CHOW Ginger Beer

1. 1Combine 1 teaspoon grated ginger (unpeeled), 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar, and 1 cup distilled water in a small bowl. Stir, cover with cheesecloth, and leave in a room-temperature area (70°F to 75°F works best). Add another teaspoon of ginger and sugar every other day until the bug becomes active (it should take 6 to 8 days). The bug is active once there are a few bubbles on the surface and a white residue forms on the bottom of the bowl.

For the ginger beer:

1. 1Halve the lemons and juice them, reserving both the juice and the rinds. In a large pot, combine 1 quart (4 cups) distilled water with 2 teaspoons grated ginger (about 2 inches), the remaining turbinado sugar (should be a scant cup), the juice of the lemons, and the lemon rinds and bring to a boil over high heat. Let this mixture boil for 15 minutes and then remove from heat. Discard the lemon rinds.
2. 2Add the remaining 7 cups distilled water and let the mixture cool to room temperature (about 70°F to 75°F). Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large, clean pot. Then strain the bug into the pot (stir before straining to make sure that the white residue gets included). Mix to combine, and now you’re ready to bottle.
3. 3Set the sealed ginger beer bottles upright to ferment at room temperature (about 70°F to 75°F works best) in an area where it is OK if the bottles explode (such as a bathtub). Let the soda ferment for about 7 to 10 days. Around day 7, test the flavor and carbonation of the ginger beer by sampling the test bottle. (Note: We fermented the soda for about 8 days and were happy with the balance of sugar and ginger at that point. The longer you let the soda ferment, the more sugar the yeast will consume, and therefore the less sugary the soda will be.) When the soda is ready, place the labels on the bottles and put the bottles in the refrigerator to halt the fermentation process. Make sure the bottles are completely cold prior to opening.