Ginger Ale

Classification: ginger beer, soda

Source: Jack Schmidling (arf@ddsw1.mcs.com) Issue #709, 8/26/91

I recommend that you do not alter the recipe on the first batch. On subsequent batches you can alter the amount of ginger, sugar and vanilla to suit your own taste.

Ingredients: (for 1 gallon)

1 Gallon, Water (for ale)
2 cups, water (for making extract)
2 ounces, Fresh Ginger root
2 cups, sugar
1 tablespoon, vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon, yeast

Procedure:

Slice the ginger into thin sections and add them to two cups of boiling water. Simmer this on very low heat for 20 minutes. While this is simmering, boil the gallon of water and two cups of sugar for one minute and set aside. Pour the pan with the ginger into a blender and blend on high for about one minute. Strain this extract into the sugar water. With a soup ladle, pour a few cups of the hot brew through the pulp to extract a bit more of the ginger flavor. Cool to room temperature. When cool, add vanilla. Add yeast, stir and let sit for about 30 minutes. Then bottle and age.

The simplest and least expensive bottles are one-litre plastic soft drink bottles with screw caps. These can be sterilized by rinsing in a mixture of household bleach and water and then rinsed with clean water.

After filling, the bottles should be set aside at room temperature for about 48 hours, or until hard (check by squeezing). Then refrigerate to finish the aging process.

Leaving the bottles at room temperature too long will cause overcarbonation. Using glass rather than plastic bottles can cause shattered bottles.