PK’s Small Batch Hard Ginger Beer

Not much tops a nice cold glass of home made ginger beer on a hot Perth summers day. In this recipe I use a small 2L fermenting jar with a built in one way airlock. It makes just the right amount to share with a few friends over lunch.

As with my hard apple cider I don’t do a secondary fermentation and that means a flat beverage. I don’t mind and on the plus side I can simply take a jar that has been fermenting for about 4 weeks and chill it a few hours before I need it. No mess, no double handling and no decanting necessary.

The amount of ginger you add is entirely up to you so add more if you crave that ginger kick. I keep getting accused of under doing it by my family :).

Note: Please only follow this recipe if you are of a legal age to drink in your country. Don’t attempt this in an air tight glass jar, it will explode!

You will need:

Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp of finely grated or chopped fresh root ginger (add more for an increased kick!)
- 1 small lemon or lime
- 1 Tbsp honey
- ~6 raisins (to add some wild yeasts to the mix)
- 1 teabag (to add some extra tannins to the mix)
- ~ half a sachet of yeast (I use whatever is available, in this case bakers yeast)
- 1 cup raw sugar
- chili powder or chopped fresh chili to taste (optional)
- boiling water (to sanitise everything)
- cooled boiled water

Equipment
- a small bowl
- a fork
- a chopping board
- a long sharp knife
- a teacup
- a juicer for the lime
- a 2L fermenting jar with a built in one way airlock or similar

Steps:

Sterilise everything with boiling water. I fill the fermenting jar with boiling water an let it sit while I prepare everything else. When it is cooled somewhat I empty it out. I also run boiling water over the fork, knife, measuring spoons etc.
I also take some of the boiled water that has cooled to the point of being warm and get my yeast mix started. Bubbles let you know it is working.
Finely chop the ginger root and add to your now sterilised fermenting jar. I used about 2 Tbsp but you add lots more.
Make a weak cup of tea and allow it to cool before adding to the jar.
Juice your lemon or lime and add the juice to the jar.
Add the 6 raisins, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 cup raw sugar and chili (optional) to the jar.
Fill with the fermenting jar with the now cooled boiled water, leave a bit of room at the top. Give it all a good stir with a fork.
Leave the fermenting jar somewhere out of the way, after the first night mine was outside in the shed for a month.