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How to Make a Fermented Ginger Bug From Scratch

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If you love drinks like ginger ale, root beer, or fruity bubbly sodas, then why not learn How to Make a Fermented Ginger Bug From Scratch? With just a few basic ingredients: fresh ginger, sugar, and water, you can start a living culture that captures wild yeast and beneficial bacteria right from the air, that you can use to make your tasty homemade sodas the healthy way!

Glass jar of homemade fermented ginger bug on a wooden surface, covered with a cloth and twine. The mixture contains chopped ginger and sugar water, actively fermenting to create a natural probiotic starter culture for homemade sodas.

Think of it like a sourdough starter, but for fizzy drinks! And the best part? It’s incredibly easy to make. Chances are you already have everything you need in your pantry, and if not, a quick grocery store run will have this bug bubbling away on your counter by the end of the week. It's the perfect project for a hot summer day, and a refreshing way to sip something healthy and homemade.

Close-up of fresh raw ginger root on a wooden surface, used in homemade fermentation recipes like ginger bug and natural probiotic sodas. The ginger’s rough, textured skin and fibrous interior are clearly visible.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Ginger Bug FAQ's

A ginger bug is a wild-fermented starter culture made from fresh ginger, sugar, and water. Over several days, it ferments into a bubbly, probiotic-rich mixture you can use to carbonate homemade drinks naturally. No fancy equipment or commercial yeast needed!

I have found that if I keep my ginger bug in the fridge then I only have to feed it once a week to maintain it. During the summer months we love having bubbly fermented beverages regularly, so I leave it at room temperature, and because of this I feed it every day to keep it active and happy. Like a sourdough starter, if you start skipping feedings, it will slow down its activity level and, or die. 

After 2-3 days, you should start to see:

  • Small bubbles forming
  • A sweet & slightly tangy smell
  • A little fizz when stirred

Once it’s nice and bubbly (usually around day 5), your ginger bug is ready to use in fermented sodas!

Your ginger bug needs real sugar (like cane sugar, honey, or maple syrup) because that’s what the wild yeasts and bacteria actually consume during fermentation. Artificial sweeteners (like stevia, erythritol, or monk fruit) don’t contain fermentable sugars, so the microbes can’t use them to grow or produce bubbles.

Yes, rinse it to remove dirt, but don’t scrub or peel off the skin too aggressively. The skin of raw, unpeeled ginger actually contains wild yeasts and beneficial microbes that help kickstart the fermentation. I just scrape off any dark or blackened bits of skin and trim away any tough or dried-out spots from old cuts.

A ginger bug can die if it’s not fed regularly with sugar, if it's exposed to chlorinated water, or if it's kept in temperatures that are too hot or too cold. Using metal utensils or lids, especially reactive ones like aluminum, can also harm it.

  • Homemade Ginger Ale
  • Homemade Root Beer
  • Homemade Ginger Beer
  • Fermented Lemonade
  • Probiotic Natural Fruit Sodas such as Fermented Lemonade 
Top-down view of ingredients for a homemade fermented ginger bug: a bowl of water, a bowl of cane sugar, and a bowl of freshly grated ginger on a marble countertop. These simple ingredients are used to start a probiotic-rich fermentation for natural sodas.

Ingredients for this Ginger Bug Recipe

  • 2 tablespoons of ginger root (grated with skin on or chopped into small cubes)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated cane sugar (or raw sugar)
  • 1 cup filtered water (no chlorine)

Instructions on How to Make a Homemade Ginger Bug

DAY 1:

Pouring water from a ceramic measuring cup into a glass jar to start a homemade fermented ginger bug. This step is part of the process for creating a natural probiotic soda starter using fresh ginger, sugar, and water.

STEP 1: Add 1 cup filtered water to a clean glass jar (pint-size works great, I use mason jars).

STEP 2: Stir in 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (skin on, or chopped into ⅛ inch small pieces with the skin on.) Add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Stir well with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves.

STEP 3: Cover the jar with a breathable cloth, coffee filter, or paper towel secured with a rubber band.

Glass jar of homemade fermented ginger bug on a wooden surface, covered with a cloth and twine. The mixture contains chopped ginger and sugar water, actively fermenting to create a natural probiotic starter culture for homemade sodas.

STEP 4: Set it in a warm, room-temp spot out of direct sunlight. After a couple of days you should notice some bubbles forming.

DAY 2-7 (or until bubbly and active)

Once a day feed your ginger bug with:

  • 2 tablespoon (25-30g) ORGANIC fresh ginger root (grated or chopped into small cubes)
  • 2 tablespoon sugar

Continue to add equal parts ginger and sugar daily, stirring thoroughly, re-covering, and returning to its warm spot. Don’t skip a day. By around day five or so, your ginger bug should be active and bubbly, with plenty of visible fizz on top.

How to Use Your Ginger Bug

Use ¼ cup of the active liquid per quart of sweetened herbal tea, fruit juice, or ginger water to make a fermented soda. Place a raisin at the bottom of the bottle. Use a funnel and pour it into flip-top bottles, leaving an inch of headspace. Let sit for 2–5 days at room temp to carbonate, then refrigerate. (When the raisin has floated to the top, your ferment is ready!)

How to Make a Fermented Ginger Bug From Scratch

Tips for a Successful Ginger Bug

  • The ginger must be organic in order for it to get bubbly! Non-organic ginger imported into the US has undergoes irradiation, which destroys it's bacteria and yeast! 
  • Use non-chlorinated water—chlorine can inhibit fermentation.
  • Don’t use metal lids or utensils—they can react with the fermentation process.
  • If your bug looks moldy or smells “off,” it’s best to start over.
  • You can keep it alive like a sourdough starter: refrigerate and feed once a week.
  • Make sure that you are feeding your ferment with granulated cane sugar, this is REAL sugar. Artificial sweeteners will not work. With that being said, don't just use "white sugar", as this is usually beet sugar.
  • After using the amount needed to make your fermented juice, replenish the liquid you removed from the ginger bug with fresh, non-chlorinated water (same amount, ¼ cup, or the amount your recipe called for), then feed it with equal ratios of sugar and ginger.

Easy Fermented Food Recipes

How to Make Lacto Fermented Lemonade (Probiotic Soda)

How to Make an Apple Cinnamon Fermented Shrub (Recipe)

Easy Homemade Fermented (Raw) Apple Cider Vinegar 

How To Make Easy Homemade Clabber From Raw Milk

How To Make Fermented Sauerkraut (coleslaw recipe)

Glass jar of homemade fermented ginger bug on a wooden surface, covered with a cloth and twine. The mixture contains chopped ginger and sugar water, actively fermenting to create a natural probiotic starter culture for homemade sodas.

How to Make a Fermented Ginger Bug From Scratch

With just a few basic ingredients: fresh ginger, sugar, and water, you can start a living culture that captures wild yeast and beneficial bacteria right from the air, that you can use to make your tasty homemade sodas the healthy way!
Print Pin
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacteria, bug, ginger, homemade, juice, soda, starter, sugar, tea, water
Prep Time: 5 minutes
5 days
Total Time: 5 days 5 minutes
Servings: 0
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of ORGANIC ginger root grated with skin on or chopped into small cubes
  • 2 tablespoons granulated cane sugar or raw sugar
  • 1 cup filtered water no chlorine

Instructions

DAY 1:

  • Add 1 cup filtered water to a clean glass jar (pint-size works great, I use mason jars).
  • Stir in 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (skin on, or chopped into ⅛ inch small pieces with the skin on.)
  • Add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
  • Stir well with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves.
  • Cover the jar with a breathable cloth, coffee filter, or paper towel secured with a rubber band.
  • Set it in a warm, room-temp spot out of direct sunlight.
  • After a couple of days you should notice some bubbles forming.

DAY 2-7 (or until bubbly and active)

  • Once a day feed your ginger bug with:
  • 2 tablespoon (25-30g) fresh ginger root (grated or chopped into small cubes)
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • Continue to add equal parts ginger and sugar daily, stirring thoroughly, re-covering, and returning to its warm spot. Don’t skip a day. By around day five or so, your ginger bug should be active and bubbly, with plenty of

Notes

How to Use Your Ginger Bug

Use ¼ cup of the active liquid per quart of sweetened herbal tea, fruit juice, or ginger water to make a fermented soda. Place a raisin at the bottom of the bottle. Use a funnel and pour it into flip-top bottles, leaving an inch of headspace. Let sit for 2–5 days at room temp to carbonate, then refrigerate. (When the raisin has floated to the top, your ferment is ready!)

Tips for a Successful Ginger Bug

    • The ginger must be organic in order for it to get bubbly! Non-organic ginger imported into the US has undergoes irradiation, which destroys it's bacteria and yeast! 
    • Use non-chlorinated water—chlorine can inhibit fermentation.
    • Don’t use metal lids or utensils—they can react with the fermentation process.
    • If your bug looks moldy or smells “off,” it’s best to start over.
    • You can keep it alive like a sourdough starter: refrigerate and feed once a week.
    • Make sure that you are feeding your ferment with granulated cane sugar, this is REAL sugar. Artificial sweeteners will not work. With that being said, don't just use "white sugar", as this is usually beet sugar.
    • After using the amount needed to make your fermented juice, replenish the liquid you removed from the ginger bug with fresh, non-chlorinated water (same amount, ¼ cup, or the amount your recipe called for), then feed it with equal ratios of sugar and ginger.

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