Ginger advice (airlocks, timing, bottling)

[Carboy]

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Hi!

I just started my ginger/turmeric beer and it's now been bubbling for two days in a glass jug with airlock. The girl at my wine store mentioned that I should use an airlock to prevent "bottle-bombs"', but seeing as the book said to bottle right away, I'm wondering what the next step is. Should I let it sit with the airlock for a week or two, or bottle now and chill, or bottle and leave somewhere warm..?

Also I have 1ltr bail-top bottles, will gingerbeer go flat if opened and not finished right away? Pictures attached, thanks!

[justineaton]

what are you fermenting in, and how much. it all depends on how much sugar is in it and what kind of drink you want. if you put it in the fridge at any point it should kill the yeast. if it is still bubbling when you take the airlock off I would bottle it and let it sit a day to self carbonate then put it in the fridge to kill the yeast and prevent your bottle from exploding. drink it anytime after that. I notice this was posted awhile ago, I just joined the group today so I don't know if it is still going or not but if you decided to let it go until it stops bubbling then just add a little more sugar to it before bottling and do the same thing. I have a batch of ginger beer going right now and would love to hear your recipe.

[justineaton]

I don't know what book you are reading but if it says to bottle it right away it is probably more of a ginger ale type recipe with little to no alcohol. I make it and put it right into 2 liter bottles then refrigerate and drink as soon as there is pressure in the bottle.

[Christopher Weeks]

I'm not sure how I didn't see this thread come up before, but what I do (thanks to some advice here from Tim Hall) is to bottle my pop on bail-top bottles but when I do that, to also but some in a clean plastic pop bottle. Each day (maybe twice) I'll squeeze the plastic bottle to feel the pressure that's building up. You know the same kind of pressure is building in the glass ones. Once it's firm, I'll put the glass bottles in the fridge and then start enjoying them once chilled.

[justineaton]

I'm not sure how I didn't see this thread come up before, but what I do (thanks to some advice here from Tim Hall) is to bottle my pop on bail-top bottles but when I do that, to also but some in a clean plastic pop bottle. Each day (maybe twice) I'll squeeze the plastic bottle to feel the pressure that's building up. You know the same kind of pressure is building in the glass ones. Once it's firm, I'll put the glass bottles in the fridge and then start enjoying them once chilled.

that's what I have done in the past with the normal cap bottles. the five gallon batch of ginger beer I have going now will be my first time using ez cap 1 liter bottles and I can just check and then re cap it.

[Carboy]

Thanks for the responses. I resorted to trying the the method in the book, which is fine with lots of trials to get it perfect. Apparently the route I was trying was a primary/secondary fermentation where the first ferment is carried out with airlock until the sugars are completely gone and then bottled with an exact amount of sugar per ml just for carbonation. I'm going to try this route at some point soon...