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texupnorth

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So a while back I made my first batch of homemade rootbeer. I was just following the manufacturers instructions and I just used bread yeast to carbonate it. As you can imagine, this was gross:drunk: and eventually I had to just throw out the rest of the batch because it just was undrinkable. So my question is: what kind of yeast does everyone else use for bottle carbonating sodas?
 
I like Red Star's Pasteur Champagne yeast. It's about $.79 a package, so it's cheap! Remember though that once you open a packet, if you don't use all of it (and for small batches of soda, you don't need a whole package), it doesn't last. So, don't try to save opened packages of dry yeast. Just throw the excess away, or make a bigger batch of soda!
 
I like Red Star's Pasteur Champagne yeast. It's about $.79 a package, so it's cheap! Remember though that once you open a packet, if you don't use all of it (and for small batches of soda, you don't need a whole package), it doesn't last. So, don't try to save opened packages of dry yeast. Just throw the excess away, or make a bigger batch of soda!

Hey Yoop-

How long does the open packet last? I had an open packet that I used for about 6 to 8 weeks and it seemed to still work.. I always rolled up the packet extra tight, wrapped it up with rubber bands and kept it in the fridge.. Is this bad?
 
Hey Yoop-

How long does the open packet last? I had an open packet that I used for about 6 to 8 weeks and it seemed to still work.. I always rolled up the packet extra tight, wrapped it up with rubber bands and kept it in the fridge.. Is this bad?

I don't know how long it lasts- it starts to degrade right away. I can't remember the science behind it, but it has to do with oxygen once the package is opened, even if it's tightly closed again right away.

If it's worked for you, though, that's great. Maybe it's because you don't need a large amount of healthy yeast to carb up soda. You just need a few buggers to do the job.
 
I'm not a soda brewer (they make diet Mt. Dew just fine in cans, thank you!) but wouldn't the champagne yeast chow down every last bit of sugar in the soda? Or do you throw it in the fridge to slow 'em down long enough to drink the soda?
 
I'm not a soda brewer (they make diet Mt. Dew just fine in cans, thank you!) but wouldn't the champagne yeast chow down every last bit of sugar in the soda? Or do you throw it in the fridge to slow 'em down long enough to drink the soda?
If you do it in plastic bottles, yes, when it gets carbed you refrigerate it.
 
I like Red Star's Pasteur Champagne yeast. It's about $.79 a package, so it's cheap! Remember though that once you open a packet, if you don't use all of it (and for small batches of soda, you don't need a whole package), it doesn't last. So, don't try to save opened packages of dry yeast. Just throw the excess away, or make a bigger batch of soda!

Well, you could use a vacum sealer. But at less than a dollar for the yeast it's not very practical.

I do this for 500g bricks of yeast.
 
I have, but not in a bottle or other closed container. For family picnics we used to mix up root beer in a 5 gallon cooler, then drop in a chunk of dry ice. It would stay acceptably carbonated for an hour or two but eventually go flat.

I think the pressure would be too hard to control in a bottle. Maybe in a keg with a bleeder valve, but you'd still need a tank to push it out so it would be kind of pointless.
 
I also, have a question about yeast. I'm using Red Star champagne yeast to brew root beer. The problem is that it never seems to carbonate. How much do you usually put into a 2 liter bottle and about how long does it take to finish carbonating? Thanks.
 
This summer, I made a ginger ale and captured wild yeast. I took a small tomato from my garden and set it in a jar filled with water on my kitchen counter. After a few days, I added a couple of tablespoons of DME and let it set for a few more days. I strained it before pitching. It worked slowly, like I thought it would. It took a week to carbonate at room temp and about a month at refrigerator. It smelled pretty funny when pitched, but the ginger ale tasted really good when fully carbed.
 
Almost any wine yeast works well. One of the LHBSs is in the corner of a winery supply place and they have wine yeast for 50 cents.
 
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