ginger beer condom query

[bluehorserefuge]

Ok, I put the bug in with the sugar water and stuck a condom on it.
It did nothing for a couple of hours then started to rise, to 45. degrees then stood proud and tall on top, at which point I put a little hole in it with a pin. It deflated, then filled again, now not quite "erect" but at about 5 past midnight. How will I know when the fermentation process has done its job and its ready to drink? When the condom falls flat against the bottle again and loses it's.....erm...for want of a better word....stiffness?

When do I call this thing ready to drink?

[Christopher Weeks]

Can you see the bubbles forming? When that process has stopped, let it go a few days longer. Allow the lees to somewhat settle to the bottom. Then taste it!

Maybe call it pruno? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pruno)

[bluehorserefuge]

My honest answer Christopher?

No, I can hardly see any bubbles, and my bug itself was only 'bubbly'. I wouldn't have described it as frothy or foamy. It seems I'm not getting something right. Could you take a picture of your foamy mixture next time you do a bug please? Just to give me an idea of what I should be aiming for ?

The final drink was "ok". My first try what can I say? Maybe not be so hard on myself. Better luck next time.

My bugs seem to be still 'alive'. Going to follow your advice and chuck the lot in next time.

But have you guys seen the photo of Ellis Katz's ginger bug, in his book ? It looks like some kind of globulous fungal creature, a bit like honey coloured transparent kefir ...amaZing..

And mine was nothing like that...was yours?

[Christopher Weeks]

It's actually been over a year since I was culturing a ginger bug, but from memory, they have looked, when ready to use (after maybe ten days of growth?) like a thin, lightly caramel colored liquid in the middle (for most of the jar) with a light layer of mud on the bottom and a big section of cream colored foam on top. The "mud" is maybe 1/8 inch, the body might be 4-6 inches and the foam might be 1/2 inch in height.

[bluehorserefuge]

Thank you, I have noticed bubbles on top of my bug, not 'foam' yet as such. When I check it each evening I see that the grated ginger has bunched up at the top of the glass. Am I supposed to stir all this back in each time? Or do I just sprinkle the sugar and grated ginger on top ?

[Christopher Weeks]

I always stir it back in. But sometimes mine just die, so I don't know that I'm doing everything right.

(Also, I think I over-estimated the amount of foam on the top, up above. I think it's only a solid 1/2 inch when the bubbles are all mixed up with shredded ginger.)

[bluehorserefuge]

ok great, thanks a lot. Going to try again tomorrow from scratch, grating peel in as well, as Sandor suggests. As it's warm here, I expect things to go a bit quicker than at lower temperatures. There was one point after about 5 days when the bug smelled perfect, that dark caramel look you spoke of, the ginger almost toasty looking and smelled just like real ginger beer my Gran sold in her off-licence (liqour store) when I was a kid. Then after a few days more it started to have an overly alcohol and sour taste, and maybe that's where it went wrong, timing.