h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello Everyone, Ive just tried out the ginger beer instructions. Is the amount of dried yeast correct??? Ive just tipped 4 6 gram sachets into the specified amount of luke warm water in a jam jar, added a little sugar mixed it all up and waited for the 15 minutes.Trouble is .... It errupted like a volcano after about 3-4 minutes, spewing over the top of the jam jar. Is that normal. I havent even added the full amount of sugar to it yet. Cheers, look forward to some advice.

I started on Tuesday with 22g dried yeast. I would have had the same problem if I was using a jam jar. The only advice I can give is, "get a bigger jar." I'm using a 1 litre jar.

Hope this helps,

ehrenhalberzoni

Hi folks

I am not an expert at general brewing so cannot comment on the amount of yeast mentioned here.

What I can say is that I have been making good ginger beer for some time now and actually you don't need any yeast at all !!

You can "start" a type of ginger beer plant with just 2 tsp of ginger powder and 2 tsp of (preferably untreated) sugar in a big glass jar (like the ones the super market sells family size quantities of pickled beetroot in) 1/2 filled with water (pref not tap water due to Chlorine etc)

You leave it in a warm place (airing cupboard etc, between 14 to 28 degrees C ( NOT cool as it says in the recipe on here !!) with the lid NOT screwed down.

Feed it with 1 tsp each of the sugar and ginger powder daily.

The mixture will find it's own yeasts ( yes it really does ) and after 3 or 4 days will start to ferment.

After a week to 10 days depending on the temperature, you then do as the recipe says with the extra sugar, water and lemon juice (if liked).

Keep this in a plastic fizzy pop bottle for a fortnight in the warm place until the bottle has become very hard due to the pressure, then refrigerate for a week before opening to drink.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is all very good but it is NOT "real" ginger beer, nor is it a "real Ginger Beer Plant".

If you want to know about the real thing, go to here -
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GingerBeerPlant/
where you can read all about this subject and get lots of friendly advice from the experts.

Regards all

John in the N.W. UK

It might also be the type of yeast you are using; if it is the quick rise or quick leavening type it will reproduce a lot faster.