So I got the boy his own soda making kit (Old Fashioned Homebrew Soda brand) at the homebrew supply, came with the 2oz cherry extract and a champagne yeast. Mixed it with the 4 gal of water sugar and added the yeast starter (whole packet) . Followed all the directions, bottled let sit for a few days then moved to a dark storage container for about 1 1/2 weeks. Tried the first few bottles and everyone says it tastes like cold medicine at the aftertaste, and sure enough it does. Now my question would be why, going on 4 weeks now and chill a bottle and open taste and still medicine taste. Any ideas, would like to get another mix and try again but don't know now.
Cherry cough syrup soda??
- Thread starter caplucky
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Brew-Happy
Well-Known Member
Ok I think what is going on is that you let them sit out too long. Normally, you allow the bottles to sit in the cool, dark place for a few days, then move them to the fridge for a week. Then you start drinking them.
Are they really foamy? I am thinking the yeast is still converting sugars. You might be serving a rather alcoholic soda. The point of putting them in the fridge is to drastically slow the fermentation process down. If you put them in a cool dark place for 4 weeks then the yeast is working to produce alcohol and CO2.
Do you have a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity of the soda?
You only need to store the outside of the fridge until the plastic bottles are very firm. IF you are using glass bottles be VERY CAREFUL!!!
The medicinal flavors could be a product of the warmer fermentation that is happening.
Are they really foamy? I am thinking the yeast is still converting sugars. You might be serving a rather alcoholic soda. The point of putting them in the fridge is to drastically slow the fermentation process down. If you put them in a cool dark place for 4 weeks then the yeast is working to produce alcohol and CO2.
Do you have a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity of the soda?
You only need to store the outside of the fridge until the plastic bottles are very firm. IF you are using glass bottles be VERY CAREFUL!!!
The medicinal flavors could be a product of the warmer fermentation that is happening.
pizzaman
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you made yourself some cherry hooch.
pizzaman
Well-Known Member
Try this for a quick and simple batch of soda. This was the first batch I ever made, and boy was it good. Drinkable in about 20 hours too!
Clean and sanitize everything as usual. Warm 2 Liters(or however big of a batch you want to make) of water in a pot, or microwave, or over a fire, or with your mind. Mix in sugar until it tastes yummy. You're basically making simple syrup here, which is a mixture of 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. This will make it very sweet(too sweet), so you don't need to make 2:1 you should make 1:1 or even less, just add sugar until it's to your liking. Add a few splashes of vanilla extract, again to your liking. Once sugar is completely dissolved in water, remove from heat and let cool to a little warmer than room temperature. Drop in 1/4tsp of yeast for every 2 liters, or every 8 cups, of water. You can also drop in some acid blend or a little lemon juice if you have any on hand, I used about 2 Tbsp acid blend. Once this is all mixed in there, pour into your plastic soda bottles until you have an inch of headspace, then squeeze the bottle so the liquid comes all the way to the top and put a cap on it. You do this to get out the extra oxygen and give room for the co2 to expand. Next, put the bottles someplace where they will be okay if they explode. After about 12 hours, the bottles should feel very firm from the expanding co2. Once they are firm put them all into a fridge to stop the yeasties. After a few hours, or whenever they are cold enough, they are drinkable.
The first time I made this it came out very sweet. I used 34 cups of water(roughly 8 liters), and 2 lbs of sugar(about 8 cups). I probably used about 1/4 cup of vanilla, as I just kept adding it until it was the color I wanted. I probably could've used 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, which for a 2 liter batch would be 8 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar. Now I'm experimenting with carbonating crystal light drinks, as they are cheap, pre-sweetened, and have many different flavors which would lend well to carbonation.
Clean and sanitize everything as usual. Warm 2 Liters(or however big of a batch you want to make) of water in a pot, or microwave, or over a fire, or with your mind. Mix in sugar until it tastes yummy. You're basically making simple syrup here, which is a mixture of 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. This will make it very sweet(too sweet), so you don't need to make 2:1 you should make 1:1 or even less, just add sugar until it's to your liking. Add a few splashes of vanilla extract, again to your liking. Once sugar is completely dissolved in water, remove from heat and let cool to a little warmer than room temperature. Drop in 1/4tsp of yeast for every 2 liters, or every 8 cups, of water. You can also drop in some acid blend or a little lemon juice if you have any on hand, I used about 2 Tbsp acid blend. Once this is all mixed in there, pour into your plastic soda bottles until you have an inch of headspace, then squeeze the bottle so the liquid comes all the way to the top and put a cap on it. You do this to get out the extra oxygen and give room for the co2 to expand. Next, put the bottles someplace where they will be okay if they explode. After about 12 hours, the bottles should feel very firm from the expanding co2. Once they are firm put them all into a fridge to stop the yeasties. After a few hours, or whenever they are cold enough, they are drinkable.
The first time I made this it came out very sweet. I used 34 cups of water(roughly 8 liters), and 2 lbs of sugar(about 8 cups). I probably used about 1/4 cup of vanilla, as I just kept adding it until it was the color I wanted. I probably could've used 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, which for a 2 liter batch would be 8 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar. Now I'm experimenting with carbonating crystal light drinks, as they are cheap, pre-sweetened, and have many different flavors which would lend well to carbonation.
I would say the last few bottles have been more carbonated to the point of fizzing up soon as you pop the cap. (glass bottles by the way)
The directions said to let them sit for about two weeks after letting them settle for 2-3 days, but of course he opened a few after about a day, and it had a medicine taste. I figured it would go away with time but still there, it's funny because everyone of his friends he gives it to comes up with the cough syrup comparison. Upon further reading the recipe calls for 1/4 tsp of yeast per gallon, and the packet contains 1 1/2 tsp, so maybe over yeasted it since I made 4 gal.
Will have to open the remaining few bottles he has so as not to worry about bottle grenades.
Thanks for the input guys.
The directions said to let them sit for about two weeks after letting them settle for 2-3 days, but of course he opened a few after about a day, and it had a medicine taste. I figured it would go away with time but still there, it's funny because everyone of his friends he gives it to comes up with the cough syrup comparison. Upon further reading the recipe calls for 1/4 tsp of yeast per gallon, and the packet contains 1 1/2 tsp, so maybe over yeasted it since I made 4 gal.
Will have to open the remaining few bottles he has so as not to worry about bottle grenades.
Thanks for the input guys.
