Comments on: Lively Pets in our Kitchen

By: Lou

Lou — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:44:19 +0000

Hi. Do you have any of the ginger beer plant left? I would love to try making some with my daughter. We live not far from Christchurch – if you don’t have any left do you know of any sources close to ChCh? Thanks for your help!

By: Christian

Christian — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 03:06:52 +0000

Just wondering if you have any of the ginger beer plant available still, or do you know where I could get some. I am in Auckland.

Thanks heaps

By: Raewyn

Raewyn — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:15:47 +0000

Hi. Just wondering if you still have any of these grains for sale and if so how much. I live about 50 mins from Kaitaia. I . have read with interest the different ways you can use these grains. With a carbonated drink addicted partner – thought this might be a healthy alternative. Have you used goats milk to do the yoghurt? I am cuurently trying a ginger beer bug – bottles my first batch yesterday – so am waiting to see how it turns out. Was searching on the net about ginger beer bugs and water kefir sites popped up. A happy circumstance I am hoping .

By: Shanon

Shanon — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 16:32:53 +0000

Hi there! I noticed that you mentioned having a tradition ginger beer plant. I have been searching like crazy to finding a way of making a plant of my own, but no luck. I did find a website that suggested a way of starting your own, but I am well aware that most “REAL” ginger beer plants have to be acquired from someone who already has one. I know of two websites where you can purchase a plant, but I really wanted to start one of my own if at all possible. Do you have any suggestions or advice? Is it even possible to grow a ginger beer plant from scratch? Thanks a bunch for any help you can provide!

By: Johanna Knox

Johanna Knox — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:12:02 +0000

Hi Rebecca – if you do have any probs with curdling I’d be really interested to know what you do and how it goes.

I did wonder if sometimes it’s the milk as well. If it has been sitting round for a few days and started to sour a bit. I might have been a bit careless with the milk I used as well. (I’m afraid I’m just a bit gung ho with my ferments sometimes …)

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:10:09 +0000

Hi Johanna,
Interesting to hear about your experience with the CSY, and encouraging that you managed to get it back to normal again in the first instance. Of course, I hope not to have any problems with my CSY culture curdling, but I’ll be keeping this information in my bag of tricks just in case! Raw milk CSY is Owen’s favourite food other than breast milk, so I’m very invested in keeping the culture healthy right now.
All the best,
Rebecca

By: Johanna Knox

Johanna Knox — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:09:04 +0000

Re the Capsian sea yoghurt problems.

I had a problem with mine curdling recently too.

It’s happened to me twice actually, and both times were when I neglected to clean out the jar before fermenting a new batch in it. I suspect that yes, there are other microbes floating round in the kitchen that get a foothold in the culture and curdle it.

I think keeping everything sterile as you say Rebecca is probably the way to go. It just allows the CSY to stay dominant.

The first time mine curdled, I managed to get it back to how it was before after a couple of new batches.

However, the second time round, it wasn’t so easy. I was seeing a bit of improvement with each new batch – but I was getting impatient. Luckily Deb gave me a new starter yesterday, so I’ve chucked the old lot out and am starting afresh!

I might be wrong, but I’m suspecting that one thing that may help with getting a curdled batch back on track is to drain the whey and just use the curds to restart it. (And then keep doing new batches every day or two till it starts to smooth out and have fewer and fewer curds in it.

That was starting to work, but I was to impatient to keep it up!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:15:54 +0000

Hi Ian,
This distinction is new to me, as well. I didn’t even know about the crystal-like “plant” until someone offered to give me some recently.
Good luck with your bug. I hope you’ll end up with lots of delicious ginger beer.
Rebecca

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:28:39 +0000

Hmm, I’ve been given the wrong info, then!

Last week I acquired what I was told was a ginger beer plant, but it fits the bug description – mine definitely aren’t crystals of any kind, just a dark slime!

Thanks for the info!
Ian.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:58:54 +0000

Hi Ian,

The ginger beer bug is a homemade starter generated by feeding a mixture of ginger, sugar, and water until it becomes a bubbling, yeasty beasty. Some people start it by adding a bit of baker’s yeast to the initial mix, while others rely on wild yeasts. Like a sourdough bread starter, you can either make your own, or get one from someone who already has one on the go.

The ginger beer plant is a symbiotic colony of yeasts and bacteria that forms into opaque crystals — very like kefir grains. Given the right conditions, these grains will reproduce themselves and create a tart, fizzy, gingery drink. You can’t make the grains yourself, but have to get a starter from someone who already has a colony. I suspect that the plant might include a broader spectrum of probiotic life than the home made ginger beer bug, but I don’t know this for sure. I’ve only just started keeping this culture, so have a lot to learn.

Cheers,
Rebecca