In's and Outs of Soda?

Since the kids see me spending so much time and having so much fun brewing. The selfish little.............No wait, the darlings. Would like dad to make something that they can enjoy.

As luck would have it, one has graduated from High School and therefore a party is in the near future. So I would like to make something that all can enjoy.

Root Beer was of course my first thought. But not the only option. I'd make anything that could be enjoyed by the masses. Expecting 150 or so.

Any suggestions how to learn and proceed on this thought? Does soda take time or can you simply mix it and serve it? Sorry for the lame question, but the party is scheduled for the 6th of June so I don't have a lot of time to study.


BTW, you are all invited. Just LMK I'll send directions.

If you can Kegging it is the fastest. Most soda "kits" are flavoring some with sugar some without. You add the right amount of water and sugar if needed and carb it. I have made Koolaid into soda with great success add some maltodextrin for a better mouth feel . Also soda stream is pretty good and reasonable in price. If you wanted to "brew" something root beer isn't bad but it does make the lines Root beer only after that. Gingerale is VERY easyto brew and you can do it with honey and ginger. You can carb any of these in some type of vessle capable of holding pressure with some yeast like you do for beer but can leave a yeasty taste that might not be to tasty.

I have no clue about the up front cost for kegging, and what equipment you have that would suffice. I've heard it's the fastest.
Using yeast takes about two days beforehand, and it's best if you've done it before. But no biggie. With soda, just make sure it tastes good before you carb it, and it will taste great after. I personally dig the yeast flavor, but to each his own.
This forum is filled with recipes and links to recipes, good ideas, experience, etc. Reading past discussions is very enlightening, soda wise.
The other, more normal option, is the dry ice method. Great for parties, same day application, and you get slushies later that day, if you don't run out beforehand. You can dry ice most anything, i think. I've got a dry ice lemonade recipe that I always get asked for whenever I make it.

Thanks, I should have mentioned that I have plenty of kegging equipment.

Interested in the dry ice lemonade recipe.

I make a lot of the Root Beer concentrate from the LHBS.

I add 1/2 gal of water to a pot along with the 8 cups of sugar and dissolve. Add the root beer essence and stir.

Add this to the keg and top off to 4 gals and it's done. Give it some time to get cold overnight and gas up.

You have plenty of time to the 6th of June if you do some tonight or tomorrow.

You can make soda in a keg in about 30 minutes. Mix the sugar and extract as agent 99 suggests, put a bag of ice in the keg, add mix and water. Put it on 35 psi and rock or shake until the ice has melted and/or the regulator stops whining.