The Ginger Bug (Starter Culture)
A ginger bug is a wild-fermented starter made from just ginger, sugar, and water. It takes about 5 days to get going and can be used indefinitely. Think of it as a sourdough starter for sodas. Most fermented drinks in this chapter need a starter culture — a colony of beneficial bacteria and yeasts t
Time: 5-7 days · Yield: About 2 cups starter liquid
Ingredients
- ●2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped (organic, with skin on)
- ●2 tablespoons sugar (white sugar works best here — the bacteria eat it)
- ●2 cups filtered water (non-chlorinated — chlorine kills bacteria)
- ●Additional ginger and sugar for daily feeding
Method
- Combine the ginger, sugar, and water in a quart jar. Stir well.
- Cover with a cloth or coffee filter secured with a rubber band (you want air flow but no bugs).
- Every day for 5-7 days, add 1 tablespoon of grated ginger and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Stir well.
- Within 3-5 days, you should see bubbling and hear fizzing when you stir. The liquid will smell yeasty and slightly sweet-sour. Your ginger bug is active.
- Strain out the ginger pieces (keep the liquid) and use immediately, or store in the fridge. Feed it weekly (1 tablespoon each of ginger and sugar) to keep it alive.
- *How to use:** Add 1/4 cup of active ginger bug liquid to 1 quart of sweetened flavored liquid to start fermentation.
Note: Use organic ginger with the skin on — the wild yeasts live on the skin. If your ginger bug stalls, try moving it to a warmer spot. Below 18°C (65°F) it slows down significantly. A healthy ginger bug will fizz vigorously when stirred. If it's flat after 7 days, start over with fresh ginger.
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