Brewing Soda

I've run into stuff about brewing soda. The MoreBeer catalog has a blurb on it, saying it requires yeast. How does it not become alcoholic? Is there yeast that doesn't create alcohol? Curious...

Maybe it's alcoholic pop, like wine coolers.

But seriously, I thought yeast only made alcohol from sugars in the absense of oxygen. For example: there is yeast in bread, but you don't get drunk from eating it, ya know?

seven77 said:

But seriously, I thought yeast only made alcohol from sugars in the absense of oxygen. For example: there is yeast in bread, but you don't get drunk from eating it, ya know?

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Hmm, but we aerate our beer; we got oxygen there. dunno... I know that some micro-brewers will also venture into Root Beer & Creme Soda which i think have the most unique customizable tastes amongst the soda/pops. I think I'll leave the root out of my beverage creations. Interesting to know the process though I guess.

I want to find out because I have an idea for a soda...can't tell you, you might steal my idea!! I'm going to be a millionaire!

rightwingnut said:

I want to find out because I have an idea for a soda...can't tell you, you might steal my idea!! I'm going to be a millionaire!

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They already started making Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper.

It's true that yeast only makes alcohol in absence of oxygen. It requires oxygen for other phases of its life cycle, though. So, we aerate our wort, and the yeast goes through its multiplying phase and by then has metabolized all of the oxygen.

I remember an interesting thread on the homebrew digest years ago where someone was trying to make N/A beer and speculated that if you bubbled O2 through the beer continuously, you could maybe brew natural N/A beer. I think some scientific types shot some holes in that thinking.

And I think the yeast in bread probably does make a bit of alcohol, but just a tiny bit and cooking removes it.

I think when you use yeast with soda, you kill it by adding sulphites or one of those other chemicals wine makers use, but I'm not sure. I know you have to be careful because any live yeast in something as sweet as a soda will make bottles explode big time.

try this, looks like it may be what you need to know http://byo.com/feature/547.html

Thanks much...very helpful. They say you stop the fermentation early, and get a negligible alcohol content....or force carbonate.

crum said:

They already started making Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper.

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NO WAY!! Oh, well, back to the drawing board....

used to make root beer with my mom as a kid, the its warm mixed and capped very quickly. Forces the yeast to carbonate, with little to no alcohol. Maybe in the old day some allowed some to get a little alchohol and that how it got called root beer, always wondered about this.

I'm in Homewood and would like to join. Where are you meeting next?

Sorry the iPhone app is screwy abc putting my posts in different forums.

If I understood the question right, about pop not becoming alcohol when using yeast, it works like this. First off I brew root beer but still have much to learn. Yeast eats sugars and as a bi-product CO2 and alcohol is made. However, when brewing root beer or making "pop" with yeast, the fermentation is stopped far before any real amount of alcohol is made. Beer and other liquors need to sit and ferment for long periods of time. In my case with root beer, it only sits and ferments for 3 days. So this is why the pop is not alcoholic. Of course if you wanted it to be, then let it sit longer and make sure you have a valve on top of your jars to release pressure.