I love fresh made sodas but I skip the first fermentation as it just makes it more alcoholic and taste worse. Just mix up the room temp fruit juice with the gingerbug and then bottle them. Have one bottle that is plastic so you can tell when pressure has built up and then refrigerate. No burping. You will end up with a carbonated juice that does not taste like booze or cider.
@@justinelourdes6686I read that any plastic bottle that had Perrier water or even just soda would work. It's not a matter of being safe, that's more of a concern when you're stealing a glass bottle. It's a matter of feeling for the bottle getting hard with pressure. Turn like a two liter bottle of 7-Up that you just bought, it has some give. Then, if you shake it a bit the carbonation builds up and the bottle gets harder. That's all you're feeling for.
This is a good tip, I’ll give this a try. I am on a health binge and interested in non-alcoholic beverages. I think I accidentally made alcoholic ginger beer 🥴.
I juiced plums from my Santa Rosa plum tree a few months ago - just straight up juice (no sugar or water added) then hot water bath canned it all. After watching your how to make a ginger bug video about 8 days ago and successfully making it, and after watching this video, I decided to give my home canned juice a try. I used 1 cup purified water, 1 cup strained plum juice, 2 TBSP of cane (white) sugar, and 1/8 cup of ginger bug in a pint sized canning jar. I placed a canning lid on top loosely. This sat overnight and had a nice layer of bubbles on top today. I decided to go ahead and bottle it in empty and thick plastic water bottle this morning and it's carbonating nicely! After about 8 hours carbonating in the water bottle, I tried a taste and it's a nice tart sweet flavor with a kombucha like flavor and very nice effervescent bubbles! Very enjoyable. Will let it go another 6 hours or so either drink up or put in fridge tonight. Thanks for your videos!
😮😮😮 Whoah! Freshly juiced plums? I bet that tasted so good! That sounds amazing to be able to drink something so fresh that you grew yourself. Thanks so much for telling us about it. So happy to have you here! 💕
@@FermentationAdventure Thanks 😊! The tree produced a crazy amount this year and I figured I'd better juice and can it all. Have discovered the juice is amazing when mixed with ginger beer and that's what started me into finding out about ginger bugs. I have a ginger bug ginger beer fermenting now as well. Giving that a try after watching your video on it. Also trying out freshly juiced concord grape one. We have so much fruit varities we grow here!
I made a ginger bug a few months ago and have been using it my switchel. After watching this vid and having pineapple juice on hand I decided to try this. I just used it yesterday in a margarita, it was good.
You guys are quickly becoming a fixture in my fermentation kitchen! I absolutely LOVE the content and the sense of wellness and joy that you both exude.
Somebody already mentioned here the ph of the juices. It is well known for home brewers that any yeast has its own ph tollerance and there is way to controll it. Usually the lower the ph the less activity for the yeast to the point that it goes dormant. However as soon as the ph raises it will resume its activity. Lemon juice has the lowest ph which is equivalent to the highest acidity of all juices and that is because lemon juice is basically citric acid. Yeast like the ph around 5 -5.5 while lemon juice could be as low as 2. The remedy? You have to neutralize a bit that acidity and the most available method is to add a bit of baking soda, stirr it, let it react with the acid until calms down, it will be an efervescent reaction but won't take long. When the ph rises the yeast will start working. Another thing worth mentioning is that any yeast fermentation consume sugar and releases alcohol and CO2. The bubbles are the CO2 released and it will come up as long there is still sugar for the yeast to eat and if you bottle it will build preassure. That is how beer is preassurized in the bottles in home brewing, however you need to add a bit of sugar. As sugar being consumed the juice becomes... more sour at taste. About the alcohol content. The hydrometer, an important tool in wine and beer making, measures the sugar content. So when you measured in your drink the 1.020 it means that there is still sugar left in your drink and that 3% ABV is the potential than can be made if all sugar left is consumed, untill the measurement goes down to 1.000. In order to measure the alcohol present in a liquid you have to use the hydrometer to measure sugar content BEFORE and AFTER the fermentation. You subtract the numbers and that will tell you the alcohol percentage. The fruit juices that you used have a sugar content of around 1.050 on the hydrometer scale. You measured after the fermentation 1.020 so the difference is 0.030. That will give you a 3.9 ABV with the potential to go up to 6.5 if the rest of sugar is consumed. www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/
Thank you so much for this detailed explanation! We've seen some batches like our lemonade slow down with the lemon juice. We'll have to try some baking soda in there to get it back to fermenting quicker. Awesome comment!
@@FermentationAdventure don't add too much. I don't know how much is enough for that particular quantity, the best way is to add some, stir and check the ph. In a bucket of 5 gallons fermentation I added few table spoons of baking soda, for a jar probably a tip of teaspoon would do it. The back draw of this method is that it may incur a bit of salty/bitter taste as a result of the salts are being created after the acid+soda combination. Remember from school, any acid combined with any base will neutralize resulting is water plus some kind of salt. Nice videos you make, by the way. I made the tepache after your recipe and it had success with my wife and daughter. I am at the second batch now. :o))) Keep the good work!
This is a great note! I’m just getting started with ferments. Trying different flavors for water kefir soda. I’ve had a lemon flavor jar that just will not get fizzy. This explains it all. I will add a bit of baking soda see if that sparks it up. Thank you for taking time to write such great detail. Be well ✨
Just discovered your channel and I love you guys!... Not just the amazing content but the positive uplifting energy your videos are packed with. I've got some catching up to do. Thank you
Wow thank you so much for the love El Tuco! We're so happy you're enjoying our videos! There's a lot in life to be happy about. We hope you get to try some of these amazing ferments! 💓
Just found your channel searching for homemade soda recipes. Glad I did! The one I was most excited about was the lemon... So glad you hung in there with it. I can't wait to try that one. Thanks again! Grady
@@FermentationAdventure Me too! This seems much more like what I would enjoy relative to the skoby process. I recently started a sourdough that has been fantastic and fun. Look forward to making tasty (and high octane drinks) thanks to you! Take care, Grady
I made this recently with apple juice, pineapple and mango juice. Mango seems to take longer to ferment but finally seen some champagne bubbles this morning. I’m leaving it to ferment a bit more. The pineapple was overactive while fermenting the first 2 days and suddenly died down on the 3rd day. I added a teaspoon of sugar in each of the bottles (I bottled 24 hrs ago) and opened it to bring some oxygen into the bottle and then shook it a bit. It’s looking really alive now. I’ll wait another 12 hrs before refrigerating. The apple juice taste so much like dry white wine! That fermented 3 days and bottled 12 hrs. I can’t wait to try the finished pineapple and mango! Next time I’m going to try fermenting only 1 day or less before bottling to seriously cut down the alcohol. 😅 PS this is still with using the ginger ground w/brewer’s yeast left over from the first ginger beer batch. I’m going to make big with real ginger this weekend 🎉
Update: I just now tasted the pineapple soda and it’s sooo alcoholic 😂 so instead of waiting another 12 hrs, I put it in the fridge. I was hoping to bring these sodas to work lol I think this is a weekend-to-share-with-special-people kinda drink now. I think I will bottle the mango juice now instead of waiting! There is bubbling. Thanks Fermentation Adventure!
Another update: I threw out one of the bottles of pineapple and added fresh pineapple juice with the left over yeast in that same bottle. It bubbled right away and left it bottled 12 hrs before refrigerating. Let’s see how that goes! It was definitely too alcoholic for my taste 😅
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing! That's interesting about the pineapple juice. They definitely taste a little better with less time fermenting. Did you have a favorite that you settled on? Loved the play by play! 😊
@@FermentationAdventure Hey! Yeah my favourite is the mango soda! Thought it didn’t bubble on top like the pineapple or apple juice, I can definitely taste the fermentation and the fizz. I wonder why the bubbles don’t stay on top! I can see little ones travel up before bottling. Also, when I first opened it after bottling (48 hrs in fridge), the bubbles then showed up but then tapered off. There was definitely fermentation but hardly any alcohol. I will do it again!
Wow! I made a ginger bug a few weeks ago, it's been in the fridge (I actually made 2 as I knew I wouldn't be able to not-drink it). Usually I make mead out of honey from my hives, and I decided to use the ginger bug, sugar and organic ground ginger and add champagne yeast. Within 6 hours my mead was looking relatively quiet, while my ginger bug wine was going nuts! The ginger was not just floating, it was careening around inside the jar! Three days have passed and the ginger is still moving, and, after a small taste test, I could tell that it has quite a kick to it already! Thank you for the inspiration and all the information :)
@@FermentationAdventure Well, my ginger bug didn't quite work out... or at least I'm not sure if it did or not. The first 3 days it was bubbling like crazy, and I was very happy. Then, on the 4th day all the bubbles were gone. I kept feeding it, and I'm on day 6 now, but there are still no bubbles. There's a white sediment like substance in the bottom. Someone on reddit said that it sounds like it's probably been overfed, and said that 1tbsp of sugar each day with 1tbsp of ginger is way too much. They said about half that amount of sugar is what you should use. Any thoughts?
Okay, follow up if someone gets stuck on this like I did. I made another batch. I only changed one variable, which was to reduce the sugar by about 1/2. Now I have a very bubbly ginger bug, ready to be used. So I would say that the recommendations in this video are probably *right* on the edge of having too much sugar. It worked perfectly with half as much. You can tell that's the problem when the ginger bug tastes sweet. It shouldn't taste real sweet -- it should taste kind of spicy and yeasty. If it's sweet, add some more ginger, but not more sugar for a day or two and see if it comes out of it. You might also add some more distilled water to dilute the sugar.
Thanks for the notes JR! Once you're getting bubbles it just pretty much be good to go and you know it's active. At that point since it's active you can start making sodas with it. We've had batches where there was a bit too much sugar and it started slowing down like you saw. It usually works out well once you try making soda. We hope it's going well and you're getting some good ginger ale! 🍺
I had a similar result when I used peach and lime juice mixed with home made syrup into a ginger green tea komboocha. I'm in tx, and in a second floor apt without central air and heat. It gets really hot in summer. I did it as a second ferment komboocha and it took 3× as long to carbonate than other combos I've done. Even pineapple mint/ginger or orange/Berry mint took maybe 48hrs. The peach ginger limeaid took over a week. Lime and lemon juice take forever to ferment. Fyi, I've started a cool recipe you might want to try for fall. It's a apple cider recipe. I make the apple cider out of juice and ferment it with komboocha. It's a nice one to try. I've also got 3 recipes for acv too. I'm gonna maybe try cold pressing apple juice for ferments too. I don't have a juicer, and the magic bullet blender I have isn't up for a big job like that. Also, you guys make komboocha, I've got a recipe for fruit and veggie leathers made out of the mother you might want to try
Wow! Thanks so much for all the info Melissandra! Yeah we had the same experience with lemon taking longer but it did eventually ferment. All those recipe sound good and great idea on the fruit leather out of the kombucha mother. I bet that would be a pretty interesting snack! Happy fermenting!
My first bug seems to have failed because I forgot not to use tap water. Watched all 3 of your videos and I cannot wait to try again! Thanks for posting them
I’ve been wanting to make a ginger bug for a while now and I’ve been making kombucha for 5 to 7 years on and off. After flavoring my kombucha a lot I decided to go ahead and look up a video on Ginger bugs process. It seems pretty easy just reading information, but I tend to do better with videos, so I really appreciate you making yours. I subscribe because they appreciate the effort and information that you guys give. I do have some questions on making it bigger batches and maybe doing a continual brew just like kombucha would do a continual brew
Thank you for this really great video! You explain and show everything so clearly. I'm curious: What would happen if I added the ginger bug to a one quart bottle of juice, and let it sit out (for a day or two, with the top lightly covered) Instead of pouring the juice into a mason jar first (along with the ginger bug) and then pouring it back into a different bottle? Maybe you explained this in a different video.
If it was pasteurized juice that doesn't have any other live cultures it should do the same as if you were to put it in a mason jar. We like to transfer it to glass but feel free to use whatever you're comfortable with! Thanks for the question! 😊
Love the fermentation adventure! Thanks! Question for the better bottles... I noticed the brown bottles, grolsch style with ceramic tops and a rubber seal vs. The newer style grolsch white plastic and red plastic cap... which tends to be better at sealing and reuse with same seal before needing replacement?
Thanks for the love Devin! 💓 We've used a number of bottles and so far it seems the taller ones with the white cap and red silicone seem to work for us. We've also heard though that the flip top Grolsch bottles work well and you basically get free beer when you buy them! We've noticed the shorter brown bottles we bought doesn't always hold pressure. Cheaper ones we've gotten at Marshalls also don't seem to hold pressure. You'll have to experiment to see which ones work for you. Happy fermenting!
Lemonade didn't work because of PH (stressing the fermenta) and lack of tannin (yeast nutrient). Try to put a quarter teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate to compensate PH, and a quarter cup of long steeped tea to add tannin. It should work. Great video, I make the same thing with beer yeast instead of gingerbug. Should try to build up a gingerbug myself. Thank you. You gained my subscription!
Thanks so much for the suggestions Fabio! Those sound like great ideas! It did seem like it was because of the pH from the lemon juice. We've also noticed that if we add too much lemon juice to our ginger ales right from the beginning. We'll try the baking soda idea for sure! Happy fermenting!
@@FermentationAdventure This is where I learned about bicarbonate and tea: this italian guy is my fermentation inspirator th-cam.com/video/Ev3IxSwf9Yg/w-d-xo.html
Your results are pretty much exactly what I would expect. Level of activity 1-apple 2-cranberry 3-lemon Level of acidity 1-lemon 2-cranberry 3-apple The lower your ph, the more stressed your microorganisms will be which will slow down (or entirely prevent) fermentation. But when a lemonade does ferment its oh so worth it. If you're not fond of the ginger flavor from the bug you can get the colony going and keep a bit from each batch to start your next brew eventually leaving you with a fruity starter instead of a spicy one.
That makes so much sense. Great observation! That's also a good idea about reserving some of the soda for the next batch. Thanks so much for the comments! 😊
@@FermentationAdventure of you haven't tried it yet, my favorite soda (or cider, if you forget about it for a couple of days) to do with ginger bug is orange. The flavors work beautifully together and it's a nice refreshing drink, especially great with brunch. Cream soda can also be incredibly satisfying for those who are interested in doing sodas using refined sugars but I know that's not for everyone.
@@FermentationAdventure if I'm able to get fresh oranges straight from the source that's preferable for a soda but if I want something with a tiny bit of alcohol (2%or so) and some sweetness i look for a orange and grape blend because oranges have very little sugar and can seem very acidic after a few days even though the ph is higher than cranberry juice.
Hi Craig, I just started my first fermentation of water kefir grains. I'm going for the more of a soda pop taste. Would you suggest me not using ginger bug? Should I just ferment fruit in second fermentation and bottle it? I guess I don't understand what you mean when you say "if your not fond of ginger flavor from the bug you can get the colony going and keep a bit from each batch to stgart you next brew....." could you explain better what you mean? Thanks
Why haven't I done this sooner? 😡🤣 Just now getting into fermentation and stuff but I was completely obsessed with making fruit sodas over the summer im definitely gonna have to do this
You definitely can! We like to ferment in larger batches first to make sure we get a good batch. Otherwise we'd have to clean a lot more bottles. Good question! 😊
Quick question... after you use your ginger bug a couple of times, do you add more water, ginger, and sugar to keep it going, or do you toss it and start a new one at some point? Thanks!!! Love your videos. 🥰
Thanks so much for the question! We strain off the ginger pieces and keep some of the original ginger bug as its own starter. Then we'll just add more fresh ginger, sugar, and top it up with fresh non-chlorinated water and it should be good to go! The live culture should consume the sugar and it's off the races again! We hope that helps and thanks for the love! 💓💓💓
Before reading the ingredients on the bottle, I had started a grape soda, only to discover that it had potassium metabisulfite. On the same day I started orange soda, which had no additives. Three days later I discovered that the grape with the PM, has lots of foam on the top and is bubbling. However, the orange juice no fizz at all. But I'll continue to wait to see the final results.
Hi! The orange soda may take a while longer if it is really acidic, so it will be interesting to see how that one progresses. For the grape juice, it may have still worked, if there was very little metabisulfite in the juice. You're looking for that slight yeasty pleasant smell, with no growth on top, and no thickening of the juice (sludgy).
I've talked to a friend and my dad about chlorinated tap water. It's a liquid that turns gaseous. If you use a sprayer on your sink into a container (low spray) it will remove the chlorine from your water and than you can use it without issues.
Thanks so much for the comment Brian! Also leaving it on the counter to off-gas the chlorine works for most people but in the areas that add chloramine, the only way to remove that one is with a filter since it contains ammonia in addition to chlorine. Good tip though!
A few years ago we got a Mr Beer kit and made a batch. When we bottled it, we also used the Mr Beer plastic bottles. Is there any reason why we can't use them for the ginger bug sodas? They would all be testers. LoL Thank you for your time and efforts! Be safe.
So one of the problems you where having with the lemonade is that the High ph stresses the yeast out causing it to take quite a bit longer. I make lemon wine and what you do is make a sugar water with just a little bit of lemon juice and some yeast nutrient to start. You slowly add more and more overtime to finally reach that high pH that’s is desired
Thanks so much for that idea Travis! It was puzzling at first about how long it was taking every batch of lemonade but that makes so much sense. We'll have to try it that way from now on if we're making it fresh. Great to hear how you've gotten around those issues. Happy fermenting!
Wow Moonwalker. We feel so honored that we're keeping you company and wish you much health with whatever you're going through. 💓 If you happen to really love watching our content, we actually also have an adventure channel! th-cam.com/users/psadventures Not meant to be a commercial but in case you wanted more, we have a lot more videos over on PS Adventures. We hope you make a speedy recovery and that this year brings you back to good health! 🌠🌞🌅
Hello! It's a Caribbean drink made of the Mauby tree bark. Have you tried it? We don't have access to fresh Mauby bark here in Florida (that we're aware of, anyway!) so maybe we'll have to try ordering it online. Thanks for the suggestion!
I just started my ginger bug starter. Once I use it to make soda. How do I keep my ginger bug going? Do I refill it with water and feed it again? In this video, it just shows you guys putting it back in the fridge.
Hi! Thanks for the question! Yes, you can refill with water and feed it again. We made a really short tutorial on how to maintain your ginger bug, so feel free to check it out here: th-cam.com/users/shortsDjfHqZisQRs? Hope that helps!
Hey guys you vids are awesome. A question, can I use Ginger bug to make fizzy teas like Hibiscus (Jamaican water)? Also is it possible to make a simple syrup (water and sugar) add Ginger bug to have some sort of carbonated water? I love to just have plain water with a drop of edible mint oil extract. What about adding it and the end of fermentation of the water syrup?
Thanks for the great question Alessandro! Yes, you can use the ginger bug to make fermented flavored tea. And you're right that it really just needs a simple syrup, whether it's flavored or not. You could certainly add the mint extract for flavor after fermenting. If you try the fermented sugar water, let us know how it goes!
Hi guys! I love all your videos, and thank you for all the time and energy you put into them! I was wondering if you had any tips on working with a ginger bug/sodas in a somewhat cold house. Lately, my sodas aren't fermenting well (meaning few bubbles) and one strawberry soda actually has a couple of white fuzzies (looks like mold not kahm yeast but we'll see) on top. I keep the ginger bug in the fridge and keep bottles away from direct sunlight, etc, pretty much all the prescribed things. I'm wondering if I should let my bug hang out on the counter for a few days, start over, just be patient with my sodas and wait a couple weeks, or if there's something else?
Hi Jan! Thanks again for watching! This is a common problem, especially in the winter. You could try fermenting in a warmer place in your kitchen or even your home, like under the microwave with the light on, on top of the refrigerator, or even in a dehydrator. You could also try a heating mat, but just be careful not to have too much localized heat as it could kill your ferment. Once you've found a warmer spot to ferment, then your sodas should start to show signs of fermentation within 5 or so days. If that isn't happening, it could have to do with your ginger bug.
Use a smell cooler bag, check on it daily, if your counter is granite or marble they retain the cold so put cooler bag on trivit to keep it off counter
I appreciate the heads-up about the lemonade, I think to stay on the safe side I will probably just get the _Simply Lemonade_ from the refrigerated section so that it would have _only_ lemonade, and not that other stuff. When I'm ready to try it, that is. I actually have some cranberry grape juice or something like that but I have to look at the ingredients before I try. If not, I have cranberries that I threw fresh in the freezer last Christmastime and I probably need to hurry up and use them I have some in my kefir water as the second stage of fermenting, but today's the second day (of second stage fermentation) and it hasn't even started bubbling yet. I'm a little concerned about that stuff right now and I have friends coming over, I was hoping to share some with them. I have two gingerbugs, and one is bubbly but the other I can't see bubbling. It's too cloudy to tell. But I do see white bubbles on the top so I guess it's been doing what it has to. I started the gingerbugs last Sunday I believe, but it looks like they may be okay to start using even now.
We hope it all turned out tasty! It sounds like you have some great ideas on the sodas and yes the lemonade took a lot longer than we thought! We hope you're doing well and happy fermenting! 😊
Thanks for this! I noticed when I make my water kefir with anything citrus like lemon or orange, it takes forever to fizz… So I think citrus fruits slows down fermentation.
I love you guys so much!! You have brought the fermentation experience to life with your videos. I am so happy I came across your channel. I’m making mango homemade soda/bee. Using my finger bug! I love finding jars in thrift shops. It’s all just such an adventure. Thank you for being the best.
hello friends, i am loving this soda so much, i end up drinking about a quart per day. Would it be too much..? My stomach seems a bit upset..? So can we drink probiotics in big quantities? Thank you guys for your work!
We're so happy you got some tasty ferments going! We can't say how much is too much when it comes to fermented beverages. You have to listen to your own body and that includes alcohol of all types including beer and wine. Everyone is different! 🙂
in the nicest way possible/ just a heads-up. Lactobacillus is the bacteria/culture you introduce when using a Ginger bug. One of the most common of the "LAB" (lactic acid bacteria) All LAB(s) eat sugar and excrete lactic acid. There should be no alcohol in any of those drinks. Tho you still would see sugar displacement in the gravity readings. Additionally you're lemonade was most likely made with cane sugar / disaccharide Monosaccharides are easier for Yeast and bacteria to metabolize. Stick to corn syrup for anything w sweeteners added, or you can just bring anything with cane sugar to a boil first (breaks the bond making x2 mono) Sorry for the unsolicited advice. Truly just trying to be helpful. And I thoroughly enjoyed the video regardless 👏👏
Thanks so much for the info Frank! 🙂 We're definitely not bio-chemists, but are always learning more about natural processes! Nature is so amazing. While we only have a hydrometer to measure, they definitely taste alcoholic to us. We've relied on the info of many others, but it would be cool to send samples to a lab and have them test it somehow. Thanks so much again!
We hope you love it as much as we do! It's a simple process and creates such a yummy drink. Ours reached 3% after 3 days, so if it seems to be fermenting about the same rate as ours, you may reach 5% between 5-7 days.
Hi! I wonder how tasty these drinks would be if done with water kefir instead of the ginger bug. I know that the ginger bug makes them fizzier but i'd still test this if I had some
Yum! We're sure it would taste delicious! If anyone wants to try it though, be careful about harming the kefir grains. They are delicate and I would think could be harmed if there were any preservatives in the juice. These store-bought juices can easily have hidden preservatives in the ingredient list.
I can all my own juice: apple, blueberry, elderberry, peach. I have a finger ready to go but am not sure if or how much sugar I should add to my own juice to get it going? Any suggestions as I do not add sugar when steam juice in gathering fruit. Thanks for you wonderful informative videos
Hi! Thanks so much! We'd recommend still adding some sugar to the fresh fruit juice so that there's enough sugar for the yeast and bacteria in your ginger bug to get excited about. You could follow this recipe for our fresh watermelon soda: th-cam.com/video/ldvpyz60O8w/w-d-xo.html. If you like your fermented drinks less sweet, you could probably even cut the added sugar in half, and it should still ferment just fine. Thank you!
That is some nice grape soda after 2 days primary and 12 hours secondary. Tasted sweet and was bubbly just like a Martinelli’s sparkling cider. Next batch will go for 3 day primary to reduce sweetness some more. This was THE most active ferment I’ve ever seen. Before bottling, tried stirring gently and a purple volcano bubbled all over my table and floor! A bowl underneath the mason jar is a must when bottling :-) apple juice is next 😋
Hi Steve! Hopefully not all grape juices have that ingredient. We haven't been out to the store to check the ingredients but online it looks like Welch's should work just fine.
Great video. Love both of your energy every video. As far as the alcohol goes I do want the least amount so I'm going to try a day ferment, do you also suggest a day of secondary ferment for carbonation or may that be too much alcohol at that point. Ive been trying to aim for around 1 percent alcohol content for my ferments. Going to buy a tester soon so ill definitely know.
Thank you for your kind words! You gotta love what you do, right?! If you're aiming for 1 percent or less, we'd recommend 24 hour of primary fermentation, and then maybe just a few hours of secondary fermentation. Or, if you definitely want carbonation, you could try fermenting directly in the closed bottles for primary fermentation - just make sure to check the pressure often!
Hello! It should be, yes, because that bottle is meant to hold the pressure of the original kombucha that was in that bottle. However you would just want to make sure that the bottle was indeed holding a live culture. Hope that helps!
Hello! Alcohol is a natural biproduct of the fermentation process, but there are some drinks that create very minimal alcohol or is very slow to produce alcohol. These would be the fermented drinks we recommend: Water Kefir (th-cam.com/video/Ndf-SobBJBg/w-d-xo.html), Kombucha (th-cam.com/video/g9n2U9srchE/w-d-xo.html) and Tepache (th-cam.com/video/ib4l1nPLWM8/w-d-xo.html). Hope that helps!
I’ve tried making cherry soda with my ginger bug twice now, but have had problems with mold growing at around day 2. I’ve been covering my mason jars with a towel, leaving it at room temperature, and my ginger bug is very active on its own. Is there anything I can do to prevent this or do you have any tips on keeping mold away?
Hi! A fermentation lid that prevents any oxygen from entering the ferment, but still lets out any excess gases, would help keep mold at bay since mold likes oxygen. Although it could have to do with the juice that you're using. Is the cherry juice all natural without preservatives? Preservatives hinders the fermentation process. Does the juice have enough sugar to kick off the fermentation process? And also is the juice thick? If it's thick, it would create a layer on top that the mold could grow on. If it's a thick juice, you could try giving the jar a light shake a few times a day to prevent the mold from taking root on the top layer. Hope that helps!
@@FermentationAdventure Thank you! I don’t think the juice is the problem, (it is all natural and it isn’t thick) but I will definitely try using a fermentation lid! Thank you for the quick response, and advice! I really appreciate your channel and all of your knowledge.
Well, loving your videos! I started a bug but used a different recipe, 2 tbl ginger-2 tbl sugar-2 tbl water, now watching your video on making bug, so much more water is used, will mine be ok?
Thank you so much! 💓 So the other recipe used equal amounts of the ingredients? Seems like the fermentation process would have a more difficult time getting started with that much sugar concentration. You could continue and see if it works! You could also just add some non chlorinated water and continue with the process as we show in our video. It's always a fun experiment! ☺️
Thanks for your reply, good news its bubbling, now my dilemma is, should I do the 2tbl ginger, 1tbl sugar(not 2) then up the water to a 1/4 cup? Becuase there hardly any liquid, wish I would've seen your video first! Thank you for your quick reply!
If it's bubbling, that's a great sign! You could continue to follow that other recipe you found, or you could start to add more water at any time. Since it's already bubbling, any water you add should take on the same good bacteria and yeast that you're looking for in your ginger bug. 😄
QQ…after I ferment onnthe countertop, once its ready can I just move that jar, closed tightly, to the fridge and then drink it later from the mason jar over ice? Do I really need to get the bottles?
Hi! Thanks for the question! The bottles are not necessary, but if you'd like to store your fermented drink in a mason jar, it is important to use a top that allows the excess gases to escape since those jars are not able to hold pressure. You could try pacing it in the fridge with a loose top or a cloth cover. Hope that helps!
Hello! I just did it and I have a doubt, I did it with apple juice y read the ingredients and everything ok, also the ginger bug is ok. Buuut I see some white thing at the top of my final mixture (ginger bug and apple juice) it seems like sour milk; not all the surface but mainly in the middle at about 1 week of first fermentation. Could you please tell me if something is wrong, I already teasted and it seems good, like spicy apple juice Thanks in advance
Hi! Is it possible the white thing on top could have been the bubbles from the fermentation process accumulating at the top? Sometimes in our tepache, we have frothy white stuff at the top from all the bubbles. How did this ferment turn out for you?
We know how you feel! There's no rhubarb growing here in Florida either but we find it at the grocery store sometimes. It's not necessary to use and you can probably use some other tart things like cranberries. We hope that helps! 😊
Hello! You may be interested in our ginger bug/ginger ale Q&A video that answers these questions and the other top questions we get on the topic: th-cam.com/video/Z0fnIcakwnM/w-d-xo.html We've stored our ginger bug in the fridge for about 5 years now and it's still going strong. You would just have to feed it every so often and to continue to fill it back up with non-chlorinated water. Happy fermenting!
Just wanted to share something. My wife soaks banana peals only in water to feed her potted plants. After a time in a closed dark closet, I added more banana peals to the jar and noticed fermentation bubbles, very active. Banana soda maybe? Just a thought. 😏
Thanks for the question! Sometimes we stir it but I think it doesn't make too much of a difference since the bacteria and yeast and travel throughout the jar and multiply. We hope you get a tasty batch! 🥤
We actually made a great video on how much alcohol is in our homemade ginger ale depending on how long you ferment: th-cam.com/video/86SwZyUbtF0/w-d-xo.html We hope that answers your first question! The other one is after a while we remove some of the ginger and refresh it up with new ginger and sugar and refill with non-chlorinated water. Good luck!
Not sure if you folks will see this but.... Made a ginger bug with organic ginger, organic sugar and distilled water. Secind day bubbling like crazy. Added 1/4 cup to 3 different juices very similar to yours. Made sure I rinsed the jars out. Everything step by step. A few days in and I'm getting zero bubbles! Did I not give the bug long enough?! Any help would be very appreciated.
Thanks for the question! We believe you are on the right track with the ginger bug possibly needing more time to get going. We usually give our ginger bug at least 5 days of fermenting on the counter before using it to make a fermented drink. This is because it will pass the very active bubbling phase, which is when the sugars are being eaten up, and then it will basically be "hungry" for more sugar once there aren't as many visible bubbles. That's when it would be happy to thrive in the juice and start to eat those sugars. In case it helps, here's our ginger bug video: th-cam.com/video/wtb1BvRUWmI/w-d-xo.html Happy fermenting! 😃
I gots an idea ... what happens if you freeze the over active bottles ? if it is in containers which wont break when frozen ... then in the future take one out and let it warm up and see if the fermentation starts up again.
Toward the end you could try adding more sugar but at some point the culture will turn your drink to more acid and then give up no matter how much sugar you add. If it keeps using the sugar it will definitely make it more alcoholic but only to a certain point. Feel free to try it and experiment! Usually we'll add enough to make sure we like the taste in the end. Let us know how it goes!
Hi! Were there any preservatives in the juice that was used? Sometimes that could stop the fermentation process from happening. If it doesn't smell bad and there is no mold on top, you could try letting it go a little longer to see if you get results. If there is any citrus in the juice, it can take a while for the fermentation process to get started. Hope that helps!
Ah! Then it's probably taking longer due to the lemon juice. You could try adding some more ginger bug to it now and give it further week just to see if it's gets going. The layer on top could be Kahm Yeast, or if it smells bad it's also possible it's just getting funky
With fermentation weather store-bought juice or natural juice once it's ferments and starts to bubble does that mean it becomes a probiotic automatically like does it have health benefits or is just a fizzy drink
Definitely! Since it's bubbling it's alive. When you add the ginger bug, that culture starts to multiply. Everyone debates whether it's a health superfood but we just like it as a fizzy drink. Thanks for the question!
Yes it was already pretty sweet since it was store bought lemonade. We're pretty sure it slowed down due to the lemon being so acidic but it eventually worked!
Well, good news, I think my ginger bug may be ready to orrow or the next day, I bought 2, fiel Day organic Cranberry juice from concentrate 7g sugar and field Day organic Concord Grape juice from concentrate 40g sugars says no added sweeteners, so I think they are ok, right?
Those sound like they should work just fine! The main preservatives to look for that would put a damper on the fermentation process are sodium benzoate, metabisulfites, or anything that says it's been added for “freshness”. You could always try a smaller batch first to see if it will work. Sounds yummy and best of luck!
Well, bad news, used the bubbling ginger bug and fruit juice, added ginger, sugar and water but must've used too much water or something because it died! Started a new one last night, dand it!
We'd recommend combining only the juice and some liquid from your ginger bug. That combination should ferment just fine as there should be enough natural sugars in your fruit juice for the fermentation process. If one of the juices really tastes unsweet, you could add a little sugar to help it along.
Hi! Are you referring to feeding your ginger bug? If so, you could try taking a break from feedings for a while. Maybe even give it a few weeks for your ginger bug to get "hungry" again before giving it any more feeding.
Definitely! We always have a bit of sediment on the bottom of our ferments unless we rack them off. We like to keep the sediment though since there's still some good nutrients in the "lees". Thanks for the question!
I can't seem to get the primary fermentation going. I'm using apple juice, put in some very active ginger bug but then absolutely no bubbles even after 3 days or so. Any tips or things to try would be helpful.
It's possible you might have a batch of apple juice that has some kind of stabilizer or preservative in it. If you have a super active ginger bug definitely try a different brand of apple juice and watch out for the preservatives! Also lemon juice makes the ferment take MUCH longer. Good luck!
It's possible that it might work as long as there are no preservatives in it that would kill your ginger bug starter. Let us know how it goes if you try it! 😊
Hi! Yes you can definitely make fermented drinks out of fresh juices. There's sometimes different things to look out for though because there may be different bacteria already present. For example, fresh squeezed apple juice, we usually make that without any ginger bug but it takes a few days longer. And fresh lemonade, we'd recommend filtering off the pulp or stirring often, otherwise you may get a layer of mold on top. Here's a couple of videos using fresh squeezed juices to give you an idea. Fresh apple cider: th-cam.com/video/SPizAul24GM/w-d-xo.html Ginger ale using fresh ginger juice: th-cam.com/video/4t8peSK0AdI/w-d-xo.html
So I started my apple juice ferment on the 19th and have had a bubble or two but no main signs of anything. There has been a nice sediment layer at the bottom that has formed and everything still smells fine. If it has been this long and it isn't very active should I just start over? My house temperature averages about 70, not quite sure what could have went wrong. Also tested my gravity again and it is the same as my original. May just be taking its time I guess.
Hi! It's possible it's just a bit colder than where we are, so it may take a few days longer. We'd recommend checking for bubbles with a light and waiting just a few days longer to see if you get more activity. These bubbles are so small that it can be hard to see!
How many times do I have to "burp" the glass bottle so it doesn't explode? I'm hoping to be able to have these handy without worrying about them exploding..my first time 😊
Hi! The fermented sodas made from fruit juice can be pretty active due to the high sugar content of the juices. If you have a tester bottle, that will be ideal so you can see how much pressure is building in closed glass bottles. You could try burping them after 12 hours to make sure the pressure isn't building too quickly, and then gauge it from there.
I think the lemon went so slow because it was Highly acidic to start, which can shock the yeast/bacteria and cause them to slow dramatically or go dormant. You can get this same effect with using way too much sugar, in this cause its called Sugar Shock. I learned this from brewing beer and making wine. Same principle applies to acids. Check the pH of all three starter Juices, I would almost bet the lemonade was a lot lower on the pH scale.
Absolutely, Vinnie! Thanks for the comment! We had tested it with our PH sticks off camera, but turns out they were too old and didn't seem accurate. Pretty sure the lemonade would have been much more acidic.
Hello! You may find this video helpful where we measured the amount of alcohol created over time in our homemade fermented ginger ale which also uses a ginger bug starter culture. --> th-cam.com/video/86SwZyUbtF0/w-d-xo.html
Hi! It's ultimately your decision on how you feel about it. Here's a little info that may help you: During the fermentation process, it's possible for the plastic to deteriorate. We choose to drink out of the tester bottle, but there's a few things we do to help with the plastic concern. We use stronger, thicker plastic bottles, like the ones made for sodas, so that it hopefully deteriorate less quickly. We also replace our tester bottles often (not reusing on too many batches). And lastly, after fermentation is complete, we transfer the contents of the tester bottle into a glass pressure-safe bottle right away so that it's not sitting in the plastic long term. Hope that helps you with your decision!
@@FermentationAdventure . Tks. I don’t use plastic either and I would definitely put it in the glass. I’m just kind of frugal and wouldn’t even use the plastic if it means throwing out the ferment. I probably won’t use tester when I get mor experience with this process. I do kombucha so I have some experience. But this ginger bug seems much stronger. Lol. The plastic bottles I have are from tonic or club soda. I haven’t had soda in decades. 👍.
So I am also trying this with a juice made from a root beer syrup. I part syrup to 7 parts water. It is not fermenting very fast at all. One of the ingredients is potassium citrate. Would that inhibit the fermentation?
Hi! That ingredient could be considered a food preservative, so it's possible it's slowing down your ferment. Did you try adding any sugar in addition to the syrup? Wondering if it's sweet enough.
If it looks clear of any mold and smells fine, you could taste a sip of it to see if it's sweet. Should be fairly sweet since the bacteria will eat the sugars. Could be worth adding half cup of sugar to see if it will jump start the process. If that doesn't work after a few days, it could be the preservative, or there could be something else going on like cold temperature, chlorine, or sunlight.
I just tried placing Saran Wrap with a rubber band around the neck of my jars and pock 2 - 3 pinholes in the saran wrap rather than using a wash cloth that could drop lint into my soda/pop. Makes a good airlock. Grandparents showdown me as a child.
Hello! Our best guess on this one is that it is less calories than you would start out with in the juice, since the fermentation process will eat away at some of the sugars. Hope this helps!
Hi there... one question I have: what happened with the ginger bug culture when you headed to the second fermentation? Were they dissolved during the fermentation process ?!... because there's no mention in your video material regarding this ... when you poured in the glass bottles, you didn't strained the ginger bug culture, but giving a quick stir beforehand, so again... where are the ginger bug culture in this stage??... I'm pretty much confused!
Thanks for the question Laurentiu! Once your ginger bug is active it's alive so then when you add it to something like a juice or a sugar solution, your ginger bug culture begins to eat the sugar and multiply. It doesn't dissolve but takes over so you're basically creating a very large culture of ginger bug. It's still there and very much alive! Good luck!
Hmm. That's an interesting question. The ginger bug that we use is from a live ginger plant so it has live bacteria and yeast. Some brewer's yeast is alive so if it's healthy and multiplying you should be able to reuse it. If you do let us know how it goes! 😊
@@FermentationAdventure I will let you know once I do that. I have another question, if you don’t mind. I was hoping to make non-alcoholic ginger beer but I’m way past 11 days of fermentation (8 days ginger bug room temp, and 3 days bottled as of today). The fizz is crazy on the evening of day 2 of bottling, and even crazier today. I have to keep burping them. I set an alarm to do it every 2 hrs and then 4 hrs today. I put one bottle in the fridge to experiment if that will stop the fizz and kept the other 3 bottles in room temp with an aggressive burping schedule. Should I have just put airlocks on these instead and then sealed it and refrigerated it after 3 days of bottling? I’m trying for lower to no alcoholic content. Thanks for your time. Love your channel, watched a few more videos too.
Thanks for the question! The faster you move it into cold storage the less alcohol it will have. The only thing to keep in mind since it's so active is that it will keep fermenting in the fridge but at a much slower rate.
Help! I've tried to make my ginger bug 3x! Each time I get to day 5 it's still bubbly - I start running out of room in my jar, maybe a couple inches left at the top. The next morning on day 6, there's a lot of ginger popping up at the top of the jar and no more bubbles. Maybe I'm adding too much ginger? Any ideas?
Sure thing! You can use dried fruit. You might have to soak it a bit longer to rehydrate it but I'm sure it would be good too! You'll still have to add a ginger bug or some kind of starter culture to get the fermentation going though. Good luck!
I love fresh made sodas but I skip the first fermentation as it just makes it more alcoholic and taste worse. Just mix up the room temp fruit juice with the gingerbug and then bottle them. Have one bottle that is plastic so you can tell when pressure has built up and then refrigerate. No burping. You will end up with a carbonated juice that does not taste like booze or cider.
Thanks for the comments and we love your name! Haha! 😆🥤
What plastic bottle do you use? I don’t have any that are pressure-safe
Thank you! I like apple juice but can't stand cider so was hesitant about fermenting apple juice.
@@justinelourdes6686I read that any plastic bottle that had Perrier water or even just soda would work. It's not a matter of being safe, that's more of a concern when you're stealing a glass bottle. It's a matter of feeling for the bottle getting hard with pressure. Turn like a two liter bottle of 7-Up that you just bought, it has some give. Then, if you shake it a bit the carbonation builds up and the bottle gets harder. That's all you're feeling for.
This is a good tip, I’ll give this a try. I am on a health binge and interested in non-alcoholic beverages. I think I accidentally made alcoholic ginger beer 🥴.
The second I saw this I fermented all the juice in my house. Made it so much better! Didn't even think to use store bought juice
Yay! Might as well, right? Turns it into at least a healthier version. And it also tastes great too!
I juiced plums from my Santa Rosa plum tree a few months ago - just straight up juice (no sugar or water added) then hot water bath canned it all. After watching your how to make a ginger bug video about 8 days ago and successfully making it, and after watching this video, I decided to give my home canned juice a try. I used 1 cup purified water, 1 cup strained plum juice, 2 TBSP of cane (white) sugar, and 1/8 cup of ginger bug in a pint sized canning jar. I placed a canning lid on top loosely. This sat overnight and had a nice layer of bubbles on top today. I decided to go ahead and bottle it in empty and thick plastic water bottle this morning and it's carbonating nicely! After about 8 hours carbonating in the water bottle, I tried a taste and it's a nice tart sweet flavor with a kombucha like flavor and very nice effervescent bubbles! Very enjoyable. Will let it go another 6 hours or so either drink up or put in fridge tonight. Thanks for your videos!
😮😮😮 Whoah! Freshly juiced plums? I bet that tasted so good! That sounds amazing to be able to drink something so fresh that you grew yourself. Thanks so much for telling us about it. So happy to have you here! 💕
@@FermentationAdventure Thanks 😊! The tree produced a crazy amount this year and I figured I'd better juice and can it all. Have discovered the juice is amazing when mixed with ginger beer and that's what started me into finding out about ginger bugs. I have a ginger bug ginger beer fermenting now as well. Giving that a try after watching your video on it. Also trying out freshly juiced concord grape one. We have so much fruit varities we grow here!
I made a ginger bug a few months ago and have been using it my switchel. After watching this vid and having pineapple juice on hand I decided to try this. I just used it yesterday in a margarita, it was good.
Omg that sounds so good! I bet using fermented pineapple juice in a margarita would give it such an interesting flavor. Thanks for the suggestion!
You guys are quickly becoming a fixture in my fermentation kitchen! I absolutely LOVE the content and the sense of wellness and joy that you both exude.
Thank you so very much for your kind words!! 💓 We hope you are having great success with your ferments! 😄
Somebody already mentioned here the ph of the juices. It is well known for home brewers that any yeast has its own ph tollerance and there is way to controll it. Usually the lower the ph the less activity for the yeast to the point that it goes dormant. However as soon as the ph raises it will resume its activity. Lemon juice has the lowest ph which is equivalent to the highest acidity of all juices and that is because lemon juice is basically citric acid. Yeast like the ph around 5 -5.5 while lemon juice could be as low as 2. The remedy? You have to neutralize a bit that acidity and the most available method is to add a bit of baking soda, stirr it, let it react with the acid until calms down, it will be an efervescent reaction but won't take long. When the ph rises the yeast will start working. Another thing worth mentioning is that any yeast fermentation consume sugar and releases alcohol and CO2. The bubbles are the CO2 released and it will come up as long there is still sugar for the yeast to eat and if you bottle it will build preassure. That is how beer is preassurized in the bottles in home brewing, however you need to add a bit of sugar. As sugar being consumed the juice becomes... more sour at taste. About the alcohol content. The hydrometer, an important tool in wine and beer making, measures the sugar content. So when you measured in your drink the 1.020 it means that there is still sugar left in your drink and that 3% ABV is the potential than can be made if all sugar left is consumed, untill the measurement goes down to 1.000. In order to measure the alcohol present in a liquid you have to use the hydrometer to measure sugar content BEFORE and AFTER the fermentation. You subtract the numbers and that will tell you the alcohol percentage. The fruit juices that you used have a sugar content of around 1.050 on the hydrometer scale. You measured after the fermentation 1.020 so the difference is 0.030. That will give you a 3.9 ABV with the potential to go up to 6.5 if the rest of sugar is consumed. www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/
Thank you so much for this detailed explanation! We've seen some batches like our lemonade slow down with the lemon juice. We'll have to try some baking soda in there to get it back to fermenting quicker. Awesome comment!
@@FermentationAdventure don't add too much. I don't know how much is enough for that particular quantity, the best way is to add some, stir and check the ph. In a bucket of 5 gallons fermentation I added few table spoons of baking soda, for a jar probably a tip of teaspoon would do it. The back draw of this method is that it may incur a bit of salty/bitter taste as a result of the salts are being created after the acid+soda combination. Remember from school, any acid combined with any base will neutralize resulting is water plus some kind of salt. Nice videos you make, by the way. I made the tepache after your recipe and it had success with my wife and daughter. I am at the second batch now. :o))) Keep the good work!
This is a great note! I’m just getting started with ferments. Trying different flavors for water kefir soda. I’ve had a lemon flavor jar that just will not get fizzy. This explains it all. I will add a bit of baking soda see if that sparks it up. Thank you for taking time to write such great detail. Be well ✨
This is insane I can't wait for my ginger bug to be ready, first timer😉
That's wonderful!! Well welcome to the Fermentation Adventure! 😄🥰
Just discovered your channel and I love you guys!... Not just the amazing content but the positive uplifting energy your videos are packed with.
I've got some catching up to do.
Thank you
Wow thank you so much for the love El Tuco! We're so happy you're enjoying our videos! There's a lot in life to be happy about. We hope you get to try some of these amazing ferments! 💓
All the juice in the house are getting fizzy! I quit buying beers anymore! Started making my own flavored beer! Thank you guys! Love lots
Woohoo! That's great! Yum... oh the many flavors!!
Amazing!
Just found your channel searching for homemade soda recipes. Glad I did! The one I was most excited about was the lemon... So glad you hung in there with it. I can't wait to try that one. Thanks again! Grady
Yay! So glad you found us! We were so pleasantly surprised about the lemonade and it's so delicious! We'll be making more of that for sure.
@@FermentationAdventure Me too! This seems much more like what I would enjoy relative to the skoby process. I recently started a sourdough that has been fantastic and fun. Look forward to making tasty (and high octane drinks) thanks to you! Take care, Grady
@@FermentationAdventure l
I made this recently with apple juice, pineapple and mango juice. Mango seems to take longer to ferment but finally seen some champagne bubbles this morning. I’m leaving it to ferment a bit more. The pineapple was overactive while fermenting the first 2 days and suddenly died down on the 3rd day. I added a teaspoon of sugar in each of the bottles (I bottled 24 hrs ago) and opened it to bring some oxygen into the bottle and then shook it a bit. It’s looking really alive now. I’ll wait another 12 hrs before refrigerating. The apple juice taste so much like dry white wine! That fermented 3 days and bottled 12 hrs. I can’t wait to try the finished pineapple and mango!
Next time I’m going to try fermenting only 1 day or less before bottling to seriously cut down the alcohol. 😅
PS this is still with using the ginger ground w/brewer’s yeast left over from the first ginger beer batch. I’m going to make big with real ginger this weekend 🎉
Update: I just now tasted the pineapple soda and it’s sooo alcoholic 😂 so instead of waiting another 12 hrs, I put it in the fridge. I was hoping to bring these sodas to work lol I think this is a weekend-to-share-with-special-people kinda drink now.
I think I will bottle the mango juice now instead of waiting! There is bubbling.
Thanks Fermentation Adventure!
Another update: I threw out one of the bottles of pineapple and added fresh pineapple juice with the left over yeast in that same bottle. It bubbled right away and left it bottled 12 hrs before refrigerating. Let’s see how that goes! It was definitely too alcoholic for my taste 😅
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing! That's interesting about the pineapple juice. They definitely taste a little better with less time fermenting. Did you have a favorite that you settled on? Loved the play by play! 😊
@@FermentationAdventure Hey! Yeah my favourite is the mango soda! Thought it didn’t bubble on top like the pineapple or apple juice, I can definitely taste the fermentation and the fizz. I wonder why the bubbles don’t stay on top! I can see little ones travel up before bottling. Also, when I first opened it after bottling (48 hrs in fridge), the bubbles then showed up but then tapered off. There was definitely fermentation but hardly any alcohol. I will do it again!
Wow! I made a ginger bug a few weeks ago, it's been in the fridge (I actually made 2 as I knew I wouldn't be able to not-drink it). Usually I make mead out of honey from my hives, and I decided to use the ginger bug, sugar and organic ground ginger and add champagne yeast. Within 6 hours my mead was looking relatively quiet, while my ginger bug wine was going nuts! The ginger was not just floating, it was careening around inside the jar! Three days have passed and the ginger is still moving, and, after a small taste test, I could tell that it has quite a kick to it already! Thank you for the inspiration and all the information :)
What a fun couple! Going to create a ginger bug this week. Can't wait!
Thank you so much JR! That's awesome! Good luck on your ginger bug and happy fermenting!
@@FermentationAdventure
Well, my ginger bug didn't quite work out... or at least I'm not sure if it did or not. The first 3 days it was bubbling like crazy, and I was very happy. Then, on the 4th day all the bubbles were gone. I kept feeding it, and I'm on day 6 now, but there are still no bubbles. There's a white sediment like substance in the bottom. Someone on reddit said that it sounds like it's probably been overfed, and said that 1tbsp of sugar each day with 1tbsp of ginger is way too much. They said about half that amount of sugar is what you should use. Any thoughts?
Okay, follow up if someone gets stuck on this like I did. I made another batch. I only changed one variable, which was to reduce the sugar by about 1/2. Now I have a very bubbly ginger bug, ready to be used. So I would say that the recommendations in this video are probably *right* on the edge of having too much sugar. It worked perfectly with half as much. You can tell that's the problem when the ginger bug tastes sweet. It shouldn't taste real sweet -- it should taste kind of spicy and yeasty. If it's sweet, add some more ginger, but not more sugar for a day or two and see if it comes out of it. You might also add some more distilled water to dilute the sugar.
Thanks for the notes JR! Once you're getting bubbles it just pretty much be good to go and you know it's active. At that point since it's active you can start making sodas with it. We've had batches where there was a bit too much sugar and it started slowing down like you saw. It usually works out well once you try making soda. We hope it's going well and you're getting some good ginger ale! 🍺
I had a similar result when I used peach and lime juice mixed with home made syrup into a ginger green tea komboocha. I'm in tx, and in a second floor apt without central air and heat. It gets really hot in summer. I did it as a second ferment komboocha and it took 3× as long to carbonate than other combos I've done. Even pineapple mint/ginger or orange/Berry mint took maybe 48hrs. The peach ginger limeaid took over a week. Lime and lemon juice take forever to ferment. Fyi, I've started a cool recipe you might want to try for fall. It's a apple cider recipe. I make the apple cider out of juice and ferment it with komboocha. It's a nice one to try. I've also got 3 recipes for acv too. I'm gonna maybe try cold pressing apple juice for ferments too. I don't have a juicer, and the magic bullet blender I have isn't up for a big job like that. Also, you guys make komboocha, I've got a recipe for fruit and veggie leathers made out of the mother you might want to try
Wow! Thanks so much for all the info Melissandra! Yeah we had the same experience with lemon taking longer but it did eventually ferment. All those recipe sound good and great idea on the fruit leather out of the kombucha mother. I bet that would be a pretty interesting snack! Happy fermenting!
My first bug seems to have failed because I forgot not to use tap water. Watched all 3 of your videos and I cannot wait to try again! Thanks for posting them
You're so welcome Connie! Good luck and happy fermenting!
I am so excited about it!
I will show it to my grandson! that is so good
Thank you very much 👍
You're so welcome Carmen! We hope you guys have a fun experiment to try! There are many different kinds of soda you can make! 😊
I’ve been wanting to make a ginger bug for a while now and I’ve been making kombucha for 5 to 7 years on and off. After flavoring my kombucha a lot I decided to go ahead and look up a video on Ginger bugs process. It seems pretty easy just reading information, but I tend to do better with videos, so I really appreciate you making yours. I subscribe because they appreciate the effort and information that you guys give. I do have some questions on making it bigger batches and maybe doing a continual brew just like kombucha would do a continual brew
Thank you for this really great video! You explain and show everything so clearly. I'm curious: What would happen if I added the ginger bug to a one quart bottle of juice, and let it sit out (for a day or two, with the top lightly covered) Instead of pouring the juice into a mason jar first (along with the ginger bug) and then pouring it back into a different bottle?
Maybe you explained this in a different video.
If it was pasteurized juice that doesn't have any other live cultures it should do the same as if you were to put it in a mason jar. We like to transfer it to glass but feel free to use whatever you're comfortable with! Thanks for the question! 😊
Love your show. Thank you for your great, really fun way to learn. My first batch is in 1st fermentation, can't wait.
I want to add tamerin to my drinks.
Thanks so much for watching and we're so happy to hear you're enjoying our content! Happy fermenting! 😃
Love the fermentation adventure! Thanks! Question for the better bottles... I noticed the brown bottles, grolsch style with ceramic tops and a rubber seal vs. The newer style grolsch white plastic and red plastic cap... which tends to be better at sealing and reuse with same seal before needing replacement?
Thanks for the love Devin! 💓 We've used a number of bottles and so far it seems the taller ones with the white cap and red silicone seem to work for us. We've also heard though that the flip top Grolsch bottles work well and you basically get free beer when you buy them! We've noticed the shorter brown bottles we bought doesn't always hold pressure. Cheaper ones we've gotten at Marshalls also don't seem to hold pressure. You'll have to experiment to see which ones work for you. Happy fermenting!
I actually do the same with kombucha, it does not have the ginger taste underneath, but also very nice and refreshing!
Oh lovely! Great idea!
Lemonade didn't work because of PH (stressing the fermenta) and lack of tannin (yeast nutrient). Try to put a quarter teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate to compensate PH, and a quarter cup of long steeped tea to add tannin. It should work.
Great video, I make the same thing with beer yeast instead of gingerbug. Should try to build up a gingerbug myself.
Thank you.
You gained my subscription!
Thanks so much for the suggestions Fabio! Those sound like great ideas! It did seem like it was because of the pH from the lemon juice. We've also noticed that if we add too much lemon juice to our ginger ales right from the beginning. We'll try the baking soda idea for sure! Happy fermenting!
@@FermentationAdventure This is where I learned about bicarbonate and tea: this italian guy is my fermentation inspirator
th-cam.com/video/Ev3IxSwf9Yg/w-d-xo.html
I tried using my kombucha as starter. It tastes great. I love the grapes and pineapple. Ferment your kombucha as usual and use the f1 for f2. Starter.
That's awesome Roy!! I bet that's really tasty. Thanks for sharing!
What ratios do you use of Kombucha to fruit juice?
@BlueGorillaInTheMist in one liter of kombucha I use 1 cup of fruit juice.
@@roybello8944 Thanks
Thank you so much for this useful information, I can’t wait to start printing all the juices around my house
Awesome Kylo! If you find any delicious flavors, let us know! Happy fermenting!
your channel is so underrated. I love the content :)
Thank you for those nice recipes. I will try with my new ginger bug. Merci beaucoup pour votre bonne humeur et le partage. Sandrine from france 😃
Thank you so much for the nice comment voi la! We love the name! We're happy you enjoyed! 💓
Your results are pretty much exactly what I would expect.
Level of activity
1-apple
2-cranberry
3-lemon
Level of acidity
1-lemon
2-cranberry
3-apple
The lower your ph, the more stressed your microorganisms will be which will slow down (or entirely prevent) fermentation. But when a lemonade does ferment its oh so worth it.
If you're not fond of the ginger flavor from the bug you can get the colony going and keep a bit from each batch to start your next brew eventually leaving you with a fruity starter instead of a spicy one.
That makes so much sense. Great observation! That's also a good idea about reserving some of the soda for the next batch. Thanks so much for the comments! 😊
@@FermentationAdventure of you haven't tried it yet, my favorite soda (or cider, if you forget about it for a couple of days) to do with ginger bug is orange. The flavors work beautifully together and it's a nice refreshing drink, especially great with brunch. Cream soda can also be incredibly satisfying for those who are interested in doing sodas using refined sugars but I know that's not for everyone.
Oh nice! So what kind of orange flavored juice are you using? Fresh orange juice or something else?
@@FermentationAdventure if I'm able to get fresh oranges straight from the source that's preferable for a soda but if I want something with a tiny bit of alcohol (2%or so) and some sweetness i look for a orange and grape blend because oranges have very little sugar and can seem very acidic after a few days even though the ph is higher than cranberry juice.
Hi Craig, I just started my first fermentation of water kefir grains. I'm going for the more of a soda pop taste. Would you suggest me not using ginger bug? Should I just ferment fruit in second fermentation and bottle it? I guess I don't understand what you mean when you say "if your not fond of ginger flavor from the bug you can get the colony going and keep a bit from each batch to stgart you next brew....." could you explain better what you mean? Thanks
Why haven't I done this sooner? 😡🤣
Just now getting into fermentation and stuff but I was completely obsessed with making fruit sodas over the summer im definitely gonna have to do this
That's awesome sellelpoc! The flavor combinations for these fermented sodas are endless! Good luck and happy fermenting! 🥤🎉😊
Could i skip the bottling and leep it in the mason jar in the fridge and pour from it?
You definitely can! We like to ferment in larger batches first to make sure we get a good batch. Otherwise we'd have to clean a lot more bottles. Good question! 😊
Quick question... after you use your ginger bug a couple of times, do you add more water, ginger, and sugar to keep it going, or do you toss it and start a new one at some point? Thanks!!! Love your videos. 🥰
Thanks so much for the question! We strain off the ginger pieces and keep some of the original ginger bug as its own starter. Then we'll just add more fresh ginger, sugar, and top it up with fresh non-chlorinated water and it should be good to go! The live culture should consume the sugar and it's off the races again! We hope that helps and thanks for the love! 💓💓💓
Before reading the ingredients on the bottle, I had started a grape soda, only to discover that it had potassium metabisulfite. On the same day I started orange soda, which had no additives. Three days later I discovered that the grape with the PM, has lots of foam on the top and is bubbling. However, the orange juice no fizz at all. But I'll continue to wait to see the final results.
Hi! The orange soda may take a while longer if it is really acidic, so it will be interesting to see how that one progresses. For the grape juice, it may have still worked, if there was very little metabisulfite in the juice. You're looking for that slight yeasty pleasant smell, with no growth on top, and no thickening of the juice (sludgy).
This was awesome! I've got a batch going now!
Nice! What kind of juice did you use? Did you love it?!
I've talked to a friend and my dad about chlorinated tap water. It's a liquid that turns gaseous. If you use a sprayer on your sink into a container (low spray) it will remove the chlorine from your water and than you can use it without issues.
Thanks so much for the comment Brian! Also leaving it on the counter to off-gas the chlorine works for most people but in the areas that add chloramine, the only way to remove that one is with a filter since it contains ammonia in addition to chlorine. Good tip though!
A few years ago we got a Mr Beer kit and made a batch. When we bottled it, we also used the Mr Beer plastic bottles. Is there any reason why we can't use them for the ginger bug sodas? They would all be testers. LoL
Thank you for your time and efforts! Be safe.
Definitely! That should work well for you. Good luck!
So one of the problems you where having with the lemonade is that the High ph stresses the yeast out causing it to take quite a bit longer.
I make lemon wine and what you do is make a sugar water with just a little bit of lemon juice and some yeast nutrient to start. You slowly add more and more overtime to finally reach that high pH that’s is desired
Thanks so much for that idea Travis! It was puzzling at first about how long it was taking every batch of lemonade but that makes so much sense. We'll have to try it that way from now on if we're making it fresh. Great to hear how you've gotten around those issues. Happy fermenting!
Oh interesting!!!!!!😊
I'm going to try this with jam
That sounds like it would be good! 😋🥤
As l lay here in the hospital, looking at the walls, your videos are liike a lifeline of endless entertainment.
Wow Moonwalker. We feel so honored that we're keeping you company and wish you much health with whatever you're going through. 💓 If you happen to really love watching our content, we actually also have an adventure channel! th-cam.com/users/psadventures Not meant to be a commercial but in case you wanted more, we have a lot more videos over on PS Adventures. We hope you make a speedy recovery and that this year brings you back to good health! 🌠🌞🌅
Have you guys ever done or try making Mavi, or mauby drink? I would like to see that! Love you videos!❤
Hello! It's a Caribbean drink made of the Mauby tree bark. Have you tried it? We don't have access to fresh Mauby bark here in Florida (that we're aware of, anyway!) so maybe we'll have to try ordering it online. Thanks for the suggestion!
I just started my ginger bug starter. Once I use it to make soda. How do I keep my ginger bug going? Do I refill it with water and feed it again? In this video, it just shows you guys putting it back in the fridge.
Hi! Thanks for the question! Yes, you can refill with water and feed it again. We made a really short tutorial on how to maintain your ginger bug, so feel free to check it out here: th-cam.com/users/shortsDjfHqZisQRs? Hope that helps!
Hey guys you vids are awesome. A question, can I use Ginger bug to make fizzy teas like Hibiscus (Jamaican water)? Also is it possible to make a simple syrup (water and sugar) add Ginger bug to have some sort of carbonated water? I love to just have plain water with a drop of edible mint oil extract. What about adding it and the end of fermentation of the water syrup?
Thanks for the great question Alessandro! Yes, you can use the ginger bug to make fermented flavored tea. And you're right that it really just needs a simple syrup, whether it's flavored or not. You could certainly add the mint extract for flavor after fermenting. If you try the fermented sugar water, let us know how it goes!
Hi guys! I love all your videos, and thank you for all the time and energy you put into them! I was wondering if you had any tips on working with a ginger bug/sodas in a somewhat cold house. Lately, my sodas aren't fermenting well (meaning few bubbles) and one strawberry soda actually has a couple of white fuzzies (looks like mold not kahm yeast but we'll see) on top. I keep the ginger bug in the fridge and keep bottles away from direct sunlight, etc, pretty much all the prescribed things. I'm wondering if I should let my bug hang out on the counter for a few days, start over, just be patient with my sodas and wait a couple weeks, or if there's something else?
Hi Jan! Thanks again for watching! This is a common problem, especially in the winter. You could try fermenting in a warmer place in your kitchen or even your home, like under the microwave with the light on, on top of the refrigerator, or even in a dehydrator. You could also try a heating mat, but just be careful not to have too much localized heat as it could kill your ferment. Once you've found a warmer spot to ferment, then your sodas should start to show signs of fermentation within 5 or so days. If that isn't happening, it could have to do with your ginger bug.
@@FermentationAdventure Thanks for the help, guys! I'll definitely experiment with finding a warmer place :)
Use a smell cooler bag, check on it daily, if your counter is granite or marble they retain the cold so put cooler bag on trivit to keep it off counter
I appreciate the heads-up about the lemonade, I think to stay on the safe side I will probably just get the _Simply Lemonade_ from the refrigerated section so that it would have _only_ lemonade, and not that other stuff. When I'm ready to try it, that is. I actually have some cranberry grape juice or something like that but I have to look at the ingredients before I try. If not, I have cranberries that I threw fresh in the freezer last Christmastime and I probably need to hurry up and use them I have some in my kefir water as the second stage of fermenting, but today's the second day (of second stage fermentation) and it hasn't even started bubbling yet. I'm a little concerned about that stuff right now and I have friends coming over, I was hoping to share some with them.
I have two gingerbugs, and one is bubbly but the other I can't see bubbling. It's too cloudy to tell. But I do see white bubbles on the top so I guess it's been doing what it has to. I started the gingerbugs last Sunday I believe, but it looks like they may be okay to start using even now.
We hope it all turned out tasty! It sounds like you have some great ideas on the sodas and yes the lemonade took a lot longer than we thought! We hope you're doing well and happy fermenting! 😊
Thanks for this! I noticed when I make my water kefir with anything citrus like lemon or orange, it takes forever to fizz… So I think citrus fruits slows down fermentation.
Makes sense. At least it still works, just a bit slower of a process!
I love you guys so much!! You have brought the fermentation experience to life with your videos. I am so happy I came across your channel. I’m making mango homemade soda/bee. Using my finger bug! I love finding jars in thrift shops. It’s all just such an adventure. Thank you for being the best.
Wow, you're the best! We love your sweet message and we're so happy you found us too! 💓 It is so much fun to find unique jars isn't it? 😄
hello friends, i am loving this soda so much, i end up drinking about a quart per day. Would it be too much..? My stomach seems a bit upset..? So can we drink probiotics in big quantities? Thank you guys for your work!
BTW, i tried with grape juice to see if it will make wine... and yes indeed, after 4 days of fermentation, i started to taste like wine :)
We're so happy you got some tasty ferments going! We can't say how much is too much when it comes to fermented beverages. You have to listen to your own body and that includes alcohol of all types including beer and wine. Everyone is different! 🙂
in the nicest way possible/ just a heads-up.
Lactobacillus is the bacteria/culture you introduce when using a Ginger bug. One of the most common of the "LAB" (lactic acid bacteria)
All LAB(s) eat sugar and excrete lactic acid. There should be no alcohol in any of those drinks. Tho you still would see sugar displacement in the gravity readings.
Additionally you're lemonade was most likely made with cane sugar / disaccharide
Monosaccharides are easier for Yeast and bacteria to metabolize. Stick to corn syrup for anything w sweeteners added, or you can just bring anything with cane sugar to a boil first (breaks the bond making x2 mono)
Sorry for the unsolicited advice. Truly just trying to be helpful. And I thoroughly enjoyed the video regardless 👏👏
Thanks so much for the info Frank! 🙂 We're definitely not bio-chemists, but are always learning more about natural processes! Nature is so amazing. While we only have a hydrometer to measure, they definitely taste alcoholic to us. We've relied on the info of many others, but it would be cool to send samples to a lab and have them test it somehow. Thanks so much again!
Excited to try it! 😁How long do we have to ferment it to get it atleast above 5%?
We hope you love it as much as we do! It's a simple process and creates such a yummy drink. Ours reached 3% after 3 days, so if it seems to be fermenting about the same rate as ours, you may reach 5% between 5-7 days.
Thanks. It's easy.
Woohoo! Our pleasure. Happy fermenting!
Hi!
I wonder how tasty these drinks would be if done with water kefir instead of the ginger bug. I know that the ginger bug makes them fizzier but i'd still test this if I had some
Yum! We're sure it would taste delicious! If anyone wants to try it though, be careful about harming the kefir grains. They are delicate and I would think could be harmed if there were any preservatives in the juice. These store-bought juices can easily have hidden preservatives in the ingredient list.
@@FermentationAdventure this is true, thank you
I can all my own juice: apple, blueberry, elderberry, peach. I have a finger ready to go but am not sure if or how much sugar I should add to my own juice to get it going? Any suggestions as I do not add sugar when steam juice in gathering fruit. Thanks for you wonderful informative videos
Hi! Thanks so much! We'd recommend still adding some sugar to the fresh fruit juice so that there's enough sugar for the yeast and bacteria in your ginger bug to get excited about. You could follow this recipe for our fresh watermelon soda: th-cam.com/video/ldvpyz60O8w/w-d-xo.html. If you like your fermented drinks less sweet, you could probably even cut the added sugar in half, and it should still ferment just fine. Thank you!
After seeing this I bought Welches Concord grape juice. Will make this today! ❤️ your videos and always look forward to them.
Thank you for watching! Let us know how you like the Concord grape soda!
That is some nice grape soda after 2 days primary and 12 hours secondary. Tasted sweet and was bubbly just like a Martinelli’s sparkling cider. Next batch will go for 3 day primary to reduce sweetness some more. This was THE most active ferment I’ve ever seen. Before bottling, tried stirring gently and a purple volcano bubbled all over my table and floor! A bowl underneath the mason jar is a must when bottling :-) apple juice is next 😋
Fantastic! So I guess we really must try a grape soda next. 😃
Concord grape juice has sorbate to prevent fermentation
Hi Steve! Hopefully not all grape juices have that ingredient. We haven't been out to the store to check the ingredients but online it looks like Welch's should work just fine.
Great video. Love both of your energy every video. As far as the alcohol goes I do want the least amount so I'm going to try a day ferment, do you also suggest a day of secondary ferment for carbonation or may that be too much alcohol at that point. Ive been trying to aim for around 1 percent alcohol content for my ferments. Going to buy a tester soon so ill definitely know.
Thank you for your kind words! You gotta love what you do, right?! If you're aiming for 1 percent or less, we'd recommend 24 hour of primary fermentation, and then maybe just a few hours of secondary fermentation. Or, if you definitely want carbonation, you could try fermenting directly in the closed bottles for primary fermentation - just make sure to check the pressure often!
@@FermentationAdventure yes you do because it speaks volumes with your work. Thank you and I hope you have a great rest of your day.
Thank you! 😄
Would it be safe to use a store bought kombucha bottle for the second fermantation?
Hello! It should be, yes, because that bottle is meant to hold the pressure of the original kombucha that was in that bottle. However you would just want to make sure that the bottle was indeed holding a live culture. Hope that helps!
Hai sir nice work there.. Can u make a video to make fermentasion drink with out alcohol..
Hello! Alcohol is a natural biproduct of the fermentation process, but there are some drinks that create very minimal alcohol or is very slow to produce alcohol. These would be the fermented drinks we recommend: Water Kefir (th-cam.com/video/Ndf-SobBJBg/w-d-xo.html), Kombucha (th-cam.com/video/g9n2U9srchE/w-d-xo.html) and Tepache (th-cam.com/video/ib4l1nPLWM8/w-d-xo.html). Hope that helps!
I’ve tried making cherry soda with my ginger bug twice now, but have had problems with mold growing at around day 2. I’ve been covering my mason jars with a towel, leaving it at room temperature, and my ginger bug is very active on its own. Is there anything I can do to prevent this or do you have any tips on keeping mold away?
Hi! A fermentation lid that prevents any oxygen from entering the ferment, but still lets out any excess gases, would help keep mold at bay since mold likes oxygen. Although it could have to do with the juice that you're using. Is the cherry juice all natural without preservatives? Preservatives hinders the fermentation process. Does the juice have enough sugar to kick off the fermentation process? And also is the juice thick? If it's thick, it would create a layer on top that the mold could grow on. If it's a thick juice, you could try giving the jar a light shake a few times a day to prevent the mold from taking root on the top layer. Hope that helps!
@@FermentationAdventure Thank you! I don’t think the juice is the problem, (it is all natural and it isn’t thick) but I will definitely try using a fermentation lid! Thank you for the quick response, and advice! I really appreciate your channel and all of your knowledge.
Interesting, I was not aware we could use ginger bug like water kefir? Cool! Am I understanding this?
Well, loving your videos! I started a bug but used a different recipe, 2 tbl ginger-2 tbl sugar-2 tbl water, now watching your video on making bug, so much more water is used, will mine be ok?
Thank you so much! 💓 So the other recipe used equal amounts of the ingredients? Seems like the fermentation process would have a more difficult time getting started with that much sugar concentration. You could continue and see if it works! You could also just add some non chlorinated water and continue with the process as we show in our video. It's always a fun experiment! ☺️
Thanks for your reply, good news its bubbling, now my dilemma is, should I do the 2tbl ginger, 1tbl sugar(not 2) then up the water to a 1/4 cup? Becuase there hardly any liquid, wish I would've seen your video first! Thank you for your quick reply!
If it's bubbling, that's a great sign! You could continue to follow that other recipe you found, or you could start to add more water at any time. Since it's already bubbling, any water you add should take on the same good bacteria and yeast that you're looking for in your ginger bug. 😄
Ok, done! Fun!
QQ…after I ferment onnthe countertop, once its ready can I just move that jar, closed tightly, to the fridge and then drink it later from the mason jar over ice? Do I really need to get the bottles?
Hi! Thanks for the question! The bottles are not necessary, but if you'd like to store your fermented drink in a mason jar, it is important to use a top that allows the excess gases to escape since those jars are not able to hold pressure. You could try pacing it in the fridge with a loose top or a cloth cover. Hope that helps!
Hello! I just did it and I have a doubt, I did it with apple juice y read the ingredients and everything ok, also the ginger bug is ok. Buuut I see some white thing at the top of my final mixture (ginger bug and apple juice) it seems like sour milk; not all the surface but mainly in the middle at about 1 week of first fermentation.
Could you please tell me if something is wrong, I already teasted and it seems good, like spicy apple juice
Thanks in advance
Hi! Is it possible the white thing on top could have been the bubbles from the fermentation process accumulating at the top? Sometimes in our tepache, we have frothy white stuff at the top from all the bubbles. How did this ferment turn out for you?
Thank you. There are no rhubarb here where I live. (MX) I love it, but.
We know how you feel! There's no rhubarb growing here in Florida either but we find it at the grocery store sometimes. It's not necessary to use and you can probably use some other tart things like cranberries. We hope that helps! 😊
How many dyas Ginger bug can stay ok and how to perzerve?
Hello! You may be interested in our ginger bug/ginger ale Q&A video that answers these questions and the other top questions we get on the topic: th-cam.com/video/Z0fnIcakwnM/w-d-xo.html We've stored our ginger bug in the fridge for about 5 years now and it's still going strong. You would just have to feed it every so often and to continue to fill it back up with non-chlorinated water. Happy fermenting!
Just wanted to share something. My wife soaks banana peals only in water to feed her potted plants. After a time in a closed dark closet, I added more banana peals to the jar and noticed fermentation bubbles, very active.
Banana soda maybe?
Just a thought. 😏
keep on adding syrup and see whats the tolerance of your wild yeast?
You definitely can! We focus more on the taste of the drink rather than how much syrup we add but that would be a good experiment!
How much sugar is left once its all done? Any idea of the gr of carbs per 100ml in the finished product?
Do you stir those daily or just let them sit?
Thanks for the question! Sometimes we stir it but I think it doesn't make too much of a difference since the bacteria and yeast and travel throughout the jar and multiply. We hope you get a tasty batch! 🥤
I have two questions for you. What is the alcohol content of homemade soda?
Do I need to remove some of the ginger from the bug every once in awhile?
We actually made a great video on how much alcohol is in our homemade ginger ale depending on how long you ferment: th-cam.com/video/86SwZyUbtF0/w-d-xo.html We hope that answers your first question! The other one is after a while we remove some of the ginger and refresh it up with new ginger and sugar and refill with non-chlorinated water. Good luck!
Not sure if you folks will see this but....
Made a ginger bug with organic ginger, organic sugar and distilled water. Secind day bubbling like crazy. Added 1/4 cup to 3 different juices very similar to yours. Made sure I rinsed the jars out. Everything step by step. A few days in and I'm getting zero bubbles! Did I not give the bug long enough?! Any help would be very appreciated.
Following this possible thread because it's also happening to me. Idk if I should put more sugar to feed the yeast or put more bug
Thanks for the question! We believe you are on the right track with the ginger bug possibly needing more time to get going. We usually give our ginger bug at least 5 days of fermenting on the counter before using it to make a fermented drink. This is because it will pass the very active bubbling phase, which is when the sugars are being eaten up, and then it will basically be "hungry" for more sugar once there aren't as many visible bubbles. That's when it would be happy to thrive in the juice and start to eat those sugars. In case it helps, here's our ginger bug video: th-cam.com/video/wtb1BvRUWmI/w-d-xo.html Happy fermenting! 😃
I would like to know how you made the Blueberry rhubarb one???
Here you go! th-cam.com/video/6pTF5d0I_qg/w-d-xo.html We made a whole video on that one. It was so tasty!! 🫐🥤😊
I gots an idea ... what happens if you freeze the over active bottles ? if it is in containers which wont break when frozen ... then in the future take one out and let it warm up and see if the fermentation starts up again.
What about pouring some sugar into the bottle and let it ferment more? Would it increase the percentage of alcohol?
Toward the end you could try adding more sugar but at some point the culture will turn your drink to more acid and then give up no matter how much sugar you add. If it keeps using the sugar it will definitely make it more alcoholic but only to a certain point. Feel free to try it and experiment! Usually we'll add enough to make sure we like the taste in the end. Let us know how it goes!
Hi looks my brew failed. I used filtered water. After one week no bubbles at all. Do I need to dump it all and restart?
Hi! Were there any preservatives in the juice that was used? Sometimes that could stop the fermentation process from happening. If it doesn't smell bad and there is no mold on top, you could try letting it go a little longer to see if you get results. If there is any citrus in the juice, it can take a while for the fermentation process to get started. Hope that helps!
It had only ginger juice and lemon juice. Also there is a thin layer of scum on the top
Ah! Then it's probably taking longer due to the lemon juice. You could try adding some more ginger bug to it now and give it further week just to see if it's gets going. The layer on top could be Kahm Yeast, or if it smells bad it's also possible it's just getting funky
I’ll add some more ginger bug and keep you posted. Really appreciate your prompt responses.
With fermentation weather store-bought juice or natural juice once it's ferments and starts to bubble does that mean it becomes a probiotic automatically like does it have health benefits or is just a fizzy drink
Definitely! Since it's bubbling it's alive. When you add the ginger bug, that culture starts to multiply. Everyone debates whether it's a health superfood but we just like it as a fizzy drink. Thanks for the question!
Luv ur videos!!!💓
Thank you so much! 😄
Wouldn’t any chlorine evaporate with heat in the dishwasher and not be present in the dry quart mason jar? Just wondering.
Hi. Is the lemonade sweet initially? Adding sugar could trigger the fermentation earlier!
Yes it was already pretty sweet since it was store bought lemonade. We're pretty sure it slowed down due to the lemon being so acidic but it eventually worked!
Have you ever tried fermented Rasin start instead of ginger???
Not yet but that's a good idea! We've heard that can be a good starter to try for different ferments. We've used dried raisins in water kefir though!
Well, good news, I think my ginger bug may be ready to orrow or the next day, I bought 2, fiel Day organic Cranberry juice from concentrate 7g sugar and field Day organic Concord Grape juice from concentrate 40g sugars says no added sweeteners, so I think they are ok, right?
Those sound like they should work just fine! The main preservatives to look for that would put a damper on the fermentation process are sodium benzoate, metabisulfites, or anything that says it's been added for “freshness”. You could always try a smaller batch first to see if it will work. Sounds yummy and best of luck!
Well, bad news, used the bubbling ginger bug and fruit juice, added ginger, sugar and water but must've used too much water or something because it died! Started a new one last night, dand it!
We'd recommend combining only the juice and some liquid from your ginger bug. That combination should ferment just fine as there should be enough natural sugars in your fruit juice for the fermentation process. If one of the juices really tastes unsweet, you could add a little sugar to help it along.
been putting 1 tbsp of each in refrigerated ginger bug. too sweet. how can I correct it?
Hi! Are you referring to feeding your ginger bug? If so, you could try taking a break from feedings for a while. Maybe even give it a few weeks for your ginger bug to get "hungry" again before giving it any more feeding.
@@FermentationAdventure ok, thank you. Will try that.
Hi, is it normal to have sediment on the bottom during carbonation?
Definitely! We always have a bit of sediment on the bottom of our ferments unless we rack them off. We like to keep the sediment though since there's still some good nutrients in the "lees". Thanks for the question!
I can't seem to get the primary fermentation going. I'm using apple juice, put in some very active ginger bug but then absolutely no bubbles even after 3 days or so. Any tips or things to try would be helpful.
It's possible you might have a batch of apple juice that has some kind of stabilizer or preservative in it. If you have a super active ginger bug definitely try a different brand of apple juice and watch out for the preservatives! Also lemon juice makes the ferment take MUCH longer. Good luck!
hai can I use concentrate juice for making ginger bug soda..
It's possible that it might work as long as there are no preservatives in it that would kill your ginger bug starter. Let us know how it goes if you try it! 😊
Can i use freshly squeeze fruit juice from oranges, lemon and apple and other?
Hi! Yes you can definitely make fermented drinks out of fresh juices. There's sometimes different things to look out for though because there may be different bacteria already present. For example, fresh squeezed apple juice, we usually make that without any ginger bug but it takes a few days longer. And fresh lemonade, we'd recommend filtering off the pulp or stirring often, otherwise you may get a layer of mold on top. Here's a couple of videos using fresh squeezed juices to give you an idea. Fresh apple cider: th-cam.com/video/SPizAul24GM/w-d-xo.html Ginger ale using fresh ginger juice: th-cam.com/video/4t8peSK0AdI/w-d-xo.html
So I started my apple juice ferment on the 19th and have had a bubble or two but no main signs of anything. There has been a nice sediment layer at the bottom that has formed and everything still smells fine. If it has been this long and it isn't very active should I just start over? My house temperature averages about 70, not quite sure what could have went wrong. Also tested my gravity again and it is the same as my original. May just be taking its time I guess.
Hi! It's possible it's just a bit colder than where we are, so it may take a few days longer. We'd recommend checking for bubbles with a light and waiting just a few days longer to see if you get more activity. These bubbles are so small that it can be hard to see!
AMAZING VIDEO 👍
Thanks so much Carolyn! ❤️
How many times do I have to "burp" the glass bottle so it doesn't explode? I'm hoping to be able to have these handy without worrying about them exploding..my first time 😊
Hi! The fermented sodas made from fruit juice can be pretty active due to the high sugar content of the juices. If you have a tester bottle, that will be ideal so you can see how much pressure is building in closed glass bottles. You could try burping them after 12 hours to make sure the pressure isn't building too quickly, and then gauge it from there.
I think the lemon went so slow because it was Highly acidic to start, which can shock the yeast/bacteria and cause them to slow dramatically or go dormant. You can get this same effect with using way too much sugar, in this cause its called Sugar Shock. I learned this from brewing beer and making wine. Same principle applies to acids. Check the pH of all three starter Juices, I would almost bet the lemonade was a lot lower on the pH scale.
Absolutely, Vinnie! Thanks for the comment! We had tested it with our PH sticks off camera, but turns out they were too old and didn't seem accurate. Pretty sure the lemonade would have been much more acidic.
What's the maximum amount of alcohol that can be achieved in these juices and how long will it take?
Hello! You may find this video helpful where we measured the amount of alcohol created over time in our homemade fermented ginger ale which also uses a ginger bug starter culture. --> th-cam.com/video/86SwZyUbtF0/w-d-xo.html
@@FermentationAdventure Thank you. Love your videos!!!
Thank you so much for watching! We're so glad you are enjoying our videos!
Is there a ratio of ginger bug to how many ounces you want to make?
Hello! Yes, we generally use a ratio of 2 ounces (or 1/4 cup) of ginger bug for every 32 ounces (or 1 quart) of liquid that you want to ferment.
@@FermentationAdventure awesome thank you!
Very neat
Thank you agree! Fermentation is pretty cool 😎
is it really a soda if it contains alcohol? Would it not really be a cider?
I’m assuming you drink the tester bottle too, right?
Hi! It's ultimately your decision on how you feel about it. Here's a little info that may help you: During the fermentation process, it's possible for the plastic to deteriorate. We choose to drink out of the tester bottle, but there's a few things we do to help with the plastic concern. We use stronger, thicker plastic bottles, like the ones made for sodas, so that it hopefully deteriorate less quickly. We also replace our tester bottles often (not reusing on too many batches). And lastly, after fermentation is complete, we transfer the contents of the tester bottle into a glass pressure-safe bottle right away so that it's not sitting in the plastic long term. Hope that helps you with your decision!
@@FermentationAdventure . Tks. I don’t use plastic either and I would definitely put it in the glass. I’m just kind of frugal and wouldn’t even use the plastic if it means throwing out the ferment. I probably won’t use tester when I get mor experience with this process. I do kombucha so I have some experience. But this ginger bug seems much stronger. Lol.
The plastic bottles I have are from tonic or club soda. I haven’t had soda in decades. 👍.
So I am also trying this with a juice made from a root beer syrup. I part syrup to 7 parts water. It is not fermenting very fast at all. One of the ingredients is potassium citrate. Would that inhibit the fermentation?
Hi! That ingredient could be considered a food preservative, so it's possible it's slowing down your ferment. Did you try adding any sugar in addition to the syrup? Wondering if it's sweet enough.
@@FermentationAdventure no I didn't. Could I add some now? It's been almost 4 days.
If it looks clear of any mold and smells fine, you could taste a sip of it to see if it's sweet. Should be fairly sweet since the bacteria will eat the sugars. Could be worth adding half cup of sugar to see if it will jump start the process. If that doesn't work after a few days, it could be the preservative, or there could be something else going on like cold temperature, chlorine, or sunlight.
I just tried placing Saran Wrap with a rubber band around the neck of my jars and pock 2 - 3 pinholes in the saran wrap rather than using a wash cloth that could drop lint into my soda/pop. Makes a good airlock. Grandparents showdown me as a child.
That's a great tip Brian! I bet that would work well and is super cheap! Thanks so much and happy fermenting!
Do we know about how many calories in each quart of fermented juice? Thank you.
Hello! Our best guess on this one is that it is less calories than you would start out with in the juice, since the fermentation process will eat away at some of the sugars. Hope this helps!
Hi there... one question I have: what happened with the ginger bug culture when you headed to the second fermentation? Were they dissolved during the fermentation process ?!... because there's no mention in your video material regarding this ... when you poured in the glass bottles, you didn't strained the ginger bug culture, but giving a quick stir beforehand, so again... where are the ginger bug culture in this stage??... I'm pretty much confused!
Thanks for the question Laurentiu! Once your ginger bug is active it's alive so then when you add it to something like a juice or a sugar solution, your ginger bug culture begins to eat the sugar and multiply. It doesn't dissolve but takes over so you're basically creating a very large culture of ginger bug. It's still there and very much alive! Good luck!
Has anyone done an alcohol test on these? I assume it would be similar to ginger beer. (1 to 2%)???
Hi! Our measurement showed that the alcohol level was around 3% after 3 days of fermentation. Check out 17:26 in the video to check it out.
Can you re-use the ginger bug made with brewer’s yeast and ground ginger?
Hmm. That's an interesting question. The ginger bug that we use is from a live ginger plant so it has live bacteria and yeast. Some brewer's yeast is alive so if it's healthy and multiplying you should be able to reuse it. If you do let us know how it goes! 😊
@@FermentationAdventure I will let you know once I do that. I have another question, if you don’t mind. I was hoping to make non-alcoholic ginger beer but I’m way past 11 days of fermentation (8 days ginger bug room temp, and 3 days bottled as of today). The fizz is crazy on the evening of day 2 of bottling, and even crazier today. I have to keep burping them. I set an alarm to do it every 2 hrs and then 4 hrs today. I put one bottle in the fridge to experiment if that will stop the fizz and kept the other 3 bottles in room temp with an aggressive burping schedule. Should I have just put airlocks on these instead and then sealed it and refrigerated it after 3 days of bottling? I’m trying for lower to no alcoholic content. Thanks for your time. Love your channel, watched a few more videos too.
Thanks for the question! The faster you move it into cold storage the less alcohol it will have. The only thing to keep in mind since it's so active is that it will keep fermenting in the fridge but at a much slower rate.
@@FermentationAdventure Thank you for the tips! 😊
Is it okay for diabetic type 2? Is it still sweet the soda?
It's still going to be sweet depending on how long you let it ferment. There will still be sugar left so you'd have to decide that for yourself.
Help! I've tried to make my ginger bug 3x! Each time I get to day 5 it's still bubbly - I start running out of room in my jar, maybe a couple inches left at the top. The next morning on day 6, there's a lot of ginger popping up at the top of the jar and no more bubbles. Maybe I'm adding too much ginger? Any ideas?
It sounds like you're doing great! Maybe try making some soda with it to see how it goes?
Hi can I use dry fruit
Sure thing! You can use dried fruit. You might have to soak it a bit longer to rehydrate it but I'm sure it would be good too! You'll still have to add a ginger bug or some kind of starter culture to get the fermentation going though. Good luck!