Newbie with questions - (root beer kit)

I'm about to attempt my first batch of root beer.I bought one of those kits that have everything you need(ok quit laughing at me now) Is there any tips like what type of sugar is better than another.It came with Champagne yeast.Any tips would help. I don't want to screw up my first batch too awful bad.Thanks.

Well, it's really as easy as the directions say. The only tip I can think of is to make sure you do use plastic bottles. I know glass would be great, but there really isn't any way to control carbonation other than putting them in the fridge, so plastic is a must. Otherwise, make it as directed the first time. Then, you can make some changes if you want. We've discovered that we do not like brown sugar (instead of 1/2 of the white) in it, and champagne yeast works great. I like about 1 TBSP of malto dextrine in a batch- it gives it some great mouthfeel.

I prefer to use cane sugar, but this a personal preference. Cane sugar is a rarity in sodas in the U.S. because of tariffs desigened to encourage the use of domestic sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup or beer sugar. Thus, if you use cane sugar you'll be making a soda that you can't really get here and would have to go to Canada to get. This is really sad when you realize that Hershey moved from Pennsylvania to Canada under NAFTA because of these tarriffs, but I digress.

Well I attempted my first batch today.I used malto dextrine, pure cane sugar & dark brown sugar along with champagne yeast.
It's bottled up in dark brown plastic bottles in a 70 degree room, check them every day until the bottles get rock hard then refrigerate for two weeks according to the directions. Sound about right?

Yooper,

Could you tell me the sugar ratios you've
used when using Malto ? I too have an extract
box of rootbeer, and would be interested in your
recipe.

Thanks.

Karb

Sure- it was simple! The recipe was:

1 c sugar
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 tsp malto dextrine
1 TBSP root beer extract
1/4 tsp yeast (if bottling)

1 gallon water.


We decided the brown sugar wasn't to our taste, and it was a bit too sweet. So, we just used regular sugar instead of the brown sugar, and cut it down maybe 1/4 cup or so.

racefan said:

Well I attempted my first batch today.I used malto dextrine, pure cane sugar & dark brown sugar along with champagne yeast.
It's bottled up in dark brown plastic bottles in a 70 degree room, check them every day until the bottles get rock hard then refrigerate for two weeks according to the directions. Sound about right?

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Yes, that sounds about right. But you don't have to refrigerate for two weeks- just a day or so would work.

Maybe sure you put them ALL in the fridge when they get hard, though.

We decided the brown sugar wasn't to our taste, and it was a bit too sweet. So, we just used regular sugar instead of the brown sugar, and cut it down maybe 1/4 cup or so.

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Yooper:

Do you just mix it all together in, say, a gallon plastic pitcher then funnel into bottles?

Rick

Rick_R said:

Yooper:

Do you just mix it all together in, say, a gallon plastic pitcher then funnel into bottles?

Rick

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We boiled up about 1/2 the water, to dissolve the sugar. Then mixed it all up in a sanitized pitcher (when cool, added the yeast) and poured it in the bottles. We used those 20 ounce PET bottles that you can get with beer kits.

newell456 said:

This is really sad when you realize that Hershey moved from Pennsylvania to Canada under NAFTA because of these tarriffs, but I digress.

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Hershey is still located in Pennsylvania, they simply opened another plant in Canada in 1963, 30 years before NAFTA. This plant closed last year, and operations were relocated to Mexico, which has more to do with labor costs than sugar tariffs.

The Blow Leprechaun said:

Hershey is still located in Pennsylvania, they simply opened another plant in Canada in 1963, 30 years before NAFTA. This plant closed last year, and operations were relocated to Mexico, which has more to do with labor costs than sugar tariffs.

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newell456 said:

I prefer to use cane sugar, but this a personal preference. Cane sugar is a rarity in sodas in the U.S. because of tariffs desigened to encourage the use of domestic sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup or beer sugar. Thus, if you use cane sugar you'll be making a soda that you can't really get here and would have to go to Canada to get. This is really sad when you realize that Hershey moved from Pennsylvania to Canada under NAFTA because of these tarriffs, but I digress.

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HFCS is used in all the US made sodas simply because it is the cheapest ingredient available. The corn industry is a mind bending monstrosity, and is well chronicled in the book The Omnivore's Dilemma and the documentary King Corn.
Here in the San Diego area Costco's, we can get Coke that is mfg in Mexico, with cane sugar. I can detect, and prefer, the different taste.

Germey said:

Here in the San Diego area Costco's, we can get Coke that is mfg in Mexico, with cane sugar. I can detect, and prefer, the different taste.

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I think a lot of people do, I know Dublin Dr. Pepper is supposed to be outstanding.

its really quite simple
get some good extract (for starting out) follow directions
use clean PET 2L bottle or smaller/larger depending on your batch size
use clean, freshly drawn water - important!
make 1st batch with refined sugar to get a baseline taste going then vary depending on preference (honey, molasses, turbinado, cane, etc.)
bottle ferment for 2-4 days until bottle is tight
put in fridge for same amount of days to slow fermentation
enjoy
repeat