Ginger Beer Plant source

[mjhszig]

I didn't get any instructions with mine. I was going off two different sets of recipes on Happy Herbalist's site. One uses lemon, one doesn't. One adds the sugar at the end of boiling the ginger, the other after it has all cooled. No mention of sanitization procedures in any. I figure this is pretty robust since this came from the time when iodophor and star san didn't exist.

What are you all using for sanitization?

Are you boiling the sugars and adjuncts like raisins?

I'm a newb to actual gbp. I was using god knows what before...
3 batches -so far so good.
I have yet to sanitize anything other than super hot tap water, and have had no problem with infection, so save the star san for beer.

I would suggest always using lemon, if only a little. The acid does help it to keep other stuff from growing. Always cream of tartar, the potassium helps it grow. Always add molasses or piloncillo, which is really the sugar it prefers, but doesnt taste the best..
I have not boiled any sugars, as of yet, just added to pot of hot water to help dissolve.

This is the recipe that I made first and its amazing. I based it mainly off of all Dinnerstick's recipes and hard work.

2.5oz raw ginger, blender-ed, and boiled in an inch of water, for ~30mins along with:
1/2 lemons worth of zest
2grams cloves

^strained& add to

64oz spring water
8oz Sugar in the Raw
2oz molasses
1oz piloncillo
1 lemon's juice
1t cream of tartar
8 thin slices of fresh ginger
GBP

pa 8.5% OG 1.067
brewed in a jar in a window sill with airlock for 5 days, (1.030) then strained into second bottle w/airlock for 3 more days, then "bottled" (put a cap on), waited several hours till bottle was rock hard, refrigerated overnight - DELICIOUS! My friend and I drank it all in one sitting!
FG 1.022 and 5.5% alcohol!!!:rockin:

EDIT: I also added 6oz of Honey at "bottling", it wasn't quite sweet enough.

Good Luck

 

[dinnerstick]

Hey, not trying to ding ya, but Ive read a couple places that retro-culture is NOT selling genuine gbp, its actually water kefir grains....

which still makes a delicious fizzy drink....

no worries,
yeah, i find it interesting that others are interested in figuring out the exact differences between water keffir and gbp, and there will probably never be agreement, and i consider myself fortunate that i don't give a rat's bottom as long as it makes delicious ginger beer!!
which it does.

 

[dinnerstick]

Always add molasses or piloncillo, which is really the sugar it prefers, but doesnt taste the best..

weird, i love the molasses taste in there. a matter of personal preference i guess. can't get piloncillo here. your sounds good!
try cardamom pods!

 

[dinnerstick]

What are you all using for sanitization?

Are you boiling the sugars and adjuncts like raisins?

i use very little sanitization, wash bottles and the 'resting vessel' with hot soapy tap water. i use tap water for everything (when i remember to plan in advance i leave it out to de-chlorinate overnight). not sure if this is a good idea or not but after many many batches all is still well. my plant went through a phase of smelling a bit vinegary, but the beer never tasted off, and now it smalls normal again. i put it to rest for a few months when i was traveling, don't know if this had anything to do with it.
i didn't used to boil the ginger, lemon, chili juices but now i do cause i think i like the cooked flavor a little more, it's spicier but less pungent somehow, and of course you need to heat and steep the spices to extract flavor. when i have used the culture to make fruit water keffir i only cook the sugar, just to dissolve. the next batch of ginger beer after making say plum mint honey keffir is interesting!

 

[mjhszig]

weird, i love the molasses taste in there. a matter of personal preference i guess. can't get piloncillo here. your sounds good!
try cardamom pods!

When I first "brewed", the smell of molasses was so potent that I wrote in my notes "WAY too much molasses!!"
but the scent soon subsided, and I cant hardly taste "molasses" in the final product, its just delicious! Im going to add more next time.:rockin:

I guess I take piloncillo for granted living 300 miles north of Mexico. It's just pure, unrefined cane sugar. Muscovado, panela, demerara, & raspadura are all similar or the same thing.

I'm waiting to see how the lemongrass works out, and then next I was going to try coriander, but I think I try cardamom first

 

[saramc]

no worries,
yeah, i find it interesting that others are interested in figuring out the exact differences between water keffir and gbp, and there will probably never be agreement, and i consider myself fortunate that i don't give a rat's bottom as long as it makes delicious ginger beer!!
which it does.

There is a BIG difference in WaterKefir and GingerBeer Plant...
Here are the cultures typically found in water kefir grains, keep in mind the yeasts can change depending on the wild yeasts in your area:
Lactobacillus brevis : identified as the species responsible for the production of the polysaccharide matrix that forms the grains
Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus
Lactobacillus alactosus
Lactobacillus casei casei
Lactobacillus pseudoplantarum
Lactobacillus plantarum
Streptococcus lactis
Streptococcus cremeris
Leuconostoc mesenteroide
Saccharomyces florentinus
Saccharomyces pretoriensis
Kloeckera apiculata
Candida lambica
C. valida

And here are the cultures in GBP:
Saccharomyces florentinus
Lactobacillus hilgardii

And I agree, they both make a great ginger beverage. I just hate that someone thinks they are getting GBP but are being sold a water kefir grain or hybrid. When you work with the independent cultures long enough, and taste what their ferments taste like, you come to appreciate each of them. The actual grains of each ferment source are visibly different and identifiable on sight. If you are dying for a ginger beer beverage and don't care one way or the other, and want a quick growing grain, then get water kefir grains. You will have enough to share with friends within 1-3 ferments if you have a mineral rich water, don't skimp on the sugar, and give the grains access to oxygen when they are in the solution. You can also visit www.gingerbeerplant.net and follow the links to recipes, Jim has recipes for making traditional ginger beer, scrumpy, using tea and using honey...I have made each and every one of them with his GBP and they are delicious.

 

[Raudhbjorn]

Are you boiling the sugars and adjuncts like raisins?

I've been feeding mine on gingered oat wort blended with raw, unboiled honey.

 

[mjhszig]

I've been feeding mine on gingered oat wort blended with raw, unboiled honey.

hmmm, care to share your recipe?

 

[Raudhbjorn]

Redhammer Ginger Stout
Ingredients
Honey - 12 Lbs. 5 oz. (Divided 12 Lbs. and 5 oz.)
Blackstrap Molassas Unsulphured - 1 bottle
Rolled Oats - 1 Lb.
Ginger Rhysome - 2 Lbs. (shredded)
Pineapple Juice - 27 oz.
Lime Juice - 20 oz.
Pure Vanilla Bourbon - 1 Tbsp

Boil the oats (in a grain bag) for 30 minutes with 5 gallons of water and then add the shredded ginger to the wort. Allow to boil for an additional 15 minutes, then remove the oats, blend in 12 lbs of honey and the molasses. Chill and transfer (ginger an all) into a fermenter and stir in the juice. Pitch the GBP and install the airlock. After a week or so, stir in the Vanilla and the remaining 5 oz of honey then rack into bottles or keg. Be certain to salvage your GBP.

 

[dinnerstick]

There is a BIG difference in WaterKefir and GingerBeer Plant...
Here are the cultures typically found in water kefir grains, keep in mind the yeasts can change depending on the wild yeasts in your area:
Lactobacillus brevis : identified as the species responsible for the production of the polysaccharide matrix that forms the grains
Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus
Lactobacillus alactosus
Lactobacillus casei casei
Lactobacillus pseudoplantarum
Lactobacillus plantarum
Streptococcus lactis
Streptococcus cremeris
Leuconostoc mesenteroide
Saccharomyces florentinus
Saccharomyces pretoriensis
Kloeckera apiculata
Candida lambica
C. valida

And here are the cultures in GBP:
Saccharomyces florentinus
Lactobacillus hilgardii

And I agree, they both make a great ginger beverage. I just hate that someone thinks they are getting GBP but are being sold a water kefir grain or hybrid. When you work with the independent cultures long enough, and taste what their ferments taste like, you come to appreciate each of them. The actual grains of each ferment source are visibly different and identifiable on sight. If you are dying for a ginger beer beverage and don't care one way or the other, and want a quick growing grain, then get water kefir grains. You will have enough to share with friends within 1-3 ferments if you have a mineral rich water, don't skimp on the sugar, and give the grains access to oxygen when they are in the solution. You can also visit www.gingerbeerplant.net and follow the links to recipes, Jim has recipes for making traditional ginger beer, scrumpy, using tea and using honey...I have made each and every one of them with his GBP and they are delicious.

There is a BIG difference in WaterKefir and GingerBeer Plant...
Here are the cultures typically found in water kefir grains, keep in mind the yeasts can change depending on the wild yeasts in your area:
Lactobacillus brevis : identified as the species responsible for the production of the polysaccharide matrix that forms the grains
Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus
Lactobacillus alactosus
Lactobacillus casei casei
Lactobacillus pseudoplantarum
Lactobacillus plantarum
Streptococcus lactis
Streptococcus cremeris
Leuconostoc mesenteroide
Saccharomyces florentinus
Saccharomyces pretoriensis
Kloeckera apiculata
Candida lambica
C. valida

And here are the cultures in GBP:
Saccharomyces florentinus
Lactobacillus hilgardii

And I agree, they both make a great ginger beverage. I just hate that someone thinks they are getting GBP but are being sold a water kefir grain or hybrid. When you work with the independent cultures long enough, and taste what their ferments taste like, you come to appreciate each of them. The actual grains of each ferment source are visibly different and identifiable on sight. If you are dying for a ginger beer beverage and don't care one way or the other, and want a quick growing grain, then get water kefir grains. You will have enough to share with friends within 1-3 ferments if you have a mineral rich water, don't skimp on the sugar, and give the grains access to oxygen when they are in the solution. You can also visit www.gingerbeerplant.net and follow the links to recipes, Jim has recipes for making traditional ginger beer, scrumpy, using tea and using honey...I have made each and every one of them with his GBP and they are delicious.

There is a BIG difference in WaterKefir and GingerBeer Plant...
Here are the cultures typically found in water kefir grains, keep in mind the yeasts can change depending on the wild yeasts in your area:
Lactobacillus brevis : identified as the species responsible for the production of the polysaccharide matrix that forms the grains
Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus
Lactobacillus alactosus
Lactobacillus casei casei
Lactobacillus pseudoplantarum
Lactobacillus plantarum
Streptococcus lactis
Streptococcus cremeris
Leuconostoc mesenteroide
Saccharomyces florentinus
Saccharomyces pretoriensis
Kloeckera apiculata
Candida lambica
C. valida

And here are the cultures in GBP:
Saccharomyces florentinus
Lactobacillus hilgardii

And I agree, they both make a great ginger beverage. I just hate that someone thinks they are getting GBP but are being sold a water kefir grain or hybrid. When you work with the independent cultures long enough, and taste what their ferments taste like, you come to appreciate each of them. The actual grains of each ferment source are visibly different and identifiable on sight. If you are dying for a ginger beer beverage and don't care one way or the other, and want a quick growing grain, then get water kefir grains. You will have enough to share with friends within 1-3 ferments if you have a mineral rich water, don't skimp on the sugar, and give the grains access to oxygen when they are in the solution. You can also visit www.gingerbeerplant.net and follow the links to recipes, Jim has recipes for making traditional ginger beer, scrumpy, using tea and using honey...I have made each and every one of them with his GBP and they are delicious.

There is a BIG difference in WaterKefir and GingerBeer Plant...
Here are the cultures typically found in water kefir grains, keep in mind the yeasts can change depending on the wild yeasts in your area:
Lactobacillus brevis : identified as the species responsible for the production of the polysaccharide matrix that forms the grains
Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus
Lactobacillus alactosus
Lactobacillus casei casei
Lactobacillus pseudoplantarum
Lactobacillus plantarum
Streptococcus lactis
Streptococcus cremeris
Leuconostoc mesenteroide
Saccharomyces florentinus
Saccharomyces pretoriensis
Kloeckera apiculata
Candida lambica
C. valida

And here are the cultures in GBP:
Saccharomyces florentinus
Lactobacillus hilgardii

And I agree, they both make a great ginger beverage. I just hate that someone thinks they are getting GBP but are being sold a water kefir grain or hybrid. When you work with the independent cultures long enough, and taste what their ferments taste like, you come to appreciate each of them. The actual grains of each ferment source are visibly different and identifiable on sight. If you are dying for a ginger beer beverage and don't care one way or the other, and want a quick growing grain, then get water kefir grains. You will have enough to share with friends within 1-3 ferments if you have a mineral rich water, don't skimp on the sugar, and give the grains access to oxygen when they are in the solution. You can also visit www.gingerbeerplant.net and follow the links to recipes, Jim has recipes for making traditional ginger beer, scrumpy, using tea and using honey...I have made each and every one of them with his GBP and they are delicious.

ok thanks for the same info again. consult part in previous post about rat's bottom

 

[saramc]

That is quite alright dinnerstick because I am quite sure there are other who are interested. Well, in fact, I know there are others who are interested, because I have already been contacted by them. You stated that you did not think we would ever know the difference between water kefir and ginger beer plant, and I wanted to put that thought process to bed. I am a firm believer if you are going to provide education and information about a topic, then you should KNOW your topic.

I do enjoy your recipes. Thank you for sharing them.

 

[sayworth]

Hey, not trying to ding ya, but Ive read a couple places that retro-culture is NOT selling genuine gbp, its actually water kefir grains....

which still makes a delicious fizzy drink....

It's not that he's selling water kefir grains.... apparently he has combined the GBP with water kefir grains and created a whole new culture. This is NOT "retro" and certainly not GBP. The folks on the Yahoo groups site for ginger beer are familiar with this guy, and they abhor any messing about with the GBP.

 

[mikebux]

Figured I would attempt to grow my own Gbp ,

Took some fresh ginger root, peeled it and diced it up real fine...

Used a small ball jar and put the diced ginger in it

Boiled up some tap water , we have alot of chlorine in the water here on long island... Let it sit to cool to room temp and added it to the ball jar... Filled it up bout three quarters of the way

Added a two or three teaspoons of suger...stirred it together...

Put the lid on it and shook it up to get oxygen into the mix

Every day for two weeks I would chop up another tablespoon or so of fresh ginger and add the suger and cover and shake ...

Used a piece of cotton sheeting and a rubberband to keep it covered and breathing .only used the lid to shake it up after each adding of ginger and sugar

It began to ferment on its own... Never smelling rotten or any signs of mold ... Developed a nice citrusy ginger scent...

After about three weeks fermentation seemed to slow.... Did some research and found that when the ferment reaches aprox 9% alcohol it will stop because thats it's high end threshold . Figured that it is now time to try to make some ginger ale with it..

The following was just an experiment to see what would happen

Took a 1 gal clear glass container and filled it up bout half way w water...

Used funnel with fine mesh wine filter screen and poured the Gbp mix fron my ball jar into it, then put the chopped ginger that did not go thru the filter back in the ball jar to continue the Gbp propagation ... Added cooled boiled water to the ball jar, a bit of sugar shook it and added cloth top to keep it going...

Back to the gallon I added:

Added bout half a cup of clover honey

1/2 cup lemon juice

Zest from 1 small orange, cause I had no
Lemon at that time

Few drops of vanilla extract

Bout. A thumbs worth of coarsely diced fresh peeled ginger root

Put all that into the container , put a lid on it and shook it up to mix the honey in well and oxygenate the mix.

Took off lid and added air lock and cork..

Checked next day and it was fermenting away...

Waited 3 days

Was still fermenting away

Used a few grolsh flip top bottles and a funnel w the same fine mesh screen and poured the mixture in... Made sure to shake it to get the sediment evenly distributed thru the liquid.before I filled the bottles

Let that set for three more days

On 4 th day popes a bottle and poured it on ice in a large glass

Was not bad... Carbonated nicely...

Just repeated that process using a ginger ale recipe I found online using a cup of honey to just short of a gallon of water, bottled it today and can't wait to try it.... With a few adjustments I am sure I will have a recipie I am happy with...

15 dollars for a teaspoon of Gbp is a bit steep... I think you can make it yourself... Worked well for me...

Try it ...

 

[aguajamaica]

How is GBP different?

 

[mikebux]

How is GBP different?

If you are asking me, I couldn't tell ya if there is a difference , I went on line and searched how to grow your own gbp, followed the instructions or recipe or however ya want to look at it, and it works just fine, still adjusting my recipes for flavor, but as far as a carbonated ginger ale soda it's on the money.... Will also be using it to ferment a mead in the near future... Try it out , you have nothing to loose .....