First time soda making

Austinco2 · 09-19-2011, 09:52 PM

So I decided on a whim to make some homemade soda for the first time. I used some Watkins rootbeer extract I got from the grocery store. And made up my other ingredients.

Recipe:
59ml rootbeer extract(the whole bottle)
2 tablespoons pure vanilla
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/8 cup molasses
1/8 tsp ground cinimon
A dash of ginger powder
1.5 gallons of water

Boiled all ingredients together for 15 min then put it in an ice bath to pitch yeast. it turned out much lighter than I expected but no biggie.

I reused yeast from a batch of cider I did a little while back. I didn't have any yeast nutrient on hand when I harvested the yeast last Week so I just made up some sugar water to hold me over.

Here is the real question: what the heck is This floaty crap? It isn't
The yeastIs it? It seems really dark and when I shake it real hard it doesn't break up much.

This is about 18 hours since I bottled the stuff.

Everything was either boiled or sanitized with the exception of the yeast. The yeast was originally dried champaign yeast.

Most are in very dark pet bottles and all but one seem to have this same gunk.

MrFoodScientist · 09-20-2011, 07:51 PM

My guess is it's yeast sediment along with your cinnamon and ginger powder. You may have it in all but one because it settled as you bottled. Spice does some funny stuff as it soaks up liquid. I've seen sometimes where it looks gummy or sometimes mucous-like.

zacschmidt · 09-21-2011, 05:09 AM

Kind of off topic but what did you bottle your soda in? Are they glass bottles? And if they are what kind/ brand are they or where did you buy them? Also if they are glass bottles and you carbed them with yeast, how did you know when they were up to correct pressure to cold crash them?

Austinco2 · 09-21-2011, 01:43 PM

They are 8oz imperial sugar dr. pepper bottles. Pretty much the same as the Dublin dr. pepper bottles. depending on where you are they'll likely be hard to find. From what I understand they are only supposed to be distributed for 40 or so miles around Dublin, Tx(something to do with an ancient contract). I live in San Antonio (about 150 miles or so away) so occasionally you'll find someone who's got them.
I also bottled in pet bottles. When the plastic bottles firmed up the glass went in the fridge and I gave the plastic a little more time. I made a bottle bomb on my second batch of beer and I'm not totally sure If my wife has forgiven me yet lol just kidding. I just didn't want to take any risks.

I opened one last night very tasty but could have used a little more carbonation. I'll probably pull some out
And give them another day. It was indeed the ground cinnamon floating. Any suggestions on how to get the cinnamon taste without the undesirable effects of using ground?

MrFoodScientist · 09-23-2011, 01:44 PM

I'd suggest finding some cinnamon oil, or steeping your spice first and filtering out the sediment.

Steeping won't get you as strong a flavor, though.

TimsfamousCider · 09-29-2011, 08:23 PM

I have read that using cinnamon sticks is a better option then powder. You can also soak them in hot liquid to extract oils.

xokeman · 09-30-2011, 06:12 AM

looks great I might have missed it but did you mention how the batch tasted?
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