FRUIT BEERS

Naturally fermented beers and sodas are a home-made and healthy alternative to commercially produced carbonated cold drinks. Not only are naturally fermented drinks affordable and easy to make, but they also come with health benefits. In my recipes the carbonisation in the beer occurs through fermentation. The fermentation process converts sugar into carbon dioxide and later into alcohol. With less sugar and no additives, flavourants and colourants, you know you’re giving your family great quality and flavour.

Keep the following in mind when you brew your own fruit beers:

Water

Water is the main ingredient. The quality of water will affect the fermentation process as well as the taste. Try not to use chlorinated tap water, which would inhibit the fermentation process. If you don’t live on a farm with your own borehole or rainwater, buy a large container of mineral water to ensure the best-quality brew. Otherwise you could boil, cool and leave tap water overnight (without covering) to evaporate most of the chlorine.

Sugar

Sugar feeds the fermentation process. I prefer to use white sugar, as brown sugar affects the colour of the final product. Nobody likes a dull-looking beer! You can substitute a few tablespoons of honey for some sugar, but not too much. Honey is naturally antibacterial and could hamper the fermentation process.

Fruit

Use ripe seasonal fruit. All your flavour is derived from the fruit, so skimping on quality will affect the taste of the final product. You could also use frozen fruit saved from last season’s glut. If you’re stuck out of season, frozen berries from Hillcrest Berry Orchards work especially well.

Yeast

The easiest way to kick-start fermentation is with normal instant baker’s yeast. Many fermented sodas are made with yoghurt cultures, creating a lacto-fermented soda. These are especially healthy, as they invigorate your natural stomach flora and so boost the digestive system. Using a ginger starter (see the recipe below) is also a form of lacto-fermentation.

Alcohol content

All home-brewed fruit beers will contain a small amount of alcohol. Through refrigeration we halt the fermentation process, slowing the transformation of sugar into alcohol. The longer you allow your beer to ferment, the higher the alcohol content will be. The percentage of alcohol will, however, rarely rise above 4%. As far as I’m concerned, the beer is at its best 12 hours to one day after refrigeration. Fermenting your beers longer will mean losing out on flavour for more alcohol.

Brewing containers

In the first fermentation process, the brew is uncapped and there is no build-up of carbon dioxide. For this reason I prefer to complete this stage in glass jars. I then transfer the brew to plastic containers for refrigeration. For this second stage of the process, a 2ℓ cold-drink bottle works like a charm. With the build-up of carbon dioxide in the container, plastic will slowly expand whereas glass might just explode. So please be careful if you do want to use glass.

Bottling

Store your cordials and beers in any airtight container. Keep in mind that beer will build up pressure, so it’s best to store your brew in plastic bottles. Although glass is better for the environment, catastrophic explosions could result if beer is allowed to ferment in a glass bottle for too long.

If you are serious about making your own beverages, I would suggest buying a bottle capper and caps. This nifty gadget allows you to utilise old beer bottles by recapping them, and gives a professional-looking, airtight seal. I found my bottling equipment at

beerlab.co.za, and some health food stores and pharmacies stock brewing equipment. Just remember to sterilise those bottles first.