Ginger Beer

the ginger bug update that no one asked for... 😬

it’s been weeks since I last talked about my Ginger Bug, so here’s a quick TL;DR: I failed twice and only succeeded on the third try. I guess that’s why they say, third time’s the charm!

The Falls

but what’s an experiment without noting down the journey, right? here’s what went wrong in my first two attempts (so you can avoid making the same mistakes):

1. not using a clean and sterilised bottle:

   I know this sounds super obvious, but trust me—it’s essential. without a sterilised bottle, you risk growing all sorts of unwanted bacteria, fungi, or other random stuff that makes the bug unsafe to drink. Stranger danger!

2. not using organic ginger:

   upon researching, apparently its important to get organic ginger as you’ll need the wild bacteria and yeasts for fermentation to occur. strangely enough, if its too clean, it wont work.

3. type of sugars:

   I tried both honey and sugar, and there was a difference. The easiest sign of good fermentation is bubbles, and i have to say, the sugar batch looked way more active than the honey one.

this isn’t an exhaustive list of what could go wrong, but these were the key issues I faced.

here are some (BAD) visual cues that you should look out for:

visual signs: murky/cloudy, mouldy, slimy

The New Life

after that rollercoaster of failure, I picked myself up and started again. but this time round, I wanted to experiment a little: could I make a ginger bug with other members of the ginger family (aka the Zingiberaceae)?

so I went to a nearby market to hand pick some turmeric and galangal.

ginger family: turmeric and galangal

I know—it’s a little wild to branch out before fully mastering the “classic” ginger bug, but bear with me on this one, it gets exciting!

Following the same steps as before, I managed to produce two successful “bugs.” I then flavoured them separately:

• Galangal bug → mixed with ginger, sugar, and cinnamon → became a gingery-cinnamon ginger beer.

• Turmeric bug → kept it simple with fresh orange juice → turned into a bright, citrusy drink, like a health shot.

I left them both to ferment for 3 days and… voilà! These were honestly some of the most mind-blowing drinks I’ve ever made.

beautifully carbonated ginger beer

not to be dramatic, but I was honestly shocked at how the ginger beer turned out. how can it taste like beer when there is no actual beer ingredients in it??? it had this subtle hoppy note, a pleasant gingery kick, and a touch of warm cinnamon. Absolute magic.

Final Thoughts

so, was it worth the effort?

short answer, no (unless you love discipline). it took constant feeding, burping bottles, measuring carefully—it’s a lot of work for a simple recipe.

But… seeing my colleagues enjoy the drinks made it all worth it :). I’d definitely do it again if I wanted to impress a crowd.

@nomies.coi’d like to announce, im retiring from ginger bug responsibilities 🫡 #sgfood #gingerbug #fermentation #sg

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Recipe

Ginger Beer (1L)

0.5L of ginger/turmeric/galangal bug

ginger flavouring:
1L water
100g ginger (finely chopped)
100g sugar
1 cinnamon stick

directions:

• in a large pot, boil water, ginger, sugar and cinnamon stick until sugar dissolves and it turns aromatic. set aside to cool to room temperature.

• in a sterilised 1L bottle, fill 1/3 with ginger bug and the 2/3 with the cooled ginger flavouring. leave some space at the top for carbonation.

• leave it at room temperature for approximately 2-4 days (warmer weather = faster fermentation). remember to open the cap once a day to release gas.

• consume immediately, or transfer to the fridge if you want to keep it longer. best served chilled!

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