How to Make a Ginger Bug for Making Probiotic Rich Fermented Drinks
Hi Sweet Friends,
A Ginger Bug is a fermentation starter for making homemade carbonated beverages. It’s easy to make and only takes a few minutes a day of preparation over the course of 5 days to ferment. Once it’s fermented, you will add a 1/4 cup of the ginger bug liquid to a quart of a sweetened beverage that you’ll decant into a sealed bottle.
Left undisturbed, the sweetened liquid ferments and becomes a carbonated drink that is gut healthy and probiotic rich and much better for you than commercially made sodas.
After you’ve made the Ginger Bug, be sure to use it to make Fermented Ginger Ale.
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You can print the recipe below.
How to Make a Ginger Bug for Making Probiotic Rich Fermented Drinks
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons Grated ginger, peeled
- 5 tablespoons White cane sugar
- 10 tablespoons Filtered water Chlorine free
Instructions
- Day 1: Add 2 tablespoons of grated ginger, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons water to a quart-sized jar and stir well. Cover the jar with a coffee filter or clean fabric and leave undisturbed in a warm place for 24 hours.
- Day 2-5: Repeat steps outlined in Day 1.
- After 5 days, your Ginger Bug is ready to use to make fermented beverages. Learn how to make Fermented Ginger Ale here: https://marysnest.com/recipe/homemade-fermented-ginger-ale/
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My bug isn’t fizzy, doesn’t look fermented at all. Let me tell you what I did, it might be my fault. Day 1 was a leisure day, so I grated all 10 tbsp of ginger. I knew the rest of the week would be hectic, so I froze the ginger in tbsp cubes, and just dropped 2 in every day, with the water (Poland spring) and sugar. It’s been so hot here so I knew the cubes would melt fast, which they did, and I know the fridge doesn’t kill ferments, so I figured they’d be ok. But there’s no bubbly action happening. Day 6 I even added another helping of water and sugar, but still nothing. What are your thoughts? Is there any hope?
Hi Chris, I understand completely. Ferments of any type can be VERY persnickety! I think the problem is the heat. Ferments don’t do well when it gets too hot – and unfortunately, they don’t like temperature swings either. So trying to modulate the temperature can upset them! Oh dear! They are so fussy!! I think the best thing to do, might be to try and start another “bug” once the temp in your home can be somewhere in the 68F-72F range. Keep me posted. Love, Mary