MTBREWDOG

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You can still find it at stores that sell tea or herbal supplements. I made a batch of rootbeer using sassafras and found that only after an extended amount of time (several months) that it even began to taste anywhere close to what we know as rootbeer today. I am going to be making some with extracts now instead. Good luck! It's a very unique flavor. I would definitely add some wintergreen to maintain the modern flavor...

Cheers,

Joe

itisnot_me

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i found a great store here in san diego that sells almost every root. (don't quote me) And they had sassafras. They also had a wintergreen oil in there that actually smelled like todays rootbeers. i think that i like the wintergreen in rootbeers today.

i made a batch of stuff with sassafras but i think i screwed up. cause i had only a one gallon pot.

I need to find a recipe that is small and i can make more than once. i have seen some ingredients that call for honey and molasses. does anyone recomend using those or to stay away form those

MTBREWDOG

Recipes 

I've used honey in traditional beer with good results. However most of the sweetness ferments off. I would imagine you could use it with good results. I have used molasses in cider (applejack) with fair results. You can't taste the flavors a whole lot in the cider. I think if it had less sugar in it that you definatley could. Also you might be able to just scale down the larger recipes posted and just do a 1 gallon version. Good luck!

Cheers,

Joe

itisnot_me

Recipes 

well one thing is that i don't really want to put yeast in it. i dont really want to wait for it to be done. i am more of a results now type of person.

oh and btw how do you make your extracts. i have been looking but only find ones for vanilla bean. Does it take a long time? And when you make extracts is the oz measures different?

MTBREWDOG

Recipes 

As per the yeast... It doesn't take that long to carbonate (usually 12-24 hours, 72 max) at room temperature.

Never done the extract version (yet). I have a bottle of extract sitting here that I will be using here right quick.

When making my own extract, I just followed a recipe that I found online.
http://www.root-beer.org/recipe2.htm

Cheers,

Joe

sil

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I'm from the UK originaly, where I grew up from the '70s till about 5 years ago sarsaparilla was part of my regular sodas of choice and still is if I were back there.

IMO it is the other way around. Sarsaparilla (pronounced sasparilla), was in fact the original root beer and as such todays root beer hasn't even begun to taste anywhere close to what we know as root beer originaly made with sassafras. Todays root beer pales in comparison to the real sarsaparilla root beer as some people try to get it to taste as close to the real root beer before the FDA ban, as possible..

For those of you who are lucky enough to be able to obtain sassafras root (not the root bark or leaves) then the addition of liquorice root are the base ingredients, along with sarsaparilla root (which incedentally is tasteless and odorless) for the original root beer, or sarsaparilla as it was known. smell sassafras root and thats what the tea tastes like and what the soda tasted like.....yummy.

kc_in_wv

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My mother has had a fresh root dug for her sassafras tea every year since she was a child. She will be 80 in November.

They have also proven that consumption of large amounts of alcohol causes some cancers.

Everyone has to make their own decisions in life.

__________________
What I smoke has a sting to it.

MrFoodScientist

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I have heard from reliable sources that the replacement for sassafras in some industry extracts is actually camphor, but most of the camphor that I have seen available says not to take internally. I'd guess it's probably added in ppm or ppb amounts.

Also, if you read the ingredients on the McCormick extract available at your local grocery store I believe it says cherry bark extract.

Wintergreen is used in some root beers, but it's not the only component. Like a cola, it's a very complex flavor. If you're trying to recreate it from natural ingredients, then there's more than just one thing that you'll be making it from. Some of the recipes that I've seen include licorice root, dandelion root, sassafras root, anise, raisins, birch twigs, citrus peel, molasses and wintergreen oil.

All three of the roots listed above I've purchased at Good Earth Natural Foods when I lived in UT. They have some liquid extracts available online. In store they have actual roots and herbs including things like hops and elderflower at some of their locations. If you can find a store similar to this in your area, I'm sure that would be the best place to start.

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Find Recipes on my blog: The Homemade Soda Expert I'd love some feedback!

Mairoa

Recipes 

I got sassafras and sarsaparilla from my local grocery store. They special ordered it for me from frontier. I use 2-10 drops of wintergreen essential oil since my little wintergreen plant is still growing up.

1/4 ounce wintergreen leaves
1/4 ounce sarsaparilla root or 8-10 drops extract
1/2 ounce sassafras root bark
1-3 inches ginger root, unpeeled and thinly sliced (A heavy inch makes normal rootbeer, and 3 inches makes it a lot like a hybrid with ginger beer, which suits me.)
1/4 ounce licorice root
1/2 ounce burdock root

Boil this in a half gallon of water, then let it sit for a few hours. It smells amazing...

Add this to another half gallon of water, 2 cups raw sugar (the book says a cup of sugar and a cup of molasses, but I use raw sugar in this house) and 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and the yeast varies, but I usually end up using 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ale yeast. Set aside for 24-72 hours, then fridge.


mmmmmm....