Load DataTitan ReloadingMidSouth Shooters SupplyWideners
RepackboxInline FabricationLee PrecisionRotoMetals2
Reloading Everything
Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 41 to 49 of 49

Thread: Home made Root Beer

  1. #41
    Moderator Emeritus

    MaryB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    SW Minnesota
    Posts
    10,304
    Most soda extracts will recommend a champagne yeast for its neutral flavor.

  2. #42
    Banned
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Casa Grande, AZ
    Posts
    5,526
    Still trying to come up with a decent recipe. I have scaled back the 5 gallon recipe carefully making sure I had the water, yeast, sugar, and concentrate correct. It still tastes weak and doesn't have enough sugar to suit my taste. I'm still trying to get it to taste like the store bought.

  3. #43
    Moderator Emeritus

    MaryB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    SW Minnesota
    Posts
    10,304
    Get some dextrose from a brew supply, it will add more of a sugar taste... I prefer all cane sugar though!

  4. #44
    Banned
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Casa Grande, AZ
    Posts
    5,526
    Thanks Mary. I'm trying to keep the cost of the root beer under that of the grocery store of $2.75 for a 4 pack. I'm retired now so I'm cheap

  5. #45
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    New Market, Iowa
    Posts
    1,466
    Quote Originally Posted by 6bg6ga View Post
    Still trying to come up with a decent recipe. I have scaled back the 5 gallon recipe carefully making sure I had the water, yeast, sugar, and concentrate correct. It still tastes weak and doesn't have enough sugar to suit my taste. I'm still trying to get it to taste like the store bought.
    My grandmother used to make it just for Christmas. She passed in 1962, so it has been awhile, but I do remember that Grandma's did not taste like store-bought. Had more of an "earthy" taste. I liked it better than store-bought.

  6. #46
    Banned
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Casa Grande, AZ
    Posts
    5,526
    Mine kinda tastes like what the German Shepherd leaves in the yard daily with a slightly better smell.

  7. #47
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    262
    Tell us how you know what that stuff tastes like, no, I don’t think I want to know

  8. #48
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    New Market, Iowa
    Posts
    1,466
    Quote Originally Posted by 6bg6ga View Post
    Mine kinda tastes like what the German Shepherd leaves in the yard daily with a slightly better smell.
    Kind of like some of that "craft" beer?

  9. #49
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    SE Ohio
    Posts
    2,361
    Haven't made any for a couple years. We were using McCormick Rootbeer extract. Only made it from scratch once. My Bro got the recipe from a Country Living magazine. We dug the sassafrass roots and gathered up the other ingredients naturally if we could. Bought extract oils if we couldn't. The roots have to be gathered in early spring before sap starts to rise. Make sure you use glass or crock container for mix. Some metals will kill or retard yeast action. Also use spring water, maybe bottled water could be substituted but tap water is no good.
    We always use long neck beer bottles of brown or green glass. We make about 20gal a batch, bottle and stack bottles on their sides with blue tarp folded back and forth between layers. At room temp.

    We had 16oz Pepsi bottles blowing up like fire crackers one year. They must be weaker than beer bottles because the clear glass would have nothing to do with it, when covered by tarp. The Govt took Sassafrass of the market claiming it causes cancer. That was the main flavoring in real root beer. They replace it with extracts of mints.
    When bottling we pour through cheese cloth to filter out any small pieces of yeast that didn't disolve. If you let them get in a bottle chances are it will blow.

    It use to be a tradition here to dig sassafrass roots for tea and to make root beer. The grocer use to sell it in the spring. It's a common tree around these parts. I would like to make a batch with 100% natural ingredients like the original stuff. The real stuff will have a small alcohol content, enough the blue smoke rolls when you pop the cap.

Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check