kc_in_wv

Recipes 

dug roots and herbs. I know an old woman once who made it this way and I was wondering what went in it besides Sassafras root.

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Suthrncomfrt1884

Recipes 

That's the only way I make mine. It's not the same as modern rootbeer, but it's very good. My whole family loves root beer floats at my place.

Here's the recipe I use:

Simmer the following ingredients in 5qts of water for about an hour or until everything has condensed down to 5qts again.

•1 oz sarsparilla root
•1 oz sassafras root bark
•1 oz cherry bark
•1/2 oz licorice root
•1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
•1/8 oz cinnamon (about half a stick)
•2 to 4 oz raisins (you can add more if you like their flavor)
•1/2 tsp salt
•3 cups honey
•1/2 cup molasses
•4 lb sugar

Once you have the base, strain the mixture and add...

•1 tbsp vanilla extract
•1 tsp wintergreen or birch extract, or 1/2 tsp pure essential oil

I don't usually add the wintergreen, but it makes it taste more modern if you want it.

This recipe makes a 1:4 ratio. I usually just add the entire 5qts to a keg and fill it up as much as possible with water. If you want it to look like real rootbeer, you'll need to add caramel coloring to it. As is...it looks like a cream soda.

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kc_in_wv

Recipes 

I will try to make some of it. Do you put any yeast in it to cause carbonation? I don't have a keg but I do have quite a few returnable type pop bottles I had thought of using.

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What I smoke has a sting to it.

Suthrncomfrt1884

Recipes 

I don't use yeast for root beer because I have kegs and don't like the flavor yeast adds to the final product. You could just store the syrup in 1 liter ball jars and make a glass at a time as you want. If you did it this way, you could use club soda in place of normal water and it would give you the carbonation you're looking for.

Otherwise, as you said, you could add yeast. There's enough sugar in this recipe to carbonate it. I'd mix up whatever you're wanting to bottle, add a neutral yeast, and bottle it in plastic bottles. Don't use glass. When the bottles feel firm (you can't squeeze them at all) then put them in the fridge and drink whenever you want.

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He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven.

Another HERMS rig...

oldmate

Recipes 

You could also pasteurise the bottles, there's a sticky on it in the Cider forum on this site. Although, I don't know how a flip-top bottle would go with the increased heat and pressure.

Loup

Recipes 

Do you have a good source for some of these ingredients? It's looking a bit hard to find Sarsparilla Root, Sassafras root bark, cherry bark, licorice root. I'm seeing a little bit on amazon, but it's pretty sparse on information on what is actually being sold.

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Nothing, figuring that out right now

Kegged

Apfelwein
Stout
Smoked Porter
Irish Amber Ale
Cherry Wheat

Suthrncomfrt1884

Recipes 

I bought all four of the items you mention from Starwestbotanicals.com

It's a little pricey, but keep in mind that there's enough in each bag to make 4 batches.

__________________
He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven.

Another HERMS rig...

Techniker

Recipes 

Alternatively you could go into the woods and look for them, though what time of the year you dig them up can change the taste. Sassafras is pretty distinct and when you dig up the roots, you'll definitely know when you have the right stuff. I think I am going to go out and get some this Thanksgiving for my own try at this. Thanks for posting.

-Techniker

kc_in_wv

Recipes 

I dig sassafras all the time. When the leaves are on look for leaves shaped like mittens. The same tree can have up to 3 different shape leaves.

The ends of the wtigs will be bright green and when broken have a very distinct smell. The best indication is the root but once you find the right root smell the twig so you can recognise it in the future.
Some people say you can dig the root when the sap is down but I like it the best in the spring before the leaves come out.

Make sure that you don't get the bark above the root

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Nablis

Recipes 

mountainroseherbs.com
I got all of the stuff minus the cherry root bark here and not too expensive plus i got some coriander and it is alot fresher than store stuff.

Looks like they do have the cherry bark too but I didn't find it before.