How do you make ginger beer?

Ingredients:

- 3 liters water

- 2 cups sugar

- ½ cup grated fresh ginger

- ¼ teaspoon yeast (active dry or fresh)

- 2 tablespoons lemon juice

- ¼ cup grated orange peel

- One 2-liter bottle with a cap

Instructions:

1. Boil Water and Dissolve Sugar: Bring water to a boil in a large pot or saucepan. When boiling, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sugar to dissolve it completely.

2. Add Ginger and Zest: Add the grated fresh ginger and orange zest to the pot and stir well. Let the mixture cool down to lukewarm (about 110°F or 43°C).

3. Add Lemon Juice: Once the mixture is cool enough, add the lemon juice.

4. Add Yeast: Sprinkle the yeast on top of the mixture. Do not stir it in yet.

5. Let Sit for 15 Minutes: Cover the pot and let it sit for 15 minutes, allowing the yeast to activate and bloom.

6. Stir and Bottle: After 15 minutes, gently stir the mixture to incorporate the yeast. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and pour into a clean 2-liter bottle, leaving about an inch of headspace.

7. Cap and Let Sit: Cap the bottle tightly and let it sit undisturbed at room temperature (around 70-75°F or 21-24°C) for 48 hours.

8. Refrigerate: After 48 hours of fermentation, place the bottle in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation process and chill the beer.

9. Enjoy: Your homemade ginger beer is ready to enjoy! Consume it within a week for the best flavor.

Note: During fermentation, the bottle will naturally carbonate the ginger beer, creating bubbles and a fizzy texture. To ensure safety, use a bottle that can withstand some pressure buildup and allow enough headspace when bottling the ginger beer.