Cloudy Root Beer

DrJT · 09-26-2011, 07:22 PM

Hi!

My first time making anything, so this might be an incredibly stupid question.

I used this recipe
1 cake, compressed yeast
5 pounds, sugar
2 ounces, sassafras root
1 ounce, hops or ginger root
2 ounces, juniper berries
4 gallons, water
1 ounce, dandelion root
2 ounces, wintergreen

With some slight changes, but the instructions were pretty lacking. After watching a few videos and talking to people, I gave it a shot.

The root beer is in bottles but there is a layer of a cloudy dust on the bottom.

Im assuming this is from nit straining it properly.
So my question

How do you go about straining so this doesn't happen?

(or, you know, is there anything else that may have done this?)

Razzby · 09-26-2011, 10:27 PM

Hi! All of the spice heavy brews I've done have had a fine sediment, even after straining through two layers of linen. It hasn't negatively impacted the taste in any batch.

My guess is that the dissolved solids that become suspended during the initial brewing eventually precipitate to the bottom as you chill.

I've noticed some of my favorite mass produced sodas - Bundaberg! - all have the same sediment.

DrJT · 09-26-2011, 11:11 PM

Thanks!
It makes me feel a little skeptical but if other people have had this issue then I feel a little less dumb.

I will give it a try and see what happens!

Here's to hoping I don't die XD

**Yooper** · 09-27-2011, 01:58 AM

In order to carbonate the soda, the yeast will ferment some of the sugar and produce co2 as a result. This action means that there will always be a slight dusting of yeast in the bottle.

There are ways to minimize it, and to make the yeast that is produced be very tightly packed to the bottom so you can pour the soda off of it.

One- don't use bread yeast! It makes super fine lees (sediment) that NEVER seems to clear! Instead, use some wine yeast, about $.50 cents a package on a wineshop. Champagne yeast is good, and very neutral flavored. You only need a little bit- like 1/4 teaspoon- in a batch so close it up tightly and use it again next time.

Secondly, leave it in the fridge a few days before serving so that the cold causes the yeast and other suspended solids to fall to the bottom.

Lastly, when you pour the soda, pour it all in one pour to avoid resuspending the sediment. That means pour it into a pitcher (if it's a big bottle and you're serving several servings), or bottle in smaller one-serving sized bottles. I like used 16 ounce soda bottles, because you can pour it in one big glass in one pour.

DrJT · 09-27-2011, 02:07 AM

I used champagne yeast because it is what was recommended to me.

As long as this sediment is normal, I'm feeling pretty ok about the now, thanks!