JessMN

Recipes 

@moosedawg71
I just bought a sodastream for my daughter and am new to the forum as well BUT I wanted to chime in - I have been doing research on making my own soda syrups and have found quite a few sites that say add 1 to 1-1/2 tsp extract to simple syrup (made with 1 c water and 1 c sugar) - now that is for vanilla syrup so it may vary a bit for root beer but it IS a starting point.

Also, a google books search (searched for "simple syrup extract soda") found old soda shop recipes and it seems like 1-2 drams of extract per pint of syrup is the common ratio for various extracts (1 dram=.125 fluid oz= 3/4 tsp (approx.)) which is about the same as the above amount.

Around 2 Tbsp syrup for a liter is what I'm starting with.

Hope this helps

Jess

portudork

Recipes 

Might I suggest making your own combo concentrate and syrup? Its way fun (I'm a noob myself) and super easy. Take 4 cups of water and add various roots (sassafras, wintergreen, anise, etc) and cook for a few minutes and strain. Then return to the stove and add equal amounts suger and wala, syrup for your soda stream. I'm totally hooked!

LasVegas

Recipes 

Experimenting with HomeBrew brand extracts, I've found using 2.5 cups of simple syrup to 2 oz of extract produces a syrup about the same concentration as SodaStream's syrups. 50ml of this syrup per 1 liter bottle. I use 1.25 cups of Splenda Blend (half sugar/half splenda) to 2.5 cups of water to make my simple syrup but 2.5 cups of sugar would work just as well.

This makes enough for 15 liters of soda (very close to the promised 4 gallons!), so if you want to use the SodaStream syrup containers, you'll have to reserve 150ml (about 2/3 cup) or make 3 bottles before putting it in the SodaStream bottle.

LasVegas

moosedawg71

Recipes 

Thanks for the information, I shall try some of these suggestions and see what I come up with. One thing we tried was doctoring up the Sodastream rootbeer mix, I put in the mix as per instructions, then add about 6-10 drops of the extract and that will give it a better flavor than the mix alone, so better than nothing, but I will fiddle around some more. Thanks again though - keep the suggestions coming!

passedpawn

Recipes 

I've used the Rainbow flavoring in a keg (forced CO2 carbonation) with additional vanilla, table sugar, and brown sugar. This is what I did for 4 gallons:

1 bottle Rainbow Flavors Rootbeer Extract
4 gals of tap water
2 lb bag of brown sugar
6 cups table sugar
2 tsp real vanilla extract

Family loves it.

__________________
Now there's some take delight in the carriages a rolling
and others take delight in the hurling and the bowling
but I take delight in the juice of the barley
and courting pretty fair maids in the morning bright and early