Ginger beer is the perfect drink for any occasion. It can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and is the ideal cool refreshment on a hot summer day. For the best tasting ginger beer, there is one kind of ginger beer that suits your taste perfectly - the one you make yourself. There are many ways to make both alcoholic and non-alcoholic ginger beer. The following is a step by step guide to make ginger beer easily, with consistent results, at an affordable price.
Reasons to Make Your Own Ginger Beer:
A lot of store bought brands of ginger beer contain additives and colouring, not to mention ‘ginger flavours’ rather than actual ginger extract.
By making your own, you can make it healthier without needing the additives, and you can make it taste more authentic by using real ginger. By home brewing, you’ll also get to determine the balance of flavours for yourself. Do you find most store bought ginger beers are too sugary? Then add more water to your mixture and make a larger batch to dilute it. Do you wish the ginger flavour was stronger? Add some more! When you make your own brew, you get to decide how it tastes.
What You’ll Need Before You Get Started:
Make sure you have the following items:
- A fermenter and fittings
- An extract can of ginger beer, such as the Morgans Brewing Co Ginger Beer extract pouch
- A brewing sanitiser
- Large spoon or paddle Sugar, or
- The Brew Shed’s Ginger beer sugar blend PET Bottles
- A hydrometer Bottles, or a keg if you are planning to brew large batches regularly
You might also find the following optional items useful:
- A stick on thermometer
- A heat pad
4 Easy Steps to Make Ginger Beer
This guide uses an extract can of ginger beer. There are many on the market and all will be brewed in the same manner. For the purposes of this guide, we will be talking about the Morgans Brewing Co Ginger beer extract can. It is Australian made and gives a brew very similar to our favourite Bundaberg Ginger beer. This can be made alcoholic or non-alcoholic. The difference between the two is simply the amount of sugar used and fermentation time.
Step 1
Sanitise the fermenter, and a large spoon or paddle for stirring, with some brewing sanitiser. Follow the instructions on the packet of sanitiser.
Step 2
Pour 2 litres of hot tap water and the contents of the Morgans Brewing Co Ginger beer extract can into the fermenter. For non-alcoholic add 115 grams of normal household sugar. For alcoholic add The Brew Shed’s Ginger beer sugar blend. Fully dissolve all ingredients.
Step 3
Add room temperature tap water to the 20 litre level on the fermenter. If you want to make it less sweet, you can add another 3 litres. Stir in the yeast and nutrient. Non-alcoholic, let stand for an hour while occasionally stirring, then bottle into sanitised bottles. We recommend PET Bottles. Alcoholic, seal lid and fill the airlock to halfway with water and allow it to ferment between 22 and 30 degrees for around a week. Use a hydrometer to check that the fermentation process is complete, before bottling or kegging your home brewed ginger beer
Step 4
Leave in the bottles for a few weeks before tasting.
That’s it, simple.
With the right equipment, you can be sipping on a delicious home brew ginger beer and planning your next batch in no time.
Bonus Tips for Success
Just because we are so passionate about homebrewing, we’ve decided to share some bonus tips:
- Cleanliness is extremely important
- Using a hydrometer is always a good way to tell if the fermentation stage is finished
- A stick on thermometer on your fermenter can be helpful
- A heat pad may be necessary in very cold conditions
Ready to Brew Your Own Ginger Beer?
Home brewing is a great hobby. Not only is it interesting, but you get to taste the fruits of your labour! The only downside can be sourcing the equipment you’ll need. Luckily, the Brew Shed is a one-stop shop for all of your home brewing needs. We sell a full range of brewing equipment, including some of our own recommended ingredients, mixes and products. While we love ginger beer, we also supply everything you need for wines, cider, beer, fermented food and even BBQ and smokers! If you are interested in brewing, explore our website (you're here!) to see what we offer and learn more. If you are already a keen brewer, check out what’s on sale at the moment!
