Restaurants›The Back Abbey Of St. Bernardus›Bundaberg Ginger Beer Recipe

Bundaberg Ginger Beer Recipe

Inspired by The Back Abbey Of St. Bernardus

Time2h 45m

Serves6

Make Bundaberg Ginger Beer Recipe in just 2h 45m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Ginger Beer (makes ~1.5 L final)

7.05 oz (200 g) fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated10.6 oz (300 g) granulated sugar1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice6 1/3 cup (1500 ml) water (divided)1 tsp Active dry yeast1.01 tbsp (15 ml) optional: lime juice0.41 tsp (2 ml) optional: vanilla extract4 cups ice (for serving)

Bottling (equipment)

3 units clean 1 L or 1.5 L swing-top bottles (or plastic soda bottles)

Method

Prepare ginger concentrate

Make ginger syrup

Combine 500 ml of the water, grated ginger and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes to extract ginger flavor.

Remove from heat and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes covered to concentrate flavor.

Strain the ginger syrup through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible. Discard solids (or save for compost). You should have roughly 450–500 ml of ginger syrup.

Mixing and priming

Combine and sweeten

In a large heatproof pitcher or bowl, combine the cooled ginger syrup with the remaining 1000 ml water. Stir in the lemon juice and optional lime and vanilla if using. Check temperature: the mixture must be lukewarm (around 25–30°C / 77–86°F) before adding yeast.

Activate yeast and add

If your mixture is warm enough, sprinkle 1 tsp active dry yeast onto the surface and stir gently to incorporate. If lukewarm is uncertain, bloom the yeast separately in 30 ml warm water (35–38°C) with a pinch of sugar for 5–7 minutes until frothy, then add to the ginger mixture.

Stir thoroughly to dissolve and distribute yeast. This small amount of yeast will ferment the sugar slightly to produce carbonation and that characteristic ginger beer tang.

Bottling and conditioning

Fill bottles

Using a funnel, pour the ginger beer into clean swing-top bottles, leaving about 3–4 cm (1–1.5 in) headspace. Tighten lids securely. If using plastic soda bottles, leave slightly less headspace but tighten caps.

Place bottles at room temperature (20–24°C / 68–75°F) for 24–48 hours to carbonate. Check pressure after 24 hours by carefully opening one bottle; if not sufficiently fizzy, re-seal and leave another 12–24 hours. For glass bottles, check more often to avoid overpressure.

Once carbonated to your liking, transfer bottles to the refrigerator to slow fermentation. Chill at least 12 hours before serving. Refrigerated ginger beer will keep for 1–2 weeks; consume sooner for best flavor and to avoid overcarbonation.

Serving

Serve chilled over ice. Pour carefully to preserve carbonation. Garnish with lemon or lime wedge if desired.