HOMEMADE GINGER ALE
Why I Love This Recipe
Start with this basic recipe and then add either more ginger or lemon the next time, depending on how you like it.
Equipment needed: Clean 2-liter plastic soft drink bottle with cap, Funnel, and Measuring cup and spoons.
Ingredients You'll Need
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Granulated Yeast
1 1/2 To 2 Tablespoons Grated Fresh Ginger
Juice Of 1 Lemon
Cold Fresh Pure Water
Directions
Add sugar to the 2-liter bottle with a funnel. (Leave the funnel in place until you are ready to cap the bottle.) Add yeast through funnel into the bottle, and shake to disperse the yeast grains into the sugar granules.
Place grated ginger in the measuring cup. Add lemon juice and stir to form a slurry. Add the slurry to the bottle. (It may stick in the funnel. Don’t worry, the next step will wash it into the bottle.)
Rinse cup with fresh, clean water and add it to the bottle. Cap and shake to distribute. Fill the bottle to the neck with fresh cool clean water, leaving about an inch of head space, and securely screw cap down to seal. Invert repeatedly to thoroughly dissolve sugar. (The ginger root will not dissolve, of course.)
Place in a warm location for 24 to 48 hours. Do not leave at room temperature longer than necessary to feel hard. The excess pressure may cause an eruption when you open it, or even explode the bottle.
Test to see if carbonation is complete by squeezing the bottle forcefully with your thumb. If it dents, it is not ready. Once the bottle feels hard to a forceful squeeze, refrigerate overnight to thoroughly chill before serving. Filter the ginger ale through a strainer if you don’t care for floating pieces of ginger. Rinse the bottle out immediately after serving the last of the batch.
