My ginger bug bubbled over after I swapped sugar types

I started two ginger bugs at the same time last week, one with plain white sugar and one with raw cane sugar. The white sugar one was fine, just a few bubbles. The raw sugar one went absolutely nuts after 4 days, fizzing over the jar and making a sticky mess all over my counter. I think the extra minerals in the raw sugar made the wild yeast way more active. Now I'm only using a quarter cup of water for the first few days with that sugar. Anyone have a ginger bug that tried to escape its jar?

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3 Comments

theas946mo ago

I always thought sugar type didn't matter much for fermentation speed. My bug with organic brown sugar did the same thing, it was like a volcano after day three. I had to switch to a much bigger jar and cut the initial water in half. The difference in activity is crazy.

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the_robin6mo ago

Brown sugar's got more stuff for the yeast to eat.

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paige_martin5mo ago

Totally agree with the brown sugar comment. Those extra bits in raw or brown sugar are basically a full meal for the yeast instead of just a snack. My first bug with dark muscovado was a monster, it ate through the sugar so fast I had to feed it twice a day. You really have to treat those unrefined sugars like a totally different ingredient. Starting with way less liquid is the only way to keep it from painting your kitchen ceiling.

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