1 Gallon of un chlorinated water
1-1/2 cups of sugar
4 – 6 oz of spruce tips
1 lemon
1/2 cup ginger bug
- Before you begin wash and dry your equipment as best as possible.
- In a large pot bring 2 litres or 2 quarts of water to boil, add the spruce tips. Cut and squeeze the lemon into the pot. Bring to a boil and then lower it to a simmer for 30 minutes. Add the sugar until dissolved.
- Let the wort has cool to room temperature, about 70°F (21°C).
- Add another 2 litres or 2 quarts of un chlorinated water to help cool the wort down. make sure it is cooled before adding the ginger bug or else the heat will kill the live culture.
- Strain the wort into a one gallon jug, leaving 2-3 inches of head space at the top, then add the 1/2 cup of active ginger bug. Cap the jug with a lid and give it a few shakes to combine and aerate.
- Put a bit of water in the airlock to the line, then position it on the jug. Let the spruce beer ferment for at least 2-3 days to make sure it’s active and carbonating, there should be bubbles and an occasional burp in the airlock.
- Bottle the beer using the flip tops bottles. Fill up a plastic tester bottle to know when the carbonation level has built up before refrigerating. The plastic bottle should be very hard to squeeze. Serve cold!
