Hi. I've successfully made a delicious ginger beer three times now, but have run into a few snags and hoping someone can provide me with a bit of insight as to what might be going on.
The first is that every time I try to use a bit of the previous bug to start a new bug going, it doesn't seem to work. Each time, I get no active fermetation process going on,but instead just get a vingeary sludge.
The second is that I have noticed in the warmer weather, the bug begins to bubble after about 2 days. When I create a beer from this it seems to be sluggish to carbonate, as if there weren't enough yeasts in it. So i tried letting it go for another day or two after the first bubbles appeared and it seemed to just die out, bubbles gone and a vinegary brew instead of an active bug. I attempted to wake up the yeasts with sugar, but was unsuccessful.
It seems to me that either there arent enough yeasts or they are dying out quickly.
Any thoughts?
Thanks so much!
Peace & Light,
Jen