Ginger Beer

This is alcoholic, so please don't let the children drink it!

To Make the Plant:
2 ounces fresh baker's yeast
2 level tablespoons superfine sugar
2 level tablespoons freshly ground dried ginger, bought
    from a spice store and NOT a supermarket

Mix yeast and sugar together in a small, clean plastic or china bowl with a small wooden spoon. Add ginger and slowly mix in 1/4 cup of hand-hot water. Stir until well blended, then add another cup of hand-hot water and place in a very clean glass jar and leave, uncovered, in a warm place.

To Feed the Plant:
10 level teaspoons freshly ground dried ginger
10 level teaspoons superfine sugar

Each day feed the plant. Do this by sprinkling onto the surface 1 teaspoon superfine sugar and 1 teaspoon ginger. Do this for 10 days.

To Complete the Process:
19 cups cold water
2 large fresh lemons
2 1/4 cups superfine sugar

When you have fed the plant for 10 days, dissolve the 2 1/4 cups superfine sugar with 3 3/4 cups of the water in a heavy-bottom 4-quart saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring with a wooden spoon, until he sugar is dissolved. It will not take long.

Using a thoroughly cleansed 10-quart plastic bucket, pour in the sugar and water mixture. Add another 2 1/2 cups cold water and the strained juice of two lemons. Now add the remaining 12 1/2 cups of water. Take the plant you've been feeding for 10 days and strain the liquid through muslin into the bucket. Save the sludge if you want to make more. Stir all the liquid well and pour into screw-top bottles. The 2 1/2-liter plastic screw-top soda bottles are ideal for this. Using a funnel, fill each bottle, leaving about a 2-inch air gap at the top for the ginger beer to breathe. Place the tops on, but don't tighten down until the following day.

Sample after 5 days, covering the neck of the bottle with a cloth when opening. A small amount of sediment may collect at the bottom of the bottle. Decant the contents of the bottle into a pitcher, taking care that the sediment remains in the bottle. Serve chilled. Dilute with a lemonade soda or beer to make a refreshing drink.

To continue the plant, divide the sludge into two glass juice containers, add 1 1/4 cups of hand-hot water to each and feed the plant in the previous manner. You'll then be running two plants and will be making double the amount.