Cover the jar loosely.

To complete the drink: dissolve the sugar in water, add the lemon juice with the cold water and carefully pour into this the clear liquid on top of the jar (leave the sediment behind). Pour the drink into bottles, and leave a week before using. It will keep for about three weeks (in a cool place).

Keep re-feeding the sediment and make more ginger beer!

[Mayhaw Man]

Wiki How has a very good tutorial with photos

Ginger Ale

[cdh]

I think that the lemon oil is more important than the lemon juice to getting a good flavor profile. Wiki how leaves the zest out of the recipe. A shame.

Your carbonation source is important too... the yeast method will carbonate a bottle... but the syrup method mixes well with seltzer, and you don't have to wait for the yeast to ferment enough sugar to carbonate it.

Edited December 14, 2006 by cdh (log)

[orangeman747]

these look great1

cdh, i have to have the yeast carbonate it because its for a science class assignment where we have to show the effects of short term fermentation on a food or drink...

thanks!