Hmmm, this looks fun...
* Exported from MasterCook *
Ginger Beer
Recipe By : Harrowsmith Reader
Serving Size : 20 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beverages
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
2 gallons boiling water -- 256 oz.
2 lemon -- thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 pounds sugar, granulated
2 ounces ginger -- chopped
1/2 teaspoon yeast
Boil the water in a stainless steel or enamel pot. Add all remaining ingredients except the yeast. Simmer 20 minutes. Cool to lukewarm and taste.
Add more ginger for a livelier flavour.
Dissolve yeast in one cup of the mixture and stir back in. Cover and allow to ferment 34-36 hours at 65-70F, i.e. mix it in the morning and bottle the next evening. When a slight white skin of foam appears on the top of the brew it is ready to bottle.
Siphon or pour into sterlized bottles removing any lemon slices. After capping age the bottles upright for one week at 60-65F then store in the refrigerator or basement cool room below 60F. NB: This cool storage is very important.
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NOTES :
Instead of sliced lemons you may use 4 tbsp. lemon juice. Instead of chopped ginger you may use 4 tsp. powdered ginger.
The resulting beverage was very fizzy and seemed to become more fizzy the longer it was stored. Our supply was gone in a month and by the end the caps were almost removing themselves from the bottles!