Sarsaparilla ale

Has anyone made an ale or a lager using sarsaparilla or any other root beer flavorings? All the information I could find was all on making soda.

Thanks

Ive been looking into this too. I'm getting frustrated to the point of maybe just replacing some water with some Sars or Root Beer. Just not sure how the Preservative 211 will go in fermentation.

I know people put a liquorice stick in the stouts at the beginning of fermentation but It's still not sars.

I'm about in the same boat as you, I looked for ale recipes with root beer flavor qualities and couldn't find anything. So, I'm basically going to wing it...I'm brewing an Amber Ale and using 2oz of Indian Sarsaparilla (1oz 5 min left for boil) and 1 oz during secondary fermentation.

I'll post again in a few weeks to let you know how it went. Meanwhile, if you do find a recipe or happen to brew your own, let me know.


P.S. I'm using a 2oz pkg of Brewer's Best Indian Sarsaparilla

Finally got this one brewed and bottled and I'm encouraged by the results. As I said earlier, I basically used an Amber Ale base, added 1oz of Brewer's Best Indian Sarsaparilla with 5 minutes left in the boil, made a tea using 1 cup of hot water with the remaining sarsaparilla and added once I racked beer to secondary and added 1 tbl of root beer extract. Tastes just like a root beer flavored beer.

If I decide to brew this beer again the only thing would think about tinkering with would be to decrease the root beer extract by 20-25%, as to try and decrease the "licorice" flavor just a bit.

Overall though, it really does taste like a root beer flavored beer....

awesome, JBIII, could you possible share the recipe you used with the mods you suggest?

I'd really like to make this brew for a xmas party and need to get going on this one

thx and keep up the good work

JBIII said:

Finally got this one brewed and bottled and I'm encouraged by the results. As I said earlier, I basically used an Amber Ale base, added 1oz of Brewer's Best Indian Sarsaparilla with 5 minutes left in the boil, made a tea using 1 cup of hot water with the remaining sarsaparilla and added once I racked beer to secondary and added 1 tbl of root beer extract. Tastes just like a root beer flavored beer.

If I decide to brew this beer again the only thing would think about tinkering with would be to decrease the root beer extract by 20-25%, as to try and decrease the "licorice" flavor just a bit.

Overall though, it really does taste like a root beer flavored beer....

Click to expand...

Very Nice, Please post complete recipe if you don't mind.

Cheers

For those that have asked, see recipe below...

American 2 Row Pale Malt - 7.5 lbs
Crystal 60 - 1.375 lbs
Munich Malt - 1 lb
Carafoam - .5 lbs
Victory Malt - .375 lbs


Single mash infusion - 152F for 1 hour

Willamette - .9oz for 60 minutes
US Golding - .7 oz for 30 minutes
Irish Moss - 15 min
Indian Sarsaparilla - 1oz for 5 minutes
Agave Nectar - 8oz for 5 minutes
Yeast Nutrients - 5 min
Target - .3 oz 0 minutes

Wyeast 1056 at 68F - 70F

After primary fermentation is complete, move to secondary and add 'sarsaparilla tea'
Sarsaparilla tea = 1 oz indian sarsaparilla + 1 cup of boiling water, steep for 5 minutes

With one week left for secondary fermentation add 2 tsp of root beer extract*

*I used 1 tbl of root beer extract, however I would recommend 2 tsp instead, as my batch had just a bit more root beer flavor than ideal.

For mini-mashes, substitute 1 lb of Light DME for every 1.75 lb reduction of 2 Row Pale Malt

Happy brewing and please let me know how it turns out and/or any improvements you make to the recipe.