Ginger ale/ ginger beer

This first recipe is the one I used in my first successful attempt at making ginger ale, or ginger beer.

¾ tbsp grated ginger
Juice and Zest of one lemon
½ cup sugar
Tap water
1/8 tsp. yeast

Combine the first three ingredients and shake to dissolve the sugar. Fill the bottle with water, leaving 2 inches of space at the top. Place in a warm place for 24 to 48 hours until bottle feels really hard when you try to squeeze it. Place in fridge to chill and serve!



Subsequent attempts have led me to something that looks more like the one below. I like strong flavors in my food and drinks.

1 to 2 tbsp grated ginger
Juice and Zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
Tap water
1/8 tsp. of rapid rise yeast

Combine the first four ingredients with some tap water that has been warmed and mix well. Add the yeast and pour the mix through a funnel into a 2-liter soda bottle. Fill with cold tap water, leaving about 2 inches of space at the top. Cap the bottle and shake until sugar is dissolved. Place in a warm place for about 24 to 48 hours, or until bottle is really, really hard. Place in fridge to chill and stop fermentation. Once the drink is chilled, serve and enjoy!


Tips:
- Warm tap water helps to dissolve the sugar, honey and yeast, which is why I like to make a warm mixture first. It cuts down on the amount of shaking time required to dissolve the stuff once it's in the bottle.
- I've round that rapid rise yeast works faster than regular yeast and being impatient, I prefer to use something that works faster.
- Opened packages of yeast does not last. Either refrigerate or freeze the leftover yeast to keep it alive longer. I believe the refrigerator will allow the leftover yeast to last between a week to a month and freezing the yeast will allow it to last up to 6 months.
- To see if your yeast is still active, put some in a cup of warm water and some sugar and see if it foams and expands in 5 to 10 minutes.