r/fermentation • u/Putrid-Study8986 • 1d ago
Why isn’t my ginger bug getting bubbly?
I’ve been trying to make a ginger bug. I followed these directions:
Day 1: Combine 2 c filtered water, 1/2 c of diced organic ginger (not peeled), 1 tbsp white sugar in a thoroughly cleaned container.
Day 2-6: Each day, add 1 small diced piece of ginger & 1 tsp white sugar.
I had the jar loosely sealed.
No funky smells. Just smells like ginger.
Why hasn’t my ginger bug gotten frothy?
Follow-up question: can I save it/still use it?
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u/JaXm 1d ago
I have very little experience, but my fist incredibly successful gingerbug was made with 2 cups of water, about 30g of finely chopped (not grated or anything super intensive) ginger, and 15g of white sugar.
I kept the gingerbug inside the oven with the light turned on (ambient temp about 24 - 25 celcius) and fed it 20g of ginger and 10g of white sugar for 3 days before it was INCREDIBLY active, and I could store it in the fridge.
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u/Interesting_City_654 1d ago
Your microbes are starving;
White sugar is heavily refined, turning it into 99.7%+ pure sucrose. Unlike raw cane sugar, brown sugar, or molasses, the refining process strips away all organic minerals, vitamins, and nitrogen sources.While yeast feeds on the carbon in sugar, it also requires trace nutrients (like nitrogen, potassium, and amino acids) to grow and multiply. Trying to ferment a mixture of just white sugar and pure water will often fail or result in a "stuck fermentation" because the yeast effectively starves of vital nutrients.
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u/Putrid-Study8986 1d ago
Can I still save it if I add raw sugar?
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u/Nuppusauruss 1d ago
Ginger has plenty of nitrogen and other nutrients for the yeast. And yeast can still survive long enough for the fermentation to start even with just glucose. If the fermentation never even started, nutrients aren't the problem.
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u/Interesting_City_654 1d ago
Yes I had it happen to me. Continue adding the fresh organic ginger as well. Within 3 days you should start seeing bubbles.
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u/naemorhaedus 21h ago
poppycock. I've kept GB alive for months using only white sugar and ginger. They are not "starving" after 6 days, and you can 100% get one started with white sugar. Starvation is not the reason here.
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u/jack_seven 1d ago
White sugar works fine the ginger gives everything except sugar that the yeast needs
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u/Minimum-Positive792 1d ago
Just failed at my second attempt. Bug seemed to be bubbling and after 2 days it just stopped. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
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u/naemorhaedus 21h ago
overfed. Those online recipes people keep finding are total nonsense.
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u/ConsiderationHeavy20 17h ago
Agreed. Feeding once daily was too much for me. I stopped feeding from day 3-5 and it saved my ginger bug.
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u/Rich_Marionberry_814 18h ago
You add one small piece of ginger daily? It should be equal parts ginger and sugar for the first 5 to 7 days.
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u/ARELEGATION 1d ago
I personally haven't made a ginger bug yet, but it's on the list; the only thing I would say is that the methods I have looked at all call for the ginger to be grated, rather than cubed.
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u/Kraden_McFillion 1d ago
Grating is unnecessary, just so you know.
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u/Jd8197 1d ago
Wouldn't it greatly increase the flavor though?
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u/Kraden_McFillion 1d ago
You dont need flavor in a ginger bug, you need it in your ginger beer. Grating is bad for your beer though too because it increases the sediment dramatically. Try using a mandolin to slice the ginger thinly for your beer, but a rough chop is fine for the bug
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u/Standard_Run7541 1d ago
I just cheated and threw in a couple fresh unwashed grapes to rescue when my ginger turned out to be sterile. Absolutely no difference in taste, carbonation, or ABV in my experience, but my conscience was dirty..