Creamy Ginger Ale

Hi-

I've made root beer many times before, but always from an extract. I have a ginger cider (warm) that I make during Christmas time, but I wanted to try carbing it into soda. I am looking for what people think if this recipe for a cold soda instead of the hot version I make now.

Per gallon of water:
1 banana
1 cup golden raisins
.5# grated ginger
juice and zest from 2 limes
8oz honey
16 oz sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves

I usually make a slurry out of all of the ingredients (except water and honey) in the food processor, then simmer it all on the stove for a few hours, strain, mix in the honey and serve.

Would that work for soda?

1) I'm wondering if the banana and raisins would make it do funny things when carbed.

2) Also, would I need to add any O2 back into the mix before I carb? I do that with beer, but would this simmered soda need it?

3) Would a dry champaign yeast be best? That's what I usually use for root beer.

I know it would taste good. This is a spicy sweet drink and I think would be tasty served cold and fizzy. The version I make now tastes like those ginger people chews. (http://www.gingerpeople.com/ginger-chews/original-ginger-chews-3.html) And I, and my kids, love those.

Someday I'd also like to try fermenting it and carbing it into a ginger beer, but for right now I want something the kids can drink.

Thanks!

I would think an easy and inexpensive experiment would be to fill up a couple emty 1/2 gallon soda bottles and add yeast. Sould give you a fair idea if it will carb. Dont use too much yeast though. You'll make bottle bombs

I'm wondering how the acid from the citrus will affect the yeast.

Dynachrome said:

I would think an easy and inexpensive experiment would be to fill up a couple emty 1/2 gallon soda bottles and add yeast. Sould give you a fair idea if it will carb. Dont use too much yeast though. You'll make bottle bombs

I'm wondering how the acid from the citrus will affect the yeast.

Click to expand...

Thanks! Good points.

I'm not too concerned with bottle bombs, I've made plenty of soda in the past. But, a test bottle is a great idea. I should try a 2 liter and put it in a sealed rubbermade bin in the shower.

Anyone have exp with limes, banana and raisin and carbonation?

I'm cooking the batch right now. It'll be bottled tonight for soda carbing.

I'll post results.

I'm interested how it is. I just bottled a ginger beer made of Rainbow extract, white sugar, brown sugar, honey and yeast fermentation. I'd rather, however, make it from scratch.

It tasted great.... Well, I've made it uncarbed many times. I'll report back after carbonation.

yabba dabba doo! put these in bottles last night at 5pm....by 6:15 this AM they were rock hard. Fridge time. That's the quickest Soda carbing I've ever had. However, I think sediment might be an issue lots of little stuff that the sieve didn't catch. So, they might be gushers when I open 'em.

When I make ginger ale, I usually make it in a pitcher in the fridge and let it sit for the flavors to meld for a day or two, then strain into the 2L bottle. It seems like the ginger and the citrus fruit makes a ton of sediment. After I strain it, then I carb it up. Root beer made with extract doesn't do that of course, but the ginger ale has lots of small chunks if I don't strain it.

Yeah, I do similar, except I let it simmer for a few hours, then strain it. But It's hard to strain out all of that sediment, nutmeg, ginger, banana, rasins.... I'll have to try the cooling method. I bet that would help it settle out quicker.

Thanks!

Tasted great! Very creamy and gingery.