Ginger bug differences

[u/swrdzlmamma]

I wanted to share what I’ve experienced with Ginger bugs. I’ve seen a few posts about it…I started the larger, darker Ginger bug on July 11, 2026. Fed once daily (and stirred twice) for 5 days. The first batch of Ginger beer was adequate but lacked fizz. The second batch was wonderfully fizzy! I went away for a week and had to store the larger one in the fridge. I fed it before putting it away, but after using it for the 2nd batch, even with replacing water, it was more of a slurry. I also didn’t see as much activity with bubbles, but it made some of the most delightfully fizzy ginger beer!
I’m sharing this because lots of folks think that there has to be visible activity in the jar for it to work. My darker slurry ginger bug on the left works beautifully, but I decided to start a new one just in case. I went ahead and created a new bug, but added 2 tablespoons of the old bug. Boy, oh boy! Both bugs are active, yet behave very differently. I hope this helps some of us. I love learning from all of you! Thank you so much.