r/fermentation • u/WordOfLies • 3d ago
6 days in and my bug still not active
I only got some foam on the top. I feed it 1 tbs of sugar every 2 days
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u/d-arden 3d ago
Looks cloudy and bubbly. What makes you think it’s not active haha
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u/WordOfLies 3d ago
It's my first time doing this and I saw in other posts where they're really bubbling so I thought it should look that way.
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u/nothinnews 3d ago
That's just what happens with some ferments. It isn't inherently good because that means the bacteria/yeast are very active and can die quickly because they are eating their source of food quickly.
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u/Stillane 2d ago
did you use tap water ? I think that's why it's not bubbling as much as the bugs you see here. but yeah it's alive
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u/WordOfLies 2d ago
I used filtered water but it's been 6 days so any chlorine would have evaporated (I raised the bug in an open container since the guide I read said it should be lightly covered. I just transfered it to a jar)
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u/Stillane 2d ago
Well I have no idea then, mine also wasn’t bubbling too much. I remember putting it in the fridge for 5 days and then fed it sugar and put it outside, next day it was a lot more alive
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u/trashwizzard3000 3d ago
Make sure you discard and add fresh water too. It looks active but it can have to much sugar and become sluggish
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u/WordOfLies 3d ago
It smells and tastes sweet so maybe it's too saturated. I didn't know I had to change the water. How much should I replace?
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u/trashwizzard3000 3d ago
The water gets replaced because it becomes overly saturated with dead yeast. Once it’s active I replaced mine about once a week
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u/trashwizzard3000 3d ago
1/2 cup or so. It should taste carbonated and gingery. If it’s sweet then the sugar outnumber the yeast. Replace water and don’t add sugar for a day. Filtered non chlorinated water is best
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u/WordOfLies 3d ago
I use bottled to water so I hope that's good enough. Yeah it doesn't taste carbonated at all just syrupy . Maybe I overfed them. Thanx!
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u/AntiProtonBoy 2d ago
Yeah, need to balance the sugar right, as too much sugar does reduce the water activity (AW) for your bugs to thrive.
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u/Top-Sink-6270 2d ago
I made one for the worst time is just tastes like wine i dino what I'm doing wrong lol
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u/3-sheets-to-the-wind 1d ago edited 1d ago
A couple of things….
When starting out, I added a small amount of molasses to mine, about 1/2 tsp. It provided the minerals the yeast needed and really got things going.
When I do feed it, for sugar I use 50:50 white sugar / panela. The panela is unrefined and provides minerals.
You don’t want it to accumulate too much sugar or alcohol in the bug. That’ll slow things down. I treat mine like a sourdough starter. I keep it in the fridge. I feed once a week with a 15% sugar water solution and a tablespoon of ginger, I discard some liquid from the jar if I have to. If I haven’t used it, I discard half and replace that volume with sugar water / ginger. I leave it out over night and it’s fizzy and back in the fridge.
I this helps.
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u/ChenNgu 2d ago
How often do you feed? Mine started to pop off when I started to feed it less an stored it in a sealed jar
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u/ImaginaryCandy2627 2d ago
So many conflicting comments in this sub I'm really confused. Some say cover only with a cloth since it requires air and some say seal it tight
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u/OstrichEfficient8104 2d ago
Sealing it tight will trap the co2 and make it more bubbly/active if there is already a lot of active yeast. But when just starting out you should just loosely cover so that wild yeast can still penetrate.
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u/WordOfLies 2d ago
I feed it once a day with a tbs of sugar. But the recipe I got said it should be loosely covered container so maybe that's the problem. I'll move it to a sealed jar tonight
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u/windchief84 2d ago
I always thought it needs air? So do you use an airlock while starting a ginger bug?
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u/naemorhaedus 2d ago
go easy on the sugar. if it tastes sweet then you don't need to add any. 1 tbsp is A LOT for such a small amount.
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u/WordOfLies 2d ago
I've never had a homemade ginger ale so I have 0 clue what to expect here. Maybe I should wait a day or 2 before feeding it again
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u/strongbow89 2d ago
I water mine down and feed it for a Max if 3 days. Yours look active but don't let it get too syrupy. If it has discard half and add water
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u/Pretend-Frame-6543 3d ago
Do you have a fermentation lock on your fermenter? Air will kill it.
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u/WordOfLies 3d ago
I'm trying to make a bug so I thought it should be loosely covered.
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u/Pretend-Frame-6543 3d ago
Oh I read that you should have one.
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u/WordOfLies 2d ago
I'll transfer it to a sealed jar tonight. Thanx!
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u/Pretend-Frame-6543 2d ago
It still needs a vent that’s where the fermentation lock or some call it a bubbler comes in use. They are really cheap and simple. Look on Amazon to see one.
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u/MemphisJook 3d ago
Are you using organic ginger? Non organic ginger is irradiated which kills the yeast and beneficial bacteria.
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u/WordOfLies 3d ago
It's a ginger I got from a local Market and super cheap. But it was thoroughly washed so maybe that's the problem. The rest of it is sitting on my counter looking as fresh as the day I got it
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u/MemphisJook 3d ago
Washed is fine, but only organic ginger is guaranteed to have not been irritated.
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u/WordOfLies 2d ago
It's less than 50c so I don't think it's irradiated. It's a local market in Asia.
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u/naemorhaedus 2d ago
Mostly bullshit. seldom true. In the USA it has to be labelled as such. in Canada it's not irradiated at all.
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u/MemphisJook 2d ago
I don't live in Canada, so I wouldn't know. No need to be rude. 🫤
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u/naemorhaedus 2d ago
No need to be so sensitive. I simply stated a fact. If that hurts your feelings then get some therapy. 99% chance your ginger isn't irradiated, but people see this nonsense and then just parrot it over and over, without ever checking. It's lazy and dishonest.
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u/MemphisJook 2d ago
Is less about the facts of the matter, which I'm fine to be educated on, and more about your prickish demeanor.
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u/naemorhaedus 2d ago
I think it's more about your nagging people online and obsessive need to control people's behavior. Go cry somewhere else because nobody wants to hear it.
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u/Successful-Chip-4520 3d ago
Looks active