We thought it would be fun to do something a little different than beer today, and this recipe looked like a tasty alternative. This one requires waiting an entire year before drinking it, which should be either very exciting or extremely disappointing when the day arrives.
Adapted recipe from Wild Fermentation (Katz) to one-gallon. Brewed two one-gallon batches.
6 ½ oz ginger, finely chopped
2 lb 6 oz organic cane sugar
1 lemon, juiced
¾ tsp vanilla extract
1 packet Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast
Place ginger, sugar and 1 gallon water in stock pot. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. After one hour, turn off heat. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Cool in ice bath to approx 85 degrees.
Add approximately 1/3 packet of yeast into one-gallon glass carboy. Strain cooled liquid into the carboy, make sure yeast is dissolved, and insert airlock. Ferment two to three months at room temperature.
After two to three months, siphon wine into a clean carboy, leaving yeast sediment behind. Top off carboy with boiled and cooled water. Replace airlock and ferment six more months.
Bottle after the nine months of fermentation. Use heavy-duty bottles. Prime bottles with 1 tespoon sugar per each 750 ml bottle. May also want to add a few grains (3-5) of yeast to each bottle, in case dormant yeast is dead.
Cork bottles with champagne stoppers and secure with champagne wires. Wait at least one month before opening. Chill before serving.
Planted and Enchanted 