Morgan's Ginger Beer (Alcoholic)

Brew day

1. Clean and sanitise. Clean and sanitise your fermenter, lid, airlock, tap, spoon and hydrometer.
2. Dissolve. Shake the pouch well. Add 2 litres of hot (not boiling) water to the fermenter, then the Morgan's Ginger Beer and 1 kg of dextrose. Stir until fully dissolved.
3. Top up to 20 litres. Add cold water to the 20 litre mark, stirring while you fill.
4. Take a gravity reading. Write down the hydrometer reading. This is your original gravity (OG). ABV calculator
5. Add the yeast. Stir in the yeast and nutrient supplied with the pouch, then seal the fermenter with the lid and airlock.

Fermentation

1. Ferment warm. Ferment between 22 and 30 °C. At a steady 25 °C it takes about 6 days, longer if it's cooler.
2. Check it has finished. Bottle once fermentation has stopped and the hydrometer reads 1.005 or below, steady for two days.

Tip: Don't bottle until fermentation has finished. Bottling too early can over-gas the bottles and make them burst.

Bottling

1. Prime and fill. Add 2 carbonation drops (or 6 g of sugar) to each 750 mL bottle, or 1 drop (3 g) to each 375 mL bottle. Fill and seal. Priming sugar calculator
2. Condition and enjoy. Store the bottles above 20 °C for 2–3 weeks before opening, then chill and serve.

Tip: Expect roughly 4% ABV. Your exact strength depends on your readings, so use the ABV calculator.

Make it your own

Everyone brews a little differently, and that's half the fun. Use this recipe as a starting point, then adjust it to suit your taste: a little more or less sugar for strength, some fresh ginger or citrus for zing, or a warmer or cooler ferment.

Grate 100–200 g of fresh ginger into a little boiling water, cool it, and add it on brew day for extra heat. Write down what you changed so your next batch turns out just the way you like it.