Old-Fashioned Ginger Beer

Step 1: Bring 5 cups of water, the ginger and sugar to a boil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool until the liquid is just warm.

Step 2: Add the lemon zest, juice, and the yeast. Stir, and cover with a lid. Set aside in a warm place for at least 24 hours.

Step 3: Strain the ginger beer through a cheesecloth or coffee filter into sterilized bottles or into a pitcher. Loosely screw the caps on and set aside in a cool, dark place for 3 days before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

IMPORTANT INFO: The key to making ginger beer successfully (and to avoid exploding bottles) is to screw the lids on loosely and keep chicking throughout the 3-day fermentation that the ginger beer is not too fizzy. If it is, simply loosen the caps to release some of the bubbles.