Forums Forums Enthusiast Forums A - Z Food ginger beer

This is probably one for the more mature reader, (old bu**er) When I was a teenager in the 50s, my mother had a "Ginger Beer Plant" which kept us supplied with drinks, It used to bubble away, merrily fermenting in the kitchen. What was it?,
I know it was much sought after in the neighbourhood and it could be split and given away, (there was a waiting list for one), we used to add something to it and it produced about 4 large bottles of ginger Beer a week, tasted lovely too, but that's all I can remember of it. Anyone have any ideas.
PS I still like Ginger Beer

I should have looked on the net before I asked the question, It's described very well on several sites.

I remember this Loco. My dad used to make it. Probably early 60's, but I have not a clue how he did so. The only thing I remember is that it kept on flowing and tasted gorgeous. I for one couldn't get enough of it.

Have you found out how to make it now ? Pass it on ..

Thought at first your post was about Pride.

I like ginger beer as well but due to the sugar content I suffer without, the low sugar stuff just isn't the same and is much harsher. Most of the shop ones just use ground ginger and aren't anywhere near as good as the "brewed" ginger beer.

Used to also buy ginger marmalade/jam but it was lucky to last an evening.

What I very occasionally buy is a jar of Opies Stem Ginger or similar, this the ginger equivalent of Glace Cherries except its in a syrup. CLICKY

Note that ginger beer can be made as non-alcoholic (as we are talking about here) or alcoholic. The non-alcoholic will possibly have a very small amount of incidental alcohol produced, the fermentation process is to produce bubbles/fizz not alcohol.

try this site,
canieatit.co.uk/grow your own ginger beer plant
We can open the brewery shortly

Just in case you have trouble finding it, I have pasted the instructions as follows, with acknowledgements to Martin Isark

Grow your own ginger beer plant, and you’ll never need to buy a bottle again

By Martin Isark
When I was small, bottles of home-made ginger beer lined the pantry shelves – and the thirst quenching pleasure of its peppery ginger notes still lingers on. Today, the supermarket shelves are loaded with various styles and brands of ginger beer, but nothing gets close to the satisfaction of making your own from a ginger beer plant.
Ginger beer plants, as they are known, used to be sold at Women’s Institute stalls and local markets, but it has been some years since I saw any. They’re not pretty – a glass jar containing an inch of sandy sludge covered with a cloudy liquid – but they’re so easy to make, and all the family can enjoy the experience.
Recipe for the making of ginger beer plant:
You require a container – large jam jar or kilner jar
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
15 grams of brewer’s yeast
1 cupful of cold water
Method:
Combine the ingredients in the jar. Each day, for the next seven days, add one teaspoonful of ground ginger and one teaspoon of granulated sugar.
Recipe for the making of the ginger beer:
You require:
Containers: 6 bottles (champagne or sparkling wine bottles are best – some restaurants will be delighted to give you their empties); and new wine corks are available from Boots.
Ingredients:
3 lemons
3 cups of sugar
5 cups of boiling water
12 cups of cold water
the liquid from the plant
Method:
Squeeze the juice of the lemons into a large bowl. Add all the sugar, pour in the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Then add all the cold water. Strain the liquid of the plant through muslin and add that too.
Pour liquid into the bottles, filling to around two inches below the top, and put in the cork. Screw-cap bottles can be used, but there is a greater risk of them exploding.
Store the bottles for seven days in a cool place and you will have delightful, sparkling ginger beer at a fraction of the cost of commercial ones.
Now divide the remaining plant in half, put it back into the jar, and you are ready to start the process again. The other half can be given away to another ginger beer lover.

Might just give it a go in the not too distant future. Yummy.

Thanks, Loco.