Bottling Ginger ale/root beer

I have made several batches of both. The process was the following: mix a bunch of sugar, water, roots and spices together in sturdy plastic jug. Leave at room temp until the thing is about to explode. Put in fridge and pour through a strainer into glasses to serve.

This has worked out great but I would love to be able to bottle my stuff for many reasons. I know i can do basically what I've been doing and allow the sodas to naturally carbonate in the bottle. However, I've heard that can be dangerous to do with glass bottles (explosions) Would it just be easier to force carbonate with a Sodastream? if so, I have no problem buying one. Finally, if i decide to do it that way would I need to make a syrup and if so how on earth would I get all the chunks of ginger, anise, etc out of the syrup.

Any help would be greatly appreciated even if that just involves pointing me towards some resources.

Thanks!!

No problem bottling as long as you 1.)mixed the yeast evenly into the "wort" (whatever you want to call pre-carbed soda solution), 2.) have at least one plastic test bottle of equal fluid content to the glass with the batch, and 3.) keep a close eye on the plastic bottle once a day to make sure the test bottle doesn't get too hard.

Put in the fridge once it is hard to squeeze knowing that the yeast will continue to work on the sugar as the bottles cool to fridge temps. Enjoy.

One ingredient I forgot to mention in the OP was yeast, duh. Anyway, that sounds great but I wonder if it might be quicker, more consistent and easier to force carbonate?

amcclai7 said:

One ingredient I forgot to mention in the OP was yeast, duh. Anyway, that sounds great but I wonder if it might be quicker, more consistent and easier to force carbonate?

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If you have the extra money then get your whole keg setup and then it would be easier. Never used soda stream so I can't comment.