Fermented soda delivers a delicious nonalcoholic drink PLUS probiotic benefits. The method for making fermented soda is easy, cost-effective, and can be done anywhere. This apple-spiced soda is great for parties, gifts, or a refreshing tonic at night.
As a homebrewer of beer, I love fermenting anything. The seasons are changing and it’s time for some apple spice with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc!
You will learn the exact way to create this apple spice fermented soda (it’s easier than you think!), and tips to make your fermentation journey a lot easier.
In the end, you will have your very own probiotic fizzy drink to enjoy whenever you need a refreshment!
This post is all about fermented soda.
Apple Spice Homemade Fermented Soda
This homemade fermented soda makes a one-gallon batch! If you are using a wide-mouthed fermenter instead of a gallon fermenter then adjust the recipe accordingly!
I also recommend to my readers to find out what ratios work for you! It is all about making something that YOU will enjoy.
What equipment you need for this recipe:
- Fermenting vessel: I like a one-gallon fermenter. Fermentation is easier to track with an airlock.
- Funnel
- Flip-top bottles, or recycled bottles of soda
- Fine mesh strainer
- Pot and stove
- Optional: Star Sans for sanitizing
What ingredients you need for this recipe:
The ingredients are simply what you find in apple spice. I left out allspice and cardamon. If you love those spices, add them in!
- 3 whole Gala apples
- 2.5 cinnamon sticks
- 3 whole nutmegs (cracked)
- 25g of chopped ginger (about 4 inches of ginger root)
- 1 gallon of fresh water (not tap water!)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Yeast starter or commercial champagne yeast
- Organic cane sugar: 1.5-2 cups for sweet soda, 1-1.5 cups for semi-sweet soda
RELATED POST: How to Make a Yeast Starter in 8 Easy Steps for Unreal Fermented Drinks
How to make apple spice fermented soda:
1. Gather all your ingredients and equipment.
2. Clean your equipment! I always recommend using Star Sans because it is an industrial sanitizer. When working with fermentation it is important to stay clean. You don’t want any bacteria growing in your ferment!
3. Add all your apple spice ingredients: apples, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and water into your pot and bring to a gentle boil.
4. Boil for 10-15 minutes.
5. After 10-15 minutes remove from the heat and add in your sugar and give a good stir.
As noted, you can add 1.5-2 cups of sugar for sweeter fermented soda, or you can add 1-1.5 cups for semi-sweet soda.
6. Allow to cool completely. If your liquid is too hot it will burn away the yeast!
7. Check to see if your mixture is cooled enough.
Rule of thumb: If you can touch the sides of your pot and it is slightly warm it is ready. If your hand can be there then most likely yeast can survive!
8. Using your fine mesh strainer, scoop out the apples, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
9. Measure out your wild yeast starter, and stir it into your mixture.
RELATED POST: How to Make a Yeast Starter in 8 Easy Steps for Unreal Fermented Drinks
10. Then, using your funnel, funnel your mixture into your fermenter and pop the airlock on top!
Allow your ferment to rest in a room-temperature area with minimal lighting. Then, after about 24-72 hours do a taste test. If it is still too sweet, then continue fermentation. Otherwise, you can move on to bottling.
Note: Wild fermented soda goes through a fermentation process, obviously, so it will have trace amounts of alcohol. As little as 1-2% ABV, but if you ferment longer you can make it more alcoholic.
Bottling:
The time has come to bottle! One-gallon recipes usually take up six to seven 12-ounce bottles. Grab your bottles and either rinse them with hot water and soap or use Star Sans to sanitize them.
RELATED POST: The Ultimate Guide to Bottling Homebrew For Beer, Cider, and Soda
Using your funnel again, place it in the flip-top bottles and gently pour your mixture into the bottle. Repeat until you have no more soda left!
Allow them to bottle condition for 24 hours. Then check the carbonation levels. If they are carbonated, place them in the fridge.
Do not leave out of the fridge for too long. They have the potential to EXPLODE, especially if fermentation is very active!
Enjoy your soda over ice or straight out of the bottle! Garnish with a cinnamon stick and an apple slice.
Health Benefits of Fermented Soda
Now that you have made your fermented soda, what is it going to do for you? Well, depending on the soda recipe itself, you can expect a huge probiotic boost from any fermented soda.
As we all know, probiotics are great for gut health and helping the good bacteria in our bodies to out-grow the bad bacteria.
If you fermented apples inside your fermenter in this recipe, then you can eat them and get a blast of probiotics.
Explore more on the health benefits of probiotics here.
Tips on Making Naturally Fermented Soda
Here are my top tips on making wild-fermented soda. If you are new to the fermentation game or are seasoned, these tips will help you!!
1. Use the allocated amount of yeast stated! Do not mix yeasts or over-inoculate.
I made a mistake and used wild yeast AND a dash of commercial-dried yeast. When I bottled it everything seemed fine, but they eventually exploded.
Stick with one yeast, either wild yeast or commercial, and use the recommended amount for each.
When you are close to bottling, check the fermentation (how much is the airlock bubbling?). If it is still extremely active, then remember that when you bottle and check the carbonation levels sooner than 24 hours. Check every 12 hours!
RELATED POST: How to Make a Homemade Soda Recipe (That Actually Has Health Benefits)
2. Taste test along the way
They say that great chefs taste their food as they make it. The same can go for homemade fermented sodas! You can alter the direction of the flavors along the way.
I use a plastic pipette to taste my ferments. You can get them on Amazon!
You will be very surprised by the flavor development throughout fermentation.
3. Know the difference between commercial yeasts and homemade yeast starters.
Commercial yeast packets and homemade yeast starters are the two ways to inoculate your fermented beverages.
Commercial yeast will create a faster and quicker fermentation and is usually more active. Additionally, these yeasts impart certain flavors.
For example, if you use Safale US-05 beer ale yeast, you are going to create higher esters. Esters are yeast-derived beer flavors. They all have different flavors, but mostly fruity flavors.
RELATED POST: How to Make a Yeast Starter in 8 Easy Steps for Unreal Fermented Drinks
If you use champagne yeast you will impart neutral flavors. Champagne yeast does not give a lot of flavor because it is meant to give the grapes a chance to showcase their natural flavors. Additionally, champagne yeast results in a drier finish.
Lastly, wild yeast is just that. Wild. Each inoculation is different! Though, you have the opportunity to work with the naturally occurring yeast in your environment.
4. Have a reliable place to get herbs and spices
Specifically, for this recipe, all ingredients can be found in your local supermarket. However, if you are interested in other recipes or the additional health benefit of adding special herbs, check out Mountain Rose Herbs.
Mountain Rose Herbs are ethically sourced and their products are all organic. They have everything you need for homemade herbal drinks. You can look into them here.
RELATED POST: How to Craft Nutritive Herbal Alcoholic Drinks at Home
5. Do not use tap water!
If you are familiar with homebrewing, you know that water plays a huge role in the final product. Water with too many chemicals, not enough electrolytes, etc all play a huge role in the overall flavor and quality of the final beverage.
Using tap water will introduce chlorine in your ferment. Chlorine will kill your yeast and any good bacteria growth in your ferment.
Chlorine, also, imparts an annoyance of flavor. Trust me, you don’t want it! I recommend finding a quality water source.
Even having water delivered to your home that you know is quality with no chemicals and balanced electrolytes will change the game for you. Check out PRIMO water. You can find them at some local grocery store at check out.
This post was all about apple-spiced fermented soda.
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