Barley Wine Bottling Day Update

December 29th, 2016

I like to make wine in small batches, especially ones that I have never made before.
You don't want to make a flavor and find out after a year of waiting, that the results are not worth drinking. Bad batches of wine do happen and that's expected, but sometimes the flavors are not strong enough or are too strong and just need a bit of tweaking to make them better. That's where blending comes into play. Especially so with this particular batch of Barley wine. Yes I've been tasting this all through the winemaking process, but this is a new recipe I am developing and the flavors are just not working.

Back in early May I made a gallon of Barley Wine for the first time. I had no idea if this would be any good or drinkable. Well it's bottling time and although I have sampled the wine throughout the process of making it, I'm now finding it rather bland. However, I am also bottling the Citrus wine at the same time, which also seems not quite up to par. The Citrus wine has a bit too much flavor. The zest from the lemons are too sharp and bitter. What it needs is something to smooth out the rough edges, which may smooth out over time if left in the bottle to condition.

I decided to sample the Barley wine with the Citrus wine together and see if a blend would work. Both wines are similar enough that they would complement each other, why not find out. After trying several combinations of each, I felt that a straight 50/50 mash-up was working. They are bottled and hopefully early next year we'll toast to something special.

Peach Wine

I love peach wine. The last batch of peach wine I made was one of my favorites. Really good peach wine must be made with the ripest, juiciest fruit. Canned peaches? Don't bother.

My neighbors have a peach tree in their yard. I have to admit that their fruit looks spectacular this year. I'd love nothing better than to raid that tree and make a batch of wine. Even the squirrels are raiding the tree. I see them daily running back to my yard with a large peach in their mouth, savoring the sweet flavor. Half eaten peaches strewn all over like forgotten nuts.

Watching the squirrels raiding the tree has given me the urge to make another batch of Peach Wine. I will have to purchase my peaches, which is okay. I've been sampling peaches from my local grocer to test the quality. I'll do my best to find some really good fruit and hope for the best. In the end, that's all I can do. My plan is to buy enough fruit to make 3-gallons. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Thanksgiving Carrot Wine Recipe

Thanksgiving Carrot Wine 2015

November 26th, 2015

5-lbs. Carrots

1-Lemon

1-Orange

3-tsp. Acid Blend

1-Gallon Water

1-tsp. Yeast Nutrient

1/4 tsp. tannin

1-Campden Tablet

1/2 tsp. Pectic Enzyme

1 package Wine Yeast

Simmer carrots till tender and remove for another use (like making carrot casserole). To the water add sugar and disolve. Add liquid to primary fermenter and cool. When cooled, add the juices, acid blend, yeast nutrient, tannin and campden tablet. Top up to one gallon. 12 hours after the campden tablet add pectic enzyme. Twenty four hours after the Pectic enzyme add the yeast and begin fermentation.

The color of the must is like orange juice, a light orange color. It reminds me of the morning sun at breakfast time. This wine was a spur of the moment experiment. I didn't plan to make this. I looked at the water as the carrots were simmering in it and realized that this is exactly how I would make carrot wine. So why not add sugar, some lemon and orange juice and see what happens?

How often do you get the chance to boil five pounds of carrots? We just happened to be making our carrot casserole for thanksgiving dinner and the amounts were just right.

Rack after one week, four weeks, three months, then stabilize and bottle. Keep for at least six months before sampling. Flavor will improve in the bottle for at least a year. 

Carrot Wine, first tasting.

Last Thanksgiving I quickly made a carrot wine from the leftover water used to boil carrots for our Carrot Casserole. Vegetable wines are a mystery to me and I wanted to try making something different. I realized that wine could be made from this liquid having made parsnip wine in the same manner and thank goodness I did.

Last night I opened a bottle of my carrot wine and had a sample or two or three. It was delicious! I guess I don't have a good taste memory, because at the time of bottling, I'm sure I sampled some. It's a white wine, light, lemon color and very clear. The taste is similar to a Chardonnay, not at all like carrots, with good structure too. A bit on the sweet side, but not overly so.

I usually don't equate country wines with grape wines like Chardonnay. They are totally different beasts. Wine grapes contain all the necessary ingredients needed to make wine. The perfect package, each grape contains juice, acid, yeast and sugar. Carrots do contain sugar, but lack the other necessary components.

I'm going to make this one again and urge you to do so if you have the chance. I only made a gallon, (5 bottles) and I am sure to share some with friends. Carrots are sweet and savory and I think this wine has a good bit of both. Cheers.

I'll be sure to post the recipe so you can make some too.

Amylase

Having made wine for at least the last 12 years, I was surprised when I needed to purchase a new ingredient. My latest wine, a barley wine, called for the use of Amylase. I didn't know what it did exactly and had to look it up.

Amylase is used in the making of bread, cattle feed and laundry detergent. It's primary function is to break down starches into short chain sugars. There are different kinds of Amylase and they come from a variety of sources. One such variety, Alpha Amylase found in human saliva, called Ptyalin, is comprised of 511 amino acids and is secreted by the salivary glands during eating.

Another type of amylase, Beta Amylase is found in plants, mold, yeasts and bacteria. Beta Amylase is a primary component of Diastase which convert the starches of grains into sugars. Home brewers rely on this type of conversion in the mashing process to aid in sugar extraction.

Ancient cultures have used saliva to create fermented beverages for hundreds of years. In the Peruvian rain forest, locals make Mosato by chewing the root of the Yuca, fermenting the masticated juice into a refreshing alcoholic drink. Another drink called Chicha, is made by chewing corn.

So the use of Amylase in brewing goes back to ancient times. The discovery that saliva converts starches to sugars is a ingenious low-tech solution to making home made beverages from grains. Those same principles are used today in everyday products. Sure we could use saliva, but now we have other, more palatable ways of achieving the same results.

Bigs Barley Wine Recipe

Bigs Barley Wine Recipe

Makes one gallon,

1 lb. Whole or Cracked Barley

1 lb. Golden Raisins

2-1/2 lb. Sugar

Zest and juice of 2 Lemons, OR 4 tsp. acid blend

Zest and juice of 2-3 Oranges (optional)

1/2 tsp. Tannin

1 Campden tablet, Crushed

Amylase, to help convert starches to sugar (prevent starch haze)

Montrachet Yeast

Toast the barley (optional) on a cookie sheet in a 375-400 degree oven for about ten minutes. Stir the grain every few minutes. Cool. Put the barley in a large stainless steel pot, cover with water and soak overnight. Do the same with the raisins.

The next day, place the barley and raisins in a food processor, pulse till well chopped.  Put the barley and raisins in a grain bag and place into the primary fermenter. Then add the sugar and pour over hot (not necessarily boiling) water.

Add the juice of the lemons or citric acid. Also add the juice of the oranges (if using them). When cool, add the tannin, yeast nutrient, Amylase and crushed Campden tablet. Cover and leave for 24 hours, then add the yeast. Cover closely and leave for 8 days, stirring daily, then strain into a fermentation vessel with airlock. Siphon off into bottles when clear adding 1-crushed Campden tablet beforehand. Ready to drink in about six months.

Bigs Barley Wine

Whisky is all the rage right now and I thought it only appropriate to feature a grain in my next wine. More specifically, Barley. If I could only age the wine in used Whiskey Barrels we would really have something, that is if you like whiskey. I've never made Barley wine, so I thought it only fitting to make a straight recipe and see what it's like before adding unnecessary flavorings.

It's a fairly straight forward wine to make. No fussing with fruit. Just soak the grains, chop them with raisins and add to a grain bag. Put the lot into a fermentation bucket and add the rest of the ingredients. The only special ingredient you need is Amylase, which helps prevent a starch haze and helps break down the sugars in the grains. If you are interested in the recipe I'll post it here soon.

If you are interested in the recipe, you'll find it here.

Dandelion Wine Recipe

Many people would be embarrassed to say they have a great crop of spring dandelions. I was thrilled. Having missed out on the harvest last year, I was anxious to get to picking. I waited til afternoon so the flowers were in full bloom and picked quite a bit more than needed with more to spare. My front and back yard had more flowers than anticipated. I thought I would have to go about the neighborhood to pick my quota, but the backyard was plenty sufficient.

The dandelions are picked and ready to brew.

Dandelion Wine Recipe

Makes 2 Gallons

April 24, 2016

8-quarts dandelions

2-lemons

3-cups fresh squeezed orange juice

12-ounces Black Raisins

4-pounds sugar

1-can frozen apple juice concentrate

2-gallons water

2-teaspoons yeast nutrient

1/4 teaspoon tannin

2-campden tablets

1-packet yeast

I placed the flowers in a large stock pot and picked through them making sure all the stems and bugs were removed. I set another pot on the stove with three quarts of water to boil. When the water was boiling, I poured it over my flowers and let it simmer briefly, covered and let them steep with the burner off. Next, I added two more quarts of water to the stock pot and four pounds of sugar and let it come to a simmer for about ten minutes. Let cool. When cool add the flower water and sugar water to primary fermentation bucket. Add 12 ounces of black raisins that have been soaked and chopped to a fermentation bag in the primary as well. Also add the juice of two lemons, one can frozen Apple juice concentrate and 16 ounces fresh squeezed Orange Juice. Add grape tannin, yeast nutrient and two campden tablets. 24 hours later take a specific gravity reading and add the yeast.

Rack after 4-5 days to a glass carboy fitted with a airlock. Rack again after a month. Bottle when clear.

Nanking Cherry Wine Recipe

Nanking Cherry Wine Recipe

The frozen cherries patiently waiting in the main fermenter

Brewing date: August 24th, 2015, 12:41 pm

Makes 2-gallons

RECIPE

7.5 lbs ripe Nanking cherries ( both white and red cherries)

4 lbs granulated sugar

2 11-oz cans Old Orchard frozen grape (Concord) concentrate

Enough water for two gallons must

1 crushed Campden tablet

1/4 tsp grape tannin

1 tsp pectic enzyme

1 tsp acid blend

1 tsp yeast nutrient

LALVIN EC-118 wine yeast

Add half the water and sugar to a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Simmer the water and sugar for ten minutes. To a large fermentation bucket, add the frozen cherries. Pour the boiling water over the cherries and mash with a potato masher to release the color. Add the cans of frozen grape concentrate and top up with cool water to make 2-gallons of must. When completely cool, add the tannin, yeast nutrient, acid blend and 2-crushed campden tablets and mix well. Wait 24 hours and add the pectic enzyme. Add the yeast 12 hours after the pectic enzyme. 

NOTES:

I added the pectic enzyme at approximately 10 am on Tuesday morning. Will need to add yeast wednesday morning a the same time. 

August 26th, 9a.m. Pitched yeast

Starting Gravity: 1.098, Approx. 13% Alcohol

September 1, 8 p.m. First racking

September 13, 2nd racking. Topped with spare must from fridge.

November 18, 2015: wine is clarifying.

December 16, 2015: Racked wine and added American Oak chips. The flavor is very tart, with a rich amber color. This should sit about a month at least on the oak chips. 

March 20, 2016: My 3-gallon carboy has been sitting in the basement for three solid months with the oak chips added. I usually rack off the oak chips earlier, but sometimes it's good to see how the flavor changes over time. Today I finally stabilized the wine and bottled it. I added Potassium Sorbate, 1 ounce glycerine and 1 ounce of sugar syrup to the racked wine, mixed well and bottled. 

Sugared Plum Wine Recipe 2015

Plum wine #2 2015

Just having made plum wine a few days ago I didn't expect to be thinking about making this wine again so soon. I found plums on sale at Aldi and couldn't pass them up. They were selling Sugared Plums which I had never seen before. So I snatched them up along with a can of frozen apple juice.

Sugared Plum Wine 2015

Brewing day: June 20, 2015, 10 a.m.

4 lbs. Sugared Plums

1 can frozen apple juice

2 lbs. Sugar

Acid

Tannin

Yeast nutrient

Pectic enzyme

Wine yeast

Notes: 

Pitched yeast on Sunday morning June 21 at 10 am.

Specific gravity: 1.122, a bit high but not a full gallon of liquid so a bit off. I will top up to a gallon when racking.

June 29, 1st racking

July 19, 2nd racking, Gravity 0.993, beautiful ruby color.

No noticeable fermentation.

August 29, wine is clearing nicely and is a much richer color than plum wine number one.

September 13, removed wine from cold storage. Carboy has been in the garage fridge for two weeks to clarify and stabilize.

November 27, 2015: Bottled wine. Added stabilizer and three ounces of sugar syrup

Sugared Plum Wine: First Impressions

April 6, 2016

It seemed like every time I went shopping last spring, the plums were ripe and could be had for a bargain. I purchased these at a local Aldi, where I almost never buy fruit for winemaking. They were so fresh, that I decided to give them a try. Finding good quality fruit is the hardest and most important thing when making wine. I've made enough plum wine to know. 

This Sugared Plum wine was brewed in June and bottled it in November.

Plum Wine is one of my favorite wines to make at home. When done right it can be a special treat. The key is to use enough fruit to add body and flavor only adding enough sugar to get the brix level to about 22 or 23. That gives me just the right amount of alcohol to volume so the wine doesn't taste thin or too hot.

First Tasting

The color is a nice ruby red. The wine is fruity and sweet, but not overly so with a tart, well rounded smooth finish. Sometimes Plum wine can taste thin like Cool Aid. However, this Sugared Plum Wine has a nice balance and a richness that makes it special. The alcohol level is probably around 12% even though the specific gravity was a bit high on brewing day. I did have to water the brew down a bit while racking off the sediment which accounts for the lower Alcohol percentage. 

I'll be looking for Sugared Plums to come out again this spring with the hope of making another successful batch.

Link to the Sugared Plum Recipe can be found here.

Feel The Bern, Spiced apple soda

I'm calling this one, Feel The Bern, Spiced Apple Soda.  In honor of Bernie Sanders, democratic presidential candidate. The race is still on and Bernies hanging in there. I named a soda after Trump and thought it only fair to include the Democratic candidate as well. 

I scaled this recipe up to make three quarts. We'll see how it turns out soon enough. 

I'll follow up with a review in a few days. 

Specific Gravity: 1.06 (was low so I added sugar syrup to bring it up to 1.09)

Feel The Bern, Spiced Apple Soda Recipe

Makes three quarts

1 can frozen Apple concentrate.

2 cinnamon sticks 

12 cloves

1 ounce fresh ginger

1/4 cup sugar

Add one quart of water to a stock pot with the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for ten minutes. Turn off the heat and add the frozen concentrate to cool the mixture down. Pour mixture into three clean quart swing top bottles add about a half cup of ginger bug and top up with water. Shake well and cover with a clean coffee filter. Let sit for 24 hours. Remove the filter, cap and let sit out for additional 24 hours and then refrigerate.

Nanking Cherry Wine 2015

Notice the red and white fruit! The white cherries are sweeter then the red.

I've just finished bottling the 2015 Nanking Cherry Wine. To be honest, I've been putting it off for quite a while. Last weekend I was home with the flu and it was particularly nasty, featuring all the body aches, fever, chills and what not. So after a long week of work and a good deal of sleep on Saturday, I was feeling sufficiently rested to tackle the bottling.

The fruit was harvested over the summer from one Nanking Cherry shrub. We pruned it in the spring while the shrub was flowering. I thought we might have cut it back too much, but was proved wrong when the branches were loaded down with fruit in the summer. I picked more than six pounds of berries and froze them in batches.

The most unusual thing about this Nanking cherry shrub is the mix of white and red fruit on the branches. Never have I seen this before. In my research I discovered that each seed is unique and will in turn grow a unique shrub. The fruit varies from one shrub to another as does the flavor of the fruit they bring forth. The red cherries are tart, the white ones are sweet.

For the making of this wine visit this link.

Ginger's Revenge Returns

Ginger Tea Soda

03-05-2016

Brix: 10

Specific Gravity: 1.04

Makes 2-liters

This is my sixth Ginger Bug soda experiment. I wanted to take another crack at the tea flavored soda and add more ginger. The recipe uses a mix of citrus, Juice Orange, 2 Meyer Lemon and a lime.

I started by adding 1 quart of water to a pot. To that I added 2-1/2 ounces of sliced ginger, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1-tablespoon of Molasses. Bring to a simmer and add 2-tablespoons of black tea. Simmer for about five minutes and cool. After about ten minutes strain mixture into two 1-liter bottles. Add about a cup of Ginger bug to each bottle top up with water and shake well. Let sit for about 24 hours. There should be obvious signs of fermentation. If not, let sit longer in a warm kitchen.  

03-05-2016

I brewed this around 1 pm this afternoon and at 9 pm the soda was showing signs of high yeast activity. I made a double batch putting half the soda in a glass bottle and the other in plastic (2-liters total). The plastic bottle is rock hard now. A good indication that it's well carbonated and needs to go into the fridge to stop fermentation. 

03-06-2016 First Impressions. 

I love using this ginger bug better than wine yeast, which tends to gush if over carbonated. The soda did froth up when opened and more importantly did not gush all over the kitchen. The bubbles are well formed and pleasant on the tongue. There is a good balance of citrus, tea and ginger. Very strong ginger flavor, but not unpleasant. I think the sweetness is also very nice. Not too much or too little, balancing the tart from the orange, lemon and lime. 

The Donald, Citrus Bomb

This is the fourth batch of Live Soda. In my experiments, I've found a 10 Brix sugar level is just about right for my taste. The finished beverage tastes sweet but not overly so. I didn't always measure the specific gravity, but it sure helps to keep track of how much sugar to use per batch.

I'm calling it The Donald, Citrus Bomb with obvious references to our "Reality TV Presidential Candidate". And if he wins in the Florida Primary election then he will truly be the Citrus Bomb! Look out Florida Senator Marco Rubio. 

Okay, let's get to the ingredients

Brewed on 02-27-16

Brix: 10

Specific Gravity: 1.04

3-juice oranges,

1/3 cup of Jaggery

1-tsp of bourbon vanilla

Coriander

A few cloves

1/4 oz sliced ginger

Add the spices, water and sugar in a pot and simmer for a few minutes, cool and add orange juice. Pour through a sieve into a 1-liter bottle. Add about 1/3 cup of ginger bug and top up with water. Shake well, cap and let sit at room temperature for approximately 24 hours. I wanted to increase the ginger flavor with this batch, so I reserved some of the simmered sliced ginger and put it right into the bottle.

First impressions:

The color is beautiful. Like Florida sunshine. Good carbonation, with a rich orange/citrus taste. 

Gingers Revenge, Ginger Bug Soda

Today I brewed a ginger tea for my next Ginger Bug experiment. I added 3 cups of water, about 2 tablespoons of loose black tea, 1/3 cup of sugar and jaggery mixed together, Star anise, coriander, cinnamon stick, sliced ginger and fennel. I added sugar to taste a bit sweet, knowing that the yeast will consume some during fermentation. I poured the mixture into a quart bottle and let cool before adding my ginger starter. I added the ginger bug, about a 1/2 cup, topped up with water and shook well to aerate. Loosely cover and leave overnight to ferment. 

Brix: 9

Specific Gravity: 1.036

02-24-2016

In the morning, there was a layer of foam and myriads of bubbles rising in the bottle. A sure sign of yeast consuming sugar. In this case the activity was so great that I capped the bottle and moved it to the basement to carbonate. The cooler environment will slow down the yeast and keep the drink from over carbonating.

02-25-2016

I put the bottle in the fridge to cool first thing in the morning. It will be ready to taste test tonight after work. 

02-25-2016

Tasting notes: it's very satisfying to hear a good pop when opening a flip top bottle. Good carbonation without the gushing of bubbles is a good sign. With soda water you get really large bubbles, but that's not the case here. They are very tiny, with scores of fine streams like rows of soldiers running into battle. 

When poured, there is a creamy froth on top of the liquid. The color of the drink is of light black tea and the tea flavor comes through as I hoped. The spices are not as pronounced as with my Chai tea , which is a good thing. They don't overpower the wonderful tea flavor. A little tannic, but not bitter and the sweetness is spot on complementing the drink well. I give this drink 4 out of 5 stars.  

Taken right after bottling. The loosely covered bottle allows air to escape while keeping out airborne bacteria.

It's Alive Chai Tea Soda

Ginger Bug Experiment

My ginger bug has been active now for three weeks. I've cleaned and replaced the jars every week and have fed the bug sugar and sliced ginger on and off. I recently brought the bug upstairs after sitting in a 50 degree basement for five days. The bug tastes slightly sour, with a sharp ginger flavor. I believe most of the sugar was converted to alcohol and needs a bit of freshening up.

To revive the Ginger Bug, I poured the bug into a clean mason jar and removed most of the sediment and added sliced ginger. I also added about four tablespoons of jaggery, a 1/4 tsp of acid blend and a 1/2 tsp of yeast nutrient before topping up with water.  

Brix: 8.2%

Specific Gravity: 1.034

Let's see if the bug will perk up. I'm hopeful that the bug will continue to thrive.

It's been a few days and the Ginger Bug has revived, I brewed a tea and added the bug for a new experiment  in my sparkling beverage odyssey. I'll call this Live Chai Tea!

I usually brew 1-gallon batches, but with this Bug Starter, I can make any size batch I want very quickly. I'll have to experiment with quantities of sugar and flavorings to see what works best. Recipe below.

It's Alive, Live Chai Tea Soda

Makes 1-liter.

To a stock pot add 3-cups water, 1-cinnamon stick, Fennel seeds, 1-2 star anise, cardamom pods (crushed) 2-teaspoons black tea and about 1/3 cup of Jaggery. Simmer for about a five minutes and cool. Add to a quart bottle, add about a cup of ginger bug starter and top up with water. Shake well and cover with a piece of coffee filter affixed with a rubber band. Let sit to ferment for a few hours then cap. Leave in a warm place for 12 hours. 

When carbonated, place in the fridge.

Brix: 6

Specific Gravity: 1.0237

02-22-2016: the soda carbonated overnight and is extremely active. I placed the bottle in the refrigerator to cool.

02-22-2016: first impressions, the chai flavor is working, but it could use a bit more tea and ginger. Not sweet like I expected either, only about 1/3 cup was added, though. What I did notice was the excessive foaming that occurred when opening the bottle. That didn't happen last time which was surprising and the soda was not as fizzy either. Perhaps leaving the bottle in a warm place for 24 hours loosely covered would have helped. Then cap the bottle and leave it another day before placing it in the fridge. It's also possible that the carbonation was lost when I burped the bottle before it cooled off in the fridge. I did get excessive foaming at that time. 

It's alive alright and very naughty. Notice the bubbles forming in the bottle.

Mango-Pineapple Jaggery

Jaggery is made from unrefined palm sugar. It comes from the sap of the sugar palm tree that is found in South East Asia and Africa. The sap is usually collected in jars that have been coated with a bit of lime to inhibit fermentation. The jars are covered with a cloth to keep out insects and bats. The jars are collected daily to remove the sap which is then cooked down and concentrated and formed into balls for sale in the market. 

The sap is in some cases allowed to ferment right away and made into a alcoholic drink. One such drink is called Arrack. It a drink only locals would be familiar with because it is cheap, rough, and must be consumed quickly. 

When I heard about Jaggery, I was very excited to find it and make it into wine. I know of a grocery store nearby called Valli Produce that has a large east asian population and after careful exploration found the elusive Jaggery next to a huge selection of Indian spices.

I planned to use only Jaggery and Mango to make this wine. However, my fruit although ripe, was less than desirable and I added a banana and pineapple to make the beverage suitable for my tastes. I found the Mango on sale at a local fruit market and decided right then to make this wine. Had I known the quality of the fruit was poor, I would have used only pineapple and banana. 

Ingredients:

1-large pineapple

4-mango

1.8 lbs white sugar

13.5 oz. Jaggery

Enough water to make one U.S. gallon

Acid

Tannin

Yeast Nutrient

Pectic Enzyme

LALVIN EC-118 Wine Yeast

01-03-2016: made a yeast starter. 

Specific Gravity= 1.10 

Approx 13% ABV

Bring water to a boil and dissolve sugars. Meanwhile, wash, peel and cut the mangos and pineapple. Add the fruit to a mesh bag in the primary fermenter and crush with a potato masher. Pour the dissolved sugars over the fruit. Let cool and add the pectic enzyme and crushed campden tablet. 

Ginger bug soda #1

My first attempt at making this unusual drink went well until I bottled the batch too early. The ginger bug is not as vigorous as the wine yeast I'm accustomed to using. After patiently waiting for the beverage to carbonate, the three plus days were up and nothing was happening. Luckily I had fed a new starter, ready to go and was able to uncork all the bottles, pour them back into a gallon jug and try to restart a stuck ferment. After filling the jug most of the way, I poured a cup and a half of fresh ginger bug in and added some molasses and sugar, mixed well and capped with my trusty fermentation lock. By the morning bubbles and frothing indicated a successful restart was well underway. I'll let this ferment for a day or so and try to rebottle. 

The soda (Makes 1 - U.S. Gallon) was originally made with 2/3 gallon water, 3 grapefruit, 1 ounce cascade hops, a 1/2 stick vanilla bean, and 1-3/4 cups of sugar. I cooked and cooled the mixture, then added in 1-1/2 cups ginger bug and topped up with water, mixed well and bottled right away. I used amber beer bottles with crown caps. I washed and sterilized the bottles and kept everything spotlessly clean. 

After reviving the yeast in the gallon jug and letting it ferment a few days, I was able to bottle the soda a second time.  I let this sit in the bottles in a warm place for one day and checked the carbonation. Perfect. I moved the bottles to the very cold back porch. 

First impression: The flavor is very strong, not too sweet, a bitter brew with a kick of hops and sharp tang from the grapefruit and ginger bug. A bit too much, strong and sour, but I think it's a start. 

Second tasting a week later, the flavor has mellowed a bit. It's less harsh but has a bold, spicy richness that would go well with vodka or rum.