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Ginger Bug

This wild fermented starter is made with just ginger, water, and white sugar. Once it is active you can use it to make ginger beer!
Prep Time15 minutes
Fermentation Time3 days

Equipment

  • 1 1L Glass mason jar

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup White sugar
  • 750 mL Filtered water
  • 1 piece Fresh organic ginger, thumb-sized piece

Instructions

  • Grate the fresh ginger with the skin, and set aside.
  • In a clean jar, dissolve the white sugar in a bit of hot water. Mix to fully dissolve. Fill the jar 3/4 full with room temperature water.
  • Put the ginger in the jar and give it a stir. Place the lid on the jar.
  • Keep the ginger bug at room temperature. Stir the mixture with a spoon to aerate for the first 3 days. Close the lid back up after stirring.
  • After 3 days, you may add an extra tablespoon of ginger and sugar to further encourage microbial growth.
  • Check the ginger bug every day for a week. You should notice the mixture turning foamy, fizzy, and aromatic.
  • The process of creating a ginger bug can be finnicky, sometimes it may seem like it hasn't worked, but it may just need a bit more time to become active.