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    • odd man out wrote:

      Correct that the yeast grow better with oxygen but no alcohol is produced. Oxygen is needed initially to get the culture started. But there are lots of bad bugs that will live you n oxygen. That's what makes your food rot. Fermented foods were developed to preserve food. Of course there are lots of microbes besides yeast that are involved and the process is very complex. I read that in fermenting saurkraut, there are a whole series of microbes involved. The byproducts of the initial fermentation provides conditions so a second wave of bugs thrive. Then they make it favorable for the next, etc. Your ginger bug uses natural microbes from the ginger so there are probably lots of things in there. I made Kimchee a couple times. Once it came out great. I tried again and it was a total failure. What I should have done is to save some of the good batch to do innoculate the second. For most beer, you just want one strain of yeast so you set up the conditions to make your starter culture pure. Then you get your primary fermentation to start as fast as possible but it has to go anaerobic so the alcohol knocks out the unwanted bugs. The pH is also important. The beer should be slightly acidic. Under these conditions, bad bugs won't thrive. I think your recipe has lemon juice. I'm guessing that is there the acid.
      Good points. The yeast fascinates me but lactic acid bacteria is also essential. It’s neat to read about different sourdough cultures being tested and seeing which LAB’s are dominant. Did you know there’s one called Lactobacillus Sanfranciscensis?
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Nice TJ, it is fun to experiment.

      This got me wondering, have you ever made Switchel? I don't do it very often, but I find it very thirst quenching on a hot summer day. I also mix it with some seltzer water to make it carbonated.

      Scott
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • TJ and OMO may be interested to know that Tufts University which is close to me has a laboratory dedicated to the study of the microbiomes of fermentation. Here is a link to their website...

      sites.tufts.edu/wolfelab/

      Professor Wolfe came and talked to my 'Mushroom Club' about his work. He started by studying the microbiome of cheeses, but now has branched out into other food products. It is interesting stuff.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • A few things have become clear with making ginger beer. My confusion stems from reading different recipes/methods. Some say to cover the vessel with cheese cloth, some say with a lid, some advise to use an airlock.

      I’ve discovered that there’s primary fermentation, secondary fermentation, then alcohol brewing. Primary fermentation uses wild yeast in the air which needs a way to enter the vessel, thus the cheese cloth. It’s not really necessary to do this if the ginger bug is strong and active and in fact, I’ve read that some people don’t like the taste of the finished product when it’s undergone primary fermentation.

      Secondary fermentation is making the fizzy drink from the ginger bug. By using a screw lid, the CO2 can’t escape and gets reabsorbed into the beverage. Used for a short amount of time it’s quite safe, although it’s recommended that the concoction be burped once a day.

      For a longer fermentation, an airlock is necessary to allow the build-up of CO2 to escape. Also, some people will periodically siphon the beverage into different vessels in order to get rid of the residue that is the by-product of the yeast. (I think that’s the case, I may be wrong).
      Lost in the right direction.

    • I thoroughly enjoyed my first batch of ginger beer, it was refreshing and delicious, so I made another batch yesterday.

      The new batch is a little different but promises to be better than the first. I added raspberries for flavor, strained out all the fruit and ginger, and poured it into a one gallon container with a screw top lid. It’s already bubbling and I’m contemplating allowing it to ferment into alcohol. I bought an airlock and lid from the local brewing supply store.

      The danger is that it will turn into vinegar instead of alcohol. My understanding is that if there’s too much surface space, a bacteria called acetobacter might grow on the surface of the liquid and turn it into vinegar (at least, I think that’s what happens).

      Anyway, it’s a lot of fun.

      (the pic makes it look darker than it is.)
      Images

      • BBA27B8B-101A-40FB-8CDC-82E6AF0FF668.jpeg

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      Lost in the right direction.

    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      I thoroughly enjoyed my first batch of ginger beer, it was refreshing and delicious, so I made another batch yesterday.

      The new batch is a little different but promises to be better than the first. I added raspberries for flavor, strained out all the fruit and ginger, and poured it into a one gallon container with a screw top lid. It’s already bubbling and I’m contemplating allowing it to ferment into alcohol. I bought an airlock and lid from the local brewing supply store.

      The danger is that it will turn into vinegar instead of alcohol. My understanding is that if there’s too much surface space, a bacteria called acetobacter might grow on the surface of the liquid and turn it into vinegar (at least, I think that’s what happens).

      Anyway, it’s a lot of fun.

      (the pic makes it look darker than it is.)
      Wow! You are truly multi-talented. I don't think there's anything you can't do.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

      The post was edited 1 time, last by jimmyjam ().

    • jimmyjam wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      I thoroughly enjoyed my first batch of ginger beer, it was refreshing and delicious, so I made another batch yesterday.

      The new batch is a little different but promises to be better than the first. I added raspberries for flavor, strained out all the fruit and ginger, and poured it into a one gallon container with a screw top lid. It’s already bubbling and I’m contemplating allowing it to ferment into alcohol. I bought an airlock and lid from the local brewing supply store.

      The danger is that it will turn into vinegar instead of alcohol. My understanding is that if there’s too much surface space, a bacteria called acetobacter might grow on the surface of the liquid and turn it into vinegar (at least, I think that’s what happens).

      Anyway, it’s a lot of fun.

      (the pic makes it look darker than it is.)
      Wow! You are truly multi-talented. I don't there's anything you can't do.
      Lol! You’re too kind. :)

      It’s decision time, ugh. It tastes good, very light and refreshing, and I’m leaning towards putting it in the fridge and drinking it now.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Seems like a good night to crack open a 2013 Goose Island Burbon County Brand Barleywine.
      Eight years old and still very sweet. These can sit a bit longer yet...

      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      Any recommendations on non alcoholic beer?
      Years ago I tried but couldn't find anything worthwhile.

      But with the recent popularity in the last 10 years or so of craft beers, that has something decent out there now. Doesn't there?

      If you find something let us know.

      FWIW, I don't drink sodas so for something different I get Spindrift at Costco which is just sparkling water flavored with real fruit juice.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().

    • The highest rated nonalcoholic beer I could find (according to Beeradvocate) is 'Juicy IPA' by 'Untitled Art.'
      Here is their online ordering...
      drinkuntitled.com/products/non-alcoholic-beer/

      Looks like that beer is out of stock.

      A more widely available option may be this one from Sam Adams...
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • Ha, ha.

      Lord Hobo is just a few towns over from me. I'm feeling so International now :)

      Where is this? Their beer is OK, but what the owner really seems to excel at is getting his beer on the shelves at the expense of other beers.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier

    • I have no idea why this site rotates every photo I upload.
      Images

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      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    • odd man out wrote:

      Time to revisit one of my pet peeves.

      I'm eating dinner at a restaurant in Ontario. On the menu, they have three beers listed under Domestic Beer. One is from Belgium, one is from the USA, and one is from Ireland.

      What exactly is the meaning of "Domestic"????
      Depending on the beers, they may have been right. I know some Guinness is brewed in Canada and in the US (there is a Guinness Brewery in Baltimore). What was the Belgium? I know that Stella Artois is brewed locally by Anheuser-Busch
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”

      John Greenleaf Whittier