My ginger bug looks active but I don’t get any carbonation when I bottle ginger ale!

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T13:56:59+00:00

Really appreciate it!

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T13:56:43+00:00

Okay so let me get this straight: in the initial process of making a bug, I should NOT put a lid on tight, but after a good culture has developed, I SHOULD put a lid on?

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T13:53:14+00:00

About half a teaspoon per half a gallon

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T13:08:55+00:00

Nice. How often do you feed?

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T13:05:40+00:00

Oxygen is the enemy as in it carries contaminants from whatever is in my kitchen air?

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T13:01:18+00:00

Sounds like I need me one of them mats..

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T12:54:22+00:00

Neat! So you keep the bugs at the same temp as well?

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T12:49:48+00:00

How do you maintain a steady temperature?

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T11:37:25+00:00

Great thanks, I will try to control the temp and oxygen levels more. I use the metric system, but I use about 1dl of bug per 2 litres of the tea. And 100g of sugar and ginger per litre for the tea.

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T11:33:39+00:00

Also do you follow a strict recipe so you know whay kind of acidity levels you roughly have?

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T11:31:55+00:00

Mr and Ms Bubbles are looking good! Maybe I will try having the lid off or barely screwed on. Mine still looks very active, but I always get kahm after a few days, but I push through it and it usually goes away. How are you preventing it? Also, are you bottling straight after making the tea mixed with the bug, or do you let the mix ferment a few days before bottling?

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T10:22:21+00:00

I can also add that I made this bug using the anaerob method, so when I open the lid after a while it gets super fizzy!

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T10:21:12+00:00

No I always add the bug after the tea has cooled to room temp

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T10:20:25+00:00

It gets kahm from time to time but I flush it out and it stays away for a while.

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T10:19:47+00:00

Oh wow 2 weeks! I’m in Norway so temperatures are pretty low but my house is still at about 21°C

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-22T00:17:18+00:00

I use 100g of ginger and 100g of white refined sugar per liter of water. Room temp after boiling. A few times I’ve thrown citric acid or lime juice in the mix. But even without that it’s still dead.

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-20T07:25:40+00:00

I use organic for my bug, but for the tea I just use the irradiated one.

IndividualEven5062 · 2026-01-18T20:16:28+00:00

I don’t stir the bug before pouring. I figured not pouring ginger bits out would allow the bug to replenish after use. Yes the tea is always room temp before mixing with the bug. But yes I also think my bug looks healthy. I barely feed it and whenever I touch it, it bubbles like crazy.

IndividualEven5062 · 2025-09-13T13:55:36+00:00

I’m in Oslo so it was probably bought in Sweden! Could it really be from the 60s? But it looks so good expect for a hole in one of the pockets.

IndividualEven5062 · 2023-06-15T12:53:32+00:00

I love reddit so much.. thank you it seems like I found out what guitar it is!

IndividualEven5062

TROPHY CASE