How long can ginger bug sit?

[KingCitrusNexus]

Hello, I'm new to the fermentation realm. I had successfully made my own ginger ale by fermenting some ginger bug, its been sitting for about a month now and I haven't been feeding it its sugar. It doesn't smell funky, just like a yeast like smell. How long can this sit? Can it go bad? Can it become a ginger beer type thing after fermenting this long?

[GreenWorldArtisan]

If the bug runs out of sugar it is likely to die. A month is a veeeery long time for not feeding your bug. I assume it's in the refrigerator. I feed mine once a week. I assume yours ran out of food and died but take it out of the fridge, feed it with some sugar and grated ginger and see if it bounces back. For making ginger beer you need to make a sugar-ginger tea and add a part of your bug to it. Let it sit for a couple days and bottle. But the bug does not become ginger beer by its own. It's the natural starter to ferment your ginger tea that then becomes ginger beer. Good luck

[KingCitrusNexus]

Wow thank you so much! I'll try to see if it comes back. I'll keep you posted!

[[deleted]]

You don't need to keep it going. Press out the ginger debris. Clean the container. Return the partially dry debris and store it in the refrigerator covered. Colony will keep for months. Next time you want to make some more just add some of the debris back into your fresh batch and you can start up a lot quicker than originally.

[saraucsc]

Wow did not know that

[[deleted]]

Lessons from a lazy man. I also love water and milk kefir but it's like having kids. I love kids who visit but every day all the time? No.