KFBass

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my little bro is getting into homemade soda's recently. While ive been brewing for a while, he decided to keep it legal and keep it to the soda's before turning 19 and making some beer. As such, I bought him a root beer syrup extract last time I was at the LHBS.

I'm reading the instructions right now and it sounds like a disaster. Basically it's calling for 8 cups of sugar ~ 4lbs? Then says to add yeast and let sit at room temp for carbing 3 or 4 days. after that move to a cool dark place. To me that sounds like bottle bombs, unless of course that cool dark place is my fridge and means cold crashing.

Maybe 2L soda bottles will hold more pressure then traditional beer bottles and that high pressure environment will kill the yeast?

it's a "old fashioned homebrew birch root beer" extract kit made by rainbow flavors inc. I'm assuming the instructions are fine, since the company is still in business. I just worry sometimes about root beer all over the carpet.

TwoFortySX

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I think a cool dark place is implying the refrigerator. I made my first batch of homemade soda with rainbow flavor extracts tonight. I plan on letting these carbonate for like 4 days an moving them all to the refrigerator.

MrFoodScientist

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In general PET bottles are better, because you can give them a squeeze to check the carbonation level. If you're worried about it, try an experiment with the same type of yeast, but without the extract. Open a bottle each day and check the level of carbonation.
It's a lot of sugar to basically throw away, but at least it will give you an idea of the time frame you'd have to worry about.

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highdesertdreams

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I'm no expert but ... I've been making assorted brews with 2 cups +/- of sugar per gallon so perhaps the 8 cups of sugar RAINBOW recommends is for whole 4 gallons of brew that their entire bottle of extract makes. 8 cups of sugar per gallon would probably make for some exciting brew experiments !
I've been brewing in assorted sized PET plastic bottles which I set in an old flip top cooler during the initial non-refrigerated 48-96 hr. brewing time. I figure it's easier to clean out the cooler than to clean soda off the walls and ceilings of our kitchen. I don't think high pressure of the kind you could get in a bottle will kill the yeast but a cold refrigerator seems to slow it down considerably.

Good luck,
Frank in AZ

Alleydude

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Really? 8 cups of sugar? We just did a batch that called for 2 1/4 cups sugar for two 2-liters (1 1/8th cup each). 8 cups would make it like syrup, wouldn't it? Or should I ask how much pop are you making?

hroth521

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I've only made two batches of soda - both were citrus soda, both were delicious. 2 liter bottle took 1 1/4 cup sugar for the second batch.

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