Homemade Root Beer?

[Jzero]

Target was selling Mr. Rootbeer for $5, so I went ahead and got one.
I was disturbed at how simple the kit is - some flavoring, and some yeast. Sanitize everything like you would regular beer, mix up the flavoring, the water, a little yeast, and some sugars. Put it in the plastic bottles. When the bottles are firm, put them in the fridge so they don't explode.

I did a little research and I'm impressed by just how easy it seems to be. In fact, it's even easier if you have a kegging system, which you can get for around $150. Now, I'm thinking about getting one. There is a local restaurant that makes awesome draft birch beer and I always wondered if I could do it myself.

Anyone ever make their own root/birch beer?
Got any good recipes?
Tips?
Is the naturally carbonated stuff better than force-carbonating it in a keg?

 

[badmouse]

I've seen that kit around - been tempted. How did it go? Good?

One of my relatives used to make his own "root" beer, but it was alcoholic and packed quite a punch. He was like 90 years old and attributed his health and long life to his home brew. No, I don't know what was in it. Actual sassafrass root, and a bunch of other stuff. It tasted terrible, as I recall.

Gee, this isn't much help. Sorry.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: badmouse
I've seen that kit around - been tempted. How did it go? Good?

Didn't make it yet
But by the looks of things, it's no different than buying the extract and yeast from the grocery store.

One of my relatives used to make his own "root" beer, but it was alcoholic and packed quite a punch. He was like 90 years old and attributed his health and long life to his home brew. No, I don't know what was in it. Actual sassafrass root, and a bunch of other stuff. It tasted terrible, as I recall.

Gee, this isn't much help. Sorry.

I read about that stuff. The guy who posted a similar recipe found it equally foul

Are the kegging systems hard to work with?

 

[CChaos]

I used to do prep and line cooking for a brewpub in Vermont that made some of it's own soda. Basically, it was just water, sugar and the extract for flavor. Pretty easy stuff.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

finally a thread i can lend some expertise too...

first, Root Beer and all sodas are very easy. Just flavoring and sugar. Some yeast or CO2 to carbonate.

Kegging IS a lot freaking easier...What you would want is a Cornie Keg System probably, or perhaps a party pig system. The pigs are nice, because at 5 liters/container, you can fit the system in your frig. Cornies are good too, but the kegs hold 5 gallons, roughly 29 inches tall, 10 inches in diameter.

Here is where I suggest you buy your cornelious kegging system, this guy has great prices and I have bought from him before...easy to talk to over email.

http://www.brewersdiscount.com/item5090.ctlg

he sells for about $140, a complete system. Most people want 150 for the system minus the cornie keg. Cornies run anywhere from $35 to 10 dollars....

Be warned though that Soda flavorings, especially rootbeer (has anise) will permeate plastics, including the gaskets and dispensing hoses so anything you use for Root Beer should be devoted to just rootbeer or soda.

I have made rootbeer using the HOMEBREW Root Beer extract. I didn't like it b/c it has a strong anise, or black licorice, component to the flavor profile and I HATE black licorice. Tehre are several web resources for soda recipes.


4 root beer recipes

 

[maziwanka]

whoa. this thread is pretty interesting.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: yamahaXS
finally a thread i can lend some expertise too...

You gotta love ATOT. Somebody knows something about anything you might ask!

Thanks for the tips.

Party Pig is pretty nifty. It's only about $50 + shipping, and it seems like it would fit easily in a fridge. Right now I live in a studio apartment so I don't have a whole lot of space for a 5 gallon canister Although it looks like you have to buy "pressure" packs from them. They are fairly cheap, but it might be easier to just run over to the beer distributor for CO2...

I was also looking at the 3 gallon Corny which is only 16.75"H 8.5"D which seems like it could fit more easily in my fridge. I wonder if brewers discount will sell me a complete system with a 3 gallon keg?

Thanks for the links and tips!

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

he probably would. his price on 3 gallons is really good. good luck!

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: yamahaXS
he probably would. his price on 3 gallons is really good. good luck!

I'll shoot them an e-mail.

What other sodas do you make? Do you do beer as well? I want to get into beer and wine, but I'm not even going to bother trying in my 300 square foot apartment

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: yamahaXS
he probably would. his price on 3 gallons is really good. good luck!

I'll shoot them an e-mail.

What other sodas do you make? Do you do beer as well? I want to get into beer and wine, but I'm not even going to bother trying in my 300 square foot apartment

search the forums for "homebrew" and you will see my many and largely ignored threads.

Most beer recipes are for 5 gallons, but you can do half batches. In general is a very easy thing to make, and hard to screw up. Takes patience, and a little bit of special equipment but its all out there. Check your yellow pages for homebrew stores, most cities of 200,000 + have at least one. Go and look at the basic equipment to get an idea of the scale.

btw, i have been brewing for about 9 years... I love it... beer is great, cheap and fun to make.

 

[Yossarian451]

Yeah it is cool, my cousins up in wisconsin worked in a microbrewery. WHen one of them got married they made a special batch that commenorated the occasion. It was a nice fisherman's ale, and a pale ale. Now one of them works as a brewmaster at another brewery.

 

[Jfrag Teh Foul]

Very interesting thread. I think that when I get done building my house I may try this out.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

Originally posted by: Yossarian451
Yeah it is cool, my cousins up in wisconsin worked in a microbrewery. WHen one of them got married they made a special batch that commenorated the occasion. It was a nice fisherman's ale, and a pale ale. Now one of them works as a brewmaster at another brewery.

which ones? i live in wisconsin... so many good beers up here.

 

[Jzero]

search the forums for "homebrew" and you will see my many and largely ignored threads.

Guilty as charged. I'll go take a look.
Do you frequent any particular websites devoted to the craft?

Most beer recipes are for 5 gallons, but you can do half batches. In general is a very easy thing to make, and hard to screw up. Takes patience, and a little bit of special equipment but its all out there. Check your yellow pages for homebrew stores, most cities of 200,000 + have at least one. Go and look at the basic equipment to get an idea of the scale.

Yah the quantities can be worked, but I don't have much room for multiple containers or anything. It's just gonna have to wait a little bit (shopping for a house even as we speak).

 

[MaxDepth]

I have two little bottles of root beer extract that a friend picked up for me while she was home in New Orleans for the holidays.

I saw this link for making beverages at home.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=11

i am yamahaXS there too

 

[Yossarian451]

Originally posted by: yamahaXS

Originally posted by: Yossarian451
Yeah it is cool, my cousins up in wisconsin worked in a microbrewery. WHen one of them got married they made a special batch that commenorated the occasion. It was a nice fisherman's ale, and a pale ale. Now one of them works as a brewmaster at another brewery.

which ones? i live in wisconsin... so many good beers up here.

really not sure. I haven't been up there in years. Also I can't remeber. But they used to live right next to the packers statium, in Green Bay.

 

[preCRT]

homemade root beer can be great [depending on the strength/weakness] of the anise flavor.

but birch beer is awful :disgust:

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: preCRT
homemade root beer can be great [depending on the strength/weakness] of the anise flavor.

but birch beer is awful :disgust:

It's a PA thing I guess

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: yamahaXS
http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=11

i am yamahaXS there too

There is another small-scale kegging system called Tap-A-Draft that looks promising as well. Found on the realbeer forum.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: yamahaXS
http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=11

i am yamahaXS there too

There is another small-scale kegging system called Tap-A-Draft that looks promising as well. Found on the realbeer forum.

yeah thats one the i was thinking.... Haven't heard anything bad about tap-a-draft.... a lot of people have cornies and tap a draft systems....

 

[Jzero]

Well, today is the day. The bottles seem to have fermented adequately and I put them in the fridge. It took 3 days in my fairly cool apartment. There were no explosions

I was a bit concerned because I substituted Splenda (sucralose) for regular sugar, but yeast don't eat Splenda. It does have brown sugar in it, though. Just not sure how that will affect the flavor.

I'll let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours to cool down....and crack it open tomorrow. If I like it, I think I'm going to order a tap-a-draft unit and make more batches.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

Originally posted by: Jzero
Well, today is the day. The bottles seem to have fermented adequately and I put them in the fridge. It took 3 days in my fairly cool apartment. There were no explosions

I was a bit concerned because I substituted Splenda (sucralose) for regular sugar, but yeast don't eat Splenda. It does have brown sugar in it, though. Just not sure how that will affect the flavor.

I'll let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours to cool down....and crack it open tomorrow. If I like it, I think I'm going to order a tap-a-draft unit and make more batches.

let me know how it turns out.

 

[mgravy]

Just wondering...

With a home rootbeer kegging system and CO2, is refrigeration a required part of the process? Could you simply brew it in the keg and then pour it over ice?

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: mgravy
Just wondering...

With a home rootbeer kegging system and CO2, is refrigeration a required part of the process? Could you simply brew it in the keg and then pour it over ice?

Excellent question. Because I don't know the answer.

In reading the tap-a-draft documentation, it seems to suggest that the bottles should be kept refrigerated, but it might be different for different kegging systems.

Although I imagine it is good to keep them cold to prevent the gas from expanding. I think they carbonate better when cold, too, and the cold also stops the yeast from fermenting when it comes to making root beer, although with the kegging system you can do away with yeast....