Here is the recipe if you are keen to give this delicious creaming soda a go: - 1 litre unchlorinated water - 1/2 cup sugar - 2 tbsp of vanilla essence (you can also steep with vanilla bean) -1/4 cup active ginger bug Just increase the above to fit how ever many bottles you want to make. In the video I mention daily burping, which is good to manage pressure if you have a really active ginger bug. But if you aren't getting carbonation quick enough for it to build up, hold off on burping. The trick is to manage pressure to build up carbonation, but not so much to explode bottles. Happy brewing!!!
@angienichols1643 restraint and vanilla is a tricky one!!! 🤣😂🤣 So much so I'm playing around with a vanilla syrup for soda making this weekend. I'm thinking the removal of alcohol, which comes with the extract, may help with an even better ferment 😀
G'day. These videos are great and thanks very much for doing them and getting me all fired up to do my own. Really good points on the types of bottles too. Oh and getting all fancy with an apprentice in this video too. 😁 All the best. Daz.
I was 'Today Years Old' when I learnt that Creamy Soda used Vanilla flavouring! 😂 I love hearing the pops. This was such a brilliant video Rach! I'm so keen to give this a try now. Thank you :)
I learnt something new today🤣Isn’t amazing I’ve never connected that creamy Soda tastes like vanilla. Love how you show what to do if it doesn’t work first time😊 What a great helper, great job buddy👌 Loving the music in this series Rachel💕 Cheers Deb & Dan
Im so glad Im not alone with the vanilla thing 😆 hehe. Im definitely keen to share the realities. I often stuff things up.. but am always learning from it. I hope it helps others to see things dont always go perfectly every time I love my helpers too.... Shared your comment with him 💖
just wondering how this would work with the homemade vanilla essence (bean in vodka) or would it be better to just put a vanilla been in the bottle to steep when the syrup and ginger bug bottled? PS love all your videos and how you just make everything doable. thanks
Thanks for your lovely comment 💗 I do use our homemade vanilla for this. Too much seems to inhibit the ferment a bit though. I think you are onto something with taking the alcohol out of the equation. Maybe a vanilla syrup base, using the beans. Or vanilla sugar. You are inspiring me with some ideas here 😀
Absolutely and we do. But don't use to heavy as we do find that does slow the ferment. Next vanilla bean order I am actually planning to do a side by side comparison of a soda with homemade vanilla syrup vs vanilla extract.
I made your ginger beer and fruit soda. The fruit soda was awesome and carbonated well. The ginger beer had no carbonation to it at all. One bottle is still sitting on the bench. Is safe to add some more ginger bug to it or has it gone to long and I should start again?
Hi Karen, with the ginger beer, do keep in mind that if yeasts are eating sugar over a longer period of time you will start to get production of alcohol. Which may or may not be an issue for you. If things are still smelling good, no signs of anything like mould and alcohol production isnt a concern, I would most definitely try a second inoculation of the ginger starter. It is worth thinking though, why it may not have got started compared to the other soda (which Im assuming had the same ginger bug starter). A couple of considerations - Could the syrup have been too warm and killed off bacteria and yeast? Could there have been residual soap on the bottle from cleaning? Could there have been chlorine in the water? I hope this helps 😀
Hi Debbie, with vanilla beans and the cost you want to get as much flavour as possible out of them, so the approach on the syrup is a bit different. This is one worth doing a double batch (rather than the 1/2 batch I demo in this vid). I would start with spiltting and scraping a bean into the 4lt in this instance. Simmer very low until the sugar is all dissolved. Then instead of just letting cool, leave it overnight to completely infuse. Then use the syrup day 2 to make the soda. Hope this helps 😀
Because you add a quarter of a cup of the ginger bug how do you keep the bug going? Do you add The add more water and of course ginger and sugar do you just replace the amount of water that you took out and can it be a continuous bug that just goes on and on and on? TIA
Your recipe in your notebook says ferment for 3 days and then bottle and burp for 2 days. Is there a reason why you ferment in the bottle as opposed to mason jars? Does it taste different?
The original recipe which is great for starting out uses the 3 days and give a burp for excessive pressure approach. This helps with the variability that happens in reality with these ferments. Eg if it is warmer it ferments much quicker and can even be ready in 24hrs and no burping. Ideally you want to get to a position where you just build the pressure, don't burp to the point of carbonation and then use it. Once you get confident you can start to feel yourself when it is ready. I have actually switched to using plastic beer bottles since this vid (there is a short on our channel on them). You can feel the pressure buildup in them and when it is firm it is carbonated.
@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus Thank you! I made a successful ginger bug thanks to your videos. All the other videos I've seen were like, "Our ginger bug is ready after 3 days!" Mine had a rough start and didn't get really nice and bubbly til day 9/10. I would have given up had it not been for you!
@@as157103 I am sooo happy reading this, as it is exactly one of the reasons we share. There are so many that seem to need to share only the perfect experience. But thats just not always reality! And it can be deflating as a new starter when things don't go according to that perfect experience. Enjoy your fermented soda making 😃
Seems like a lot of waiting for such a small amount of drink. Can you do this is some sort of larger container to make gallon? My first try turned out tasting like wine 🍷
You could upside if you have a vessel bigger that can also handle pressure. But as we like to drink at a certain point in the ferment (when carbonated and still sweet) we prefer smaller bottles and cycle them. We will often make a larger batch of concentrated syrup and preserve to use. I show some of the ginger beer ones in our recent freezing to preserve vid. It can start to taste alcoholic if it ferments longer and if there are yeasts that are prominent.
With this one, it had to be the overpour of vanilla extract that was the problem, as this was the only thing different to normal. Fermentation will increase if the bacteria has the right conditions. Natural sugar to feed, warmth but not hot and if you have a bottle that doesn't require burping. I have switched to plastic beer making bottles since filming this (there is a short on my channel showing them). These are awesome, as you can feel when the pressure has built, but open it before too much builds up and it pops.
@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus thankyou. With youre fermenting put everything below the water line with either glass or a stone and you will success all the time. With my ginger bug i dont add all the time just keep everything below water line. Cheers
To get it bubbly and foamy, you need to let it ferment for a day without opening the airlock, then put it in the fridge for 3-4 days to let the CO2 dissolve in the liquid. It is difficult to get the gas dissolving in the liquid at room temperature. If still not working, then your ginger bug is of poor quality or has weaken (mostly dead).
Hi Judy, at what point did it go thick? One thing it can be is that if it is cooked in the pot too long or high a temp, the base liquid could have been taken to syrup point.
@judypeterson9952 ahhh... the bug not the soda is thick. I understand now. I have seen others share this has happened with theirs. I have not had this happen personally, but found this info which may help... " Fermenting for Foodies Certain strains of bacteria can cause ginger bug (and other ferments) to end up thick and syrupy. This will often resolve as the fermentation continues and acidifies."
I have had some great ideas shared with me from others since starting the series. One you might find useful is to use a recycled plastic bottle and when it feels firm the pressure is built and it should be carbonated. I haven't tried it personally, but the principles are sound.
This is a good question, as there will be some but I have never measured it myself directly. Being a very short ferment and primarily a lacto ferment I am comfortable it is normally (but yes, there will be some yeast... and that will differ depending on what you are fermenting. If you kill off the yeast by boiling it would be less than say a fresh pressed apple juice). From research I dod early on when I have the same question, I was finding amounts are normally on par with kumbucha that can be found at the supermarket. I believe they can be 0.5% and aren't considered alcoholic. But this is something I recommend each person do their own research and make their own call on. Having done it so long, I have the taste if something gets a 'twang' to it and we keep them for us. The fresh apple juice one is an example. And this in reality would have been a cross between a ginger bug soda and wild yeast ferment. Hope this helps.
This spot is in the middle of our kitchen and at no time is exposed to sunlight. So no uv light exposure that can affect the LAB. With the ginger bug sodas being short ferments keeping them visable to manage pressure is extremely important. In all our time doing these, this spot has worked perfectly for us.
I can't wait to try this. We love Cream Soda in our family. I've just started my first Ginger Bug today, so here's to hoping it works.
Isn't it just the best 😁 I hope yours has gone well and you enjoy it as much as we do.
Nice. Clear & information filled.
Thankyou for your lovely feedback.
Here is the recipe if you are keen to give this delicious creaming soda a go:
- 1 litre unchlorinated water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp of vanilla essence (you can also steep with vanilla bean)
-1/4 cup active ginger bug
Just increase the above to fit how ever many bottles you want to make.
In the video I mention daily burping, which is good to manage pressure if you have a really active ginger bug. But if you aren't getting carbonation quick enough for it to build up, hold off on burping. The trick is to manage pressure to build up carbonation, but not so much to explode bottles.
Happy brewing!!!
Looking forward to doing this. Started my ginger bug 3 days ago 😊
Isn't it exciting to get started. I hope you love your ginger bug sodas as much as we do 😀
Starting my ginger bug this weekend! Can’t wait to try creaming soda! Thankyou so much for this series ❤
They are all so good, but creaming soda is amazing 😋👌
Thank you for taking the time to show your recipe!! Can't wait to try this.
You are very welcome. It is a delicious one... and definitely ferments up a bit quicker when not overpouring the vanilla extract 😆
@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus well darn. I bet the flavor was great though! I make my own vanilla so hopefully I can show some restraint. 🤣
@angienichols1643 restraint and vanilla is a tricky one!!! 🤣😂🤣 So much so I'm playing around with a vanilla syrup for soda making this weekend. I'm thinking the removal of alcohol, which comes with the extract, may help with an even better ferment 😀
@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Ausooh! Maybe try vanilla paste or powder!
G'day.
These videos are great and thanks very much for doing them and getting me all fired up to do my own.
Really good points on the types of bottles too.
Oh and getting all fancy with an apprentice in this video too. 😁
All the best.
Daz.
Hehe. Gotta keep the kids working for their soda! 😁
Ooh I need to make this one Rachel, I love creamy soda 🥤 xx Cathi xx 😘
I highly recommend this one Cathi. Sooooo good 😋😋😋
I look forward to hearing how you like it 😀
I was 'Today Years Old' when I learnt that Creamy Soda used Vanilla flavouring! 😂
I love hearing the pops.
This was such a brilliant video Rach! I'm so keen to give this a try now.
Thank you :)
Someone did some great marketing there. The vanilla milkshake gets so overlooked, as the plain one. But everyone loves creamy soda!!! 😋
I learnt something new today🤣Isn’t amazing I’ve never connected that creamy Soda tastes like vanilla.
Love how you show what to do if it doesn’t work first time😊
What a great helper, great job buddy👌
Loving the music in this series Rachel💕
Cheers Deb & Dan
Im so glad Im not alone with the vanilla thing 😆 hehe.
Im definitely keen to share the realities. I often stuff things up.. but am always learning from it. I hope it helps others to see things dont always go perfectly every time
I love my helpers too.... Shared your comment with him 💖
Sounds yum 😋 I’ll be giving this a go for sure 🙂😋
This one is a family favourite for us. Soooo good.
❤ I love ❤️ love this series, I think you're responsible for heaps of homes with Ginger bugs on the window sills 😂 so amazing 😊
A tribe of ginger bugs!!! 🫚
@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus that's a tribe I want to be a part of
@@honey-bee-farmstead And you are!
just wondering how this would work with the homemade vanilla essence (bean in vodka) or would it be better to just put a vanilla been in the bottle to steep when the syrup and ginger bug bottled? PS love all your videos and how you just make everything doable. thanks
Thanks for your lovely comment 💗
I do use our homemade vanilla for this. Too much seems to inhibit the ferment a bit though. I think you are onto something with taking the alcohol out of the equation.
Maybe a vanilla syrup base, using the beans. Or vanilla sugar.
You are inspiring me with some ideas here 😀
Looks delicious! Cream soda in Canada is pink do i had no clue it was vanilla!
We get a pink one and a brown one down here. I was in my 40s when I learned it was vanilla 🤣
Hi, can you use homemade vanilla? It’s just vanilla beans and vodka, or will the alcohol harm the ginger bug? Thank you!
Absolutely and we do. But don't use to heavy as we do find that does slow the ferment.
Next vanilla bean order I am actually planning to do a side by side comparison of a soda with homemade vanilla syrup vs vanilla extract.
@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus oooo sounds good! Thank you !
I made your ginger beer and fruit soda. The fruit soda was awesome and carbonated well. The ginger beer had no carbonation to it at all. One bottle is still sitting on the bench. Is safe to add some more ginger bug to it or has it gone to long and I should start again?
Hi Karen, with the ginger beer, do keep in mind that if yeasts are eating sugar over a longer period of time you will start to get production of alcohol. Which may or may not be an issue for you.
If things are still smelling good, no signs of anything like mould and alcohol production isnt a concern, I would most definitely try a second inoculation of the ginger starter.
It is worth thinking though, why it may not have got started compared to the other soda (which Im assuming had the same ginger bug starter). A couple of considerations - Could the syrup have been too warm and killed off bacteria and yeast? Could there have been residual soap on the bottle from cleaning? Could there have been chlorine in the water?
I hope this helps 😀
So once we make sodas, once ready do we refrigerate or will that stop/slow it
It does slow them when they are put in the fridge. But fermentation doesn't stop. The only bottle I have ever had explode was in the fridge.
If using vanilla beans instead of vanilla essence how many would you need? I'm loving your videos thanks
Hi Debbie, with vanilla beans and the cost you want to get as much flavour as possible out of them, so the approach on the syrup is a bit different. This is one worth doing a double batch (rather than the 1/2 batch I demo in this vid). I would start with spiltting and scraping a bean into the 4lt in this instance. Simmer very low until the sugar is all dissolved. Then instead of just letting cool, leave it overnight to completely infuse.
Then use the syrup day 2 to make the soda.
Hope this helps 😀
@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus thank you 🙂
Because you add a quarter of a cup of the ginger bug how do you keep the bug going? Do you add The add more water and of course ginger and sugar do you just replace the amount of water that you took out and can it be a continuous bug that just goes on and on and on? TIA
Hi Dawn, there is another video in the series that guides you through this, which should help.
ua-cam.com/video/X87jvwcGGdo/v-deo.html
How do you store the ginger root between brewing?
A good question. 😀 We just pop it in the vege crisper area of our fridge.
Would you be able to use imitation vanilla extract?
Yes that will work too.
Your recipe in your notebook says ferment for 3 days and then bottle and burp for 2 days. Is there a reason why you ferment in the bottle as opposed to mason jars? Does it taste different?
The original recipe which is great for starting out uses the 3 days and give a burp for excessive pressure approach. This helps with the variability that happens in reality with these ferments. Eg if it is warmer it ferments much quicker and can even be ready in 24hrs and no burping. Ideally you want to get to a position where you just build the pressure, don't burp to the point of carbonation and then use it.
Once you get confident you can start to feel yourself when it is ready.
I have actually switched to using plastic beer bottles since this vid (there is a short on our channel on them). You can feel the pressure buildup in them and when it is firm it is carbonated.
@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus Thank you! I made a successful ginger bug thanks to your videos. All the other videos I've seen were like, "Our ginger bug is ready after 3 days!" Mine had a rough start and didn't get really nice and bubbly til day 9/10. I would have given up had it not been for you!
@@as157103 I am sooo happy reading this, as it is exactly one of the reasons we share. There are so many that seem to need to share only the perfect experience. But thats just not always reality! And it can be deflating as a new starter when things don't go according to that perfect experience. Enjoy your fermented soda making 😃
Seems like a lot of waiting for such a small amount of drink. Can you do this is some sort of larger container to make gallon?
My first try turned out tasting like wine 🍷
You could upside if you have a vessel bigger that can also handle pressure. But as we like to drink at a certain point in the ferment (when carbonated and still sweet) we prefer smaller bottles and cycle them. We will often make a larger batch of concentrated syrup and preserve to use. I show some of the ginger beer ones in our recent freezing to preserve vid.
It can start to taste alcoholic if it ferments longer and if there are yeasts that are prominent.
How do you get more carbonation ?
With this one, it had to be the overpour of vanilla extract that was the problem, as this was the only thing different to normal.
Fermentation will increase if the bacteria has the right conditions. Natural sugar to feed, warmth but not hot and if you have a bottle that doesn't require burping. I have switched to plastic beer making bottles since filming this (there is a short on my channel showing them). These are awesome, as you can feel when the pressure has built, but open it before too much builds up and it pops.
if I were to ferment mine for 3 days in amber colored glass, is that going to affect fermentation?
Amber is excellent. As ferments don't like uv.
Do make sure your bottles can withstand pressure though. You don't want ones that can't and burst.
Were did you buy the extract from pleasr
Heilla for this batch. But I have used others including our own
@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus thankyou. With youre fermenting put everything below the water line with either glass or a stone and you will success all the time. With my ginger bug i dont add all the time just keep everything below water line. Cheers
To get it bubbly and foamy, you need to let it ferment for a day without opening the airlock, then put it in the fridge for 3-4 days to let the CO2 dissolve in the liquid. It is difficult to get the gas dissolving in the liquid at room temperature. If still not working, then your ginger bug is of poor quality or has weaken (mostly dead).
Good tips for people. This batch wasn't the greatest like normal. But I thought it good to still share that experience.
Mad this but is thick like syrup? Whay is that?
Hi Judy, at what point did it go thick? One thing it can be is that if it is cooked in the pot too long or high a temp, the base liquid could have been taken to syrup point.
Day 3, I think my bug is a tad too thick too, doesnt seem bubbly? Day 9 on counter for that, maybe im making it wrong?
@judypeterson9952 ahhh... the bug not the soda is thick. I understand now.
I have seen others share this has happened with theirs. I have not had this happen personally, but found this info which may help...
" Fermenting for Foodies
Certain strains of bacteria can cause ginger bug (and other ferments) to end up thick and syrupy. This will often resolve as the fermentation continues and acidifies."
Well shoot, poured it out and started another, oh well, thank you for the reply!
@judypeterson9952 I hope it all goes smoothly if you give it another go. They really are delicious sodas ance you have an active ginger bug.
Ginger beer done and waiting on fruit soda to ferment. Only have one bottle to use for now or would make more than one at a time.
I have had some great ideas shared with me from others since starting the series. One you might find useful is to use a recycled plastic bottle and when it feels firm the pressure is built and it should be carbonated. I haven't tried it personally, but the principles are sound.
@@Bush_Edge_Homesteading_Aus will keep that idea in mind thank you.
You may have found a delay in your fermenting, too, for keeping it out in direct sunlight. It kills the probiotics.
Our normal spot for ferments is on the kitchen bench, as it is in the middle of the house.
how much acohol does it have my kids what to drink it mite get into trouble by mister po po if I get the kids drunk
This is a good question, as there will be some but I have never measured it myself directly.
Being a very short ferment and primarily a lacto ferment I am comfortable it is normally (but yes, there will be some yeast... and that will differ depending on what you are fermenting. If you kill off the yeast by boiling it would be less than say a fresh pressed apple juice).
From research I dod early on when I have the same question, I was finding amounts are normally on par with kumbucha that can be found at the supermarket. I believe they can be 0.5% and aren't considered alcoholic. But this is something I recommend each person do their own research and make their own call on.
Having done it so long, I have the taste if something gets a 'twang' to it and we keep them for us. The fresh apple juice one is an example. And this in reality would have been a cross between a ginger bug soda and wild yeast ferment.
Hope this helps.
Hardly any at all.
Stop exposing your Ferments to sunlight....
This spot is in the middle of our kitchen and at no time is exposed to sunlight. So no uv light exposure that can affect the LAB. With the ginger bug sodas being short ferments keeping them visable to manage pressure is extremely important. In all our time doing these, this spot has worked perfectly for us.