Choosing a yeast for ginger beer

As kids, we used to grow a ginger beer "plant" up from Ginger & Sugar and a few Sultanas. Every couple of days we would add a bit more sugar-water to it. There were no real measurements, but I know for sure we did not add any yeast other than what was on the skin of the dried fruit. (Obviously if it grows a chunky black pellicle, you don't use it.)

Many recipes for ginger-beer plants on the internet include adding a teaspoon of bread-making yeast, I really think this makes the whole production of the "plant" pointless, as you can just put the yeast directly into the ginger sugar-water (~wort).

Generally wild yeasts (i.e.: from sultana skins) are reported to ferment with Saison like characteristics. Of course there would be some bacteria in there too - brewing as 10-year old kids, there probably was not any real sanitation practices, sure we used a clean glass, and maybe washed our hands beforehand.

However the alcohol tolerance with wild yeast is unpredictable. Typically bread yeast finishes out at approximately 14% AbV (or at least it does so in meads). Whereas wine yeasts, particularly champagne will stop at higher levels. Fermenting at higher temperatures will also produce many more esters (flavours) from the same yeast strain.

I think one of the best methods to make soft-drink (soda) ginger beer is to use PET bottles. Twice a day squeeze the bottles. Once they have become hard (with CO2 pressure), put them in the refrigerator. It gives you an idea when they are good to drink, and reduces the amount of alcohol to the minimum needed to achieve carbonation. Note: this only slows the fermentation, it does not stop it. Or if you're going for high-alcohol, just release the pressure and re-cap.

Youngs Super Wine yeast is superb (I don't work for them by the way). The taste is amazing, but you have to be careful to "proof" bottles after bottling. Check after 12-24 hours. They will explode if left for 2 days or so. (Read online about exploding Ikea flip top lids in ginger beer making).

Also if bought in 60g compound, refrigerate after first use. If you leave in cool cupboard it will die. You can get up to 10 years out of the compound if refrigerated. Use a heaped teaspoon (7g) and make a "ginger beer plant" for 2 weeks with it. Or if you have a plant that is weeks or years old, just feed it for 1 week before adding the water, sugar, ginger and lemons (I'm using the Avoca recipe, and Irish recipes although we don't have a history of good cooking are out of this world!!!).

The result is halfway between the fiery ginger beer and incredibly fiery ginger beer that Marks & Spencer (English food shop) used to produce. If you have never tasted these then you don't know what I'm talking about. But M&S are dumb and have now started making a sugar free ginger beer that is disgusting and full of dangerous chemicals for children, so don't even taste their sugar free version to get an idea of what it might taste like. The taste is similar to Old Jamaican Ginger Beer except stronger and better and gives you a warm feeling in your belly! (I kid you not)

If I am going for a sweet Ginger Beer then I use a low attenuating Ale yeast such as S04, for a drier Ginger Ale I tend to use a wine yeast, and allow it a few days longer to ferment out more of the sugars. I have used Baking yeast, baking yeast is not a good plan, but as a student I had no other to hand and it made something roughly drinkable.

Would love to hear your feed back on using a Belgium yeast if you are using some belgium then try to keep the brewing temp high for the first few days to boost the ester profile.

I used Champagne yeast. Nice and fizzy.

I made a Ginger ESB using Wyeast 1968 that turned out quite tasty. It's got some nice fruity esters and flocculates quite nicely.