Cold Brew Coffee with Ginger bug fermentation

Question

I like experimenting with different liquids aside from ginger tea and was wondering if cold brew coffee would be viable for a fermentation.

I was not sure if the acidity of the instant coffee would prevent the ginger bug from feeding off the sugar, or if some other reaction would make it unpalatable or unsafe.

Thank you :)

Answer 1

Hey so I did a test run myself with some instant coffee and I managed to get it to carbonate.

Here are my steps,

Step 0: Boil water and let cool or used distilled water

Step 1: Mix instant coffee and water into fermenting vessel, about one tablespoon of instant coffee per cup of water

Step 2: Allow the beverage to ferment for at least 3 days

Step 3: Refrigerate just before your desired carbonation is reached

Step 4: Profit

I find that the carbonation is incredibly slow the first day, and the bubbles are kind of foamier compared to a ginger beer. I added some vanilla bean and cinnamon to mine for some complexity and they come through in the resulting drink.

Answer 2

Here is an alternative that I use:

• 1 cup warm water to 110-120 degree F.
• add sprinkle of bread yeast instead of brewer yeast for a malty flavor and faster ferment.
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 1 tsp peppermint leaves

let rest at room temp for 12-24 hours. then remove foam from the top and transfer to clean jar leaving residue from bottom of first batch behind.

• add 1/2 tsp instant coffee
• 1 tsp sugar ready in 2-4 more hours at room temp.

Flavor: to me it taste like I'm drinking a knock-off Guinness

Cheers!