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Ginger Bug 🫚🫙✨

This easy to make ginger bug is the probiotic powerhouse behind homemade ginger beer and many other fruit sodas. It captures wild natural yeasts and friendly bacteria from ginger to create a lively, fizzy base for your drinks. Once active, it keeps fermenting sugars into bubbly goodness, bringing both flavour and gut loving probiotics to your kitchen.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Fermenting Time 5 days
Course: Ferments
Cuisine: Fermented Drinks
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp grated ginger skin on
  • 2 tbsp raw sugar
  • 1 cup water

Equipment

  • 1 Mason Jar
  • 1 measuring spoon or table spoon
  • 1 fine grater

Method
 

  1. Combine grated ginger, sugar, and water in the jar. Stir well to dissolve sugar.
  2. Cover loosely with a cloth or leave lid loose to allow natural yeasts to work.
  3. Each day for 5–7 days, add 1 tsp grated ginger and 1 tsp sugar, stirring to encourage fermentation.
  4. Bubbles should appear by day 2–3, and the mixture will smell pleasantly gingery and slightly yeasty.
  5. Once bubbly and active, your ginger bug is ready to use as a starter for ginger beer.
  6. To maintain it, continue daily feedings or refrigerate and feed weekly if not in use.

Notes

Tips:
  • Use organic ginger to encourage wild yeast growth conventionally grown ginger may have residues that slow fermentation.
  • Keep everything submerged and avoid metal lids, as metal can react with fermentation acids.
  • If mould appears (rare if fed regularly), discard and start fresh.
  • Discard old ginger between feeds to avoid too much ginger building up in the bug. 
  • Feed daily with 1 tbsp grated ginger 1 tbsp raw sugar if kept at room temperature and weekly if kept in the fridge.
  • If kept in the fridge, bring to room temp before feeding, leave for 4 hours or until you see bubbles then use or place back in the fridge.
Suggested Uses:
  • Starter for homemade ginger beer
  • Base for fermented sodas with fruit juice or herbs
  • Can be incorporated into naturally fizzy cocktails or mocktails