soda not fermenting?

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soda not fermenting?

Postby icantbelive93 on Wed May 10, 2017 8:08 am

Hey everyone,

So I successfully started my second ginger bug a little over a week ago (after my first attempt didn't work). Once the ginger bug was ready I added a little over 1/4 cup to around 750ml (0.79 quarts) 100% pineapple juice. It has been fermenting 3 days now, I left it under the oven light at around 80-82 F, it has a tight lid, and I used 100% pineapple juice (non- organic and pasteurized). It has very very very few tiny bubbles at the top on the sides but otherwise nothing. I don't think it's working. This my second attempt and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. How do I know if it's good or not? What am I doing wrong?

Thanks:)
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Re: soda not fermenting?

Postby icantbelive93 on Wed May 10, 2017 2:49 pm

So I just opened the pineapple soda and tasted a tiny bit. It did taste a bit fizzy but also bad. Not sure if it had tiny bit of alcohol or mold or what. ???
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Re: soda not fermenting?

Postby Christopher Weeks on Thu May 11, 2017 7:48 am

Did you keep your bug at that elevated temp?
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Re: soda not fermenting?

Postby icantbelive93 on Fri May 12, 2017 6:15 am

Christopher Weeks wrote:Did you keep your bug at that elevated temp?


Yes I kept the bug and soda under the oven light at 80-82 F with the exception of when I had to use the oven for baking. Than I took the bug and soda out and put them on the kitchen counter. Once the oven was cool again I put the bug and soda back under the oven light.
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Re: soda not fermenting?

Postby Christopher Weeks on Fri May 12, 2017 8:14 am

So, I'm not an expert -- I've successfully fermented just eight or ten sodas, and not for a few years. But here's my best guess: You used too little culture. If the bug wasn't frothy, then maybe it wasn't as successful as you thought. If it was, then 1/4 cup into a bit over 3 cups of juice is maybe a little scant. I've only made a gallon of soda at a time, but I think I dumped a quart of frothy bug in each time. (Which isn't, I guess, that far off from your ratio....so I guess I don't know. Maybe pineapple juice isn't sugary enough to really take off. Did you aerate it?

My suggestion for testing would be to dump a packet of champagne yeast in (which should be much more vigorous than even a healthy bug) and see what that does. If it's able to turn the juice, then at least you know it's possible -- it helps to rule out some possible causes.

I also never elevated the temp of my sodas -- just fermented them on the counter in the kitchen, but if your bug was thriving at that temp, the colony should continue to do so after being fed the juice.
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Re: soda not fermenting?

Postby icantbelive93 on Fri May 12, 2017 11:08 am

Thanks...i'll try again with your suggestions
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