Pour 8 cups of water in a pot and add the herbs (you’ll use the remaining water later).
Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, lower heat and cover the pot, simmering the herbs for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Strain your decoction, then transfer to a half-gallon mason jar.
Stir in maple syrup and mix well.
Allow the sweetened decoction to cool completely.
Stir in your ginger bug liquid to start the fermentation process.
Pour the remaining water into the jar until it’s an inch or so from the top.
Cover the jar with cheesecloth and allow it to ferment for two days in warm temperatures and up to four days if the surrounding environment is cool.
After this initial fermentation, you can create more effervescence by closing the root beer in swing-top glass bottles. If you do this, it’s important to check the pressure daily so the gasses don’t build up too much. Leave it too long and your root beer may spray out uncontrollably when you open it!
When you’re happy with the level of carbonation, drink your root beer.
Alternatively, you can store your bottles in the refrigerator to minimize continued fermentation. Continue to monitor the bottles for gas build up.
