Beverages

How to make Hibiscus Soda

A tart, ruby-red hibiscus soda lightly carbonated with a ginger bug. Plan on a quick steep, 1-3 days of fermentation, and 1-3 more days in the bottle to build fizz.

Quick answer

Steep dried hibiscus with sugar in hot water, then strain and cool. Stir the active ginger bug into the cooled base and let it ferment until lively. After 2 days, bottle the soda and let pressure build, burping daily until it is fizzy. After 4 days, refrigerate the bottles once they are fizzy to stop the carbonation building further.

Difficulty
Beginner
Total time
4 days
Ingredients
4
Steps
4

Safety

  • • Cool the base to room temperature before adding the bug, as heat kills the culture.
  • • Only bottle in containers made to hold pressure, such as swing-top or sturdy plastic soda bottles.
  • • Burp the bottles once a day while they carbonate to release excess pressure.
  • • Refrigerate as soon as the soda is fizzy, and always open bottles cold and slowly over a sink.

Step-by-step

Day 0

Step 1: Make the base

Steep dried hibiscus with sugar in hot water, then strain and cool.

  • Set up clean equipment Wash the pot or jug, brewing jar, bottles, and any utensils before you start.
  • Make hibiscus base Steep the dried hibiscus and sugar in hot water, then strain and cool.
Day 0

Step 2: Add bug and ferment

Stir the active ginger bug into the cooled base and let it ferment until lively.

  • Add the bug Strain in the active ginger bug and stir it through the cooled base.
  • Ferment Cover the jar and leave it at room temperature for 1-3 days until lively.
  • Taste Taste the brew and decide when it is ready to bottle.
Day 2

Step 3: Bottle and carbonate

Bottle the soda and let pressure build, burping daily until it is fizzy.

  • Fill bottles Strain the soda into strong bottles, leaving headspace at the top.
  • Check pressure Leave the bottles at room temperature for 1-3 days, burping daily to release excess gas.
Day 4

Step 4: Chill and store

Refrigerate the bottles once they are fizzy to stop the carbonation building further.

  • Refrigerate bottles Move the carbonated bottles to the fridge and open them cold over a sink.

What to look for

  • • After combining: The base is at room temperature when the ginger bug goes in. A cool base keeps the culture alive so the soda can carbonate later.
  • • Day 1-3: Bubbles rise through the jar and you hear a faint fizz when you stir it. That means the bug is active and the soda is ready to bottle while still lightly sweet.
  • • In the bottle: A plastic test bottle feels rock hard within 1-3 days. That firmness means the soda has carbonated and should go in the fridge.

Troubleshooting

  • The soda never carbonates. The ginger bug was weak, the base was too warm when added, or the room is cold. Use a lively, recently fed bug, make sure the base is fully cooled, and move the bottles somewhere warmer.
  • The bottles are gushing or over-carbonated. Too much residual sugar, too warm, or left too long before refrigerating. Refrigerate sooner, burp more often, and bottle with slightly less sweetness next time.
  • The soda tastes too sweet and flat. It was bottled before fermentation had developed enough. Let the next batch ferment a little longer in the jar before bottling.
  • There is cloudy sediment at the bottom. Normal yeast settling from a live soda. Nothing is wrong. Chill the bottle and pour gently to leave the sediment behind.

Storage

Refrigerate the bottles once they are fizzy to halt the carbonation. Keep them cold and open them slowly over a sink.

Shelf life: about 1-2 weeks refrigerated

Serving suggestions

  • • Serve cold over ice with a slice of lime.
  • • Sweeten to taste for an agua-fresca style drink.
  • • Use it as a vivid mixer for cocktails.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Hibiscus Soda?

A tart, ruby-red hibiscus soda lightly carbonated with a ginger bug. Plan on a quick steep, 1-3 days of fermentation, and 1-3 more days in the bottle to build fizz.

How long does it take to make Hibiscus Soda?

Most batches of Hibiscus Soda are ready in about 4 days, though exact timing depends on temperature and how the ferment tastes along the way.

Is Hibiscus Soda hard to make?

Hibiscus Soda is a great beginner project — no special skills required, just clean equipment and a little patience.

What do you need to make Hibiscus Soda?

You'll need Active ginger bug (soda starter), Dried hibiscus, Cane sugar, Filtered water.

How do I know when Hibiscus Soda is ready?

Watch for these cues: After combining: The base is at room temperature when the ginger bug goes in.; Day 1-3: Bubbles rise through the jar and you hear a faint fizz when you stir it.; In the bottle: A plastic test bottle feels rock hard within 1-3 days..

How do I store Hibiscus Soda?

Refrigerate the bottles once they are fizzy to halt the carbonation. Keep them cold and open them slowly over a sink. Shelf life: about 1-2 weeks refrigerated.

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