New with questions

Hello all,

I have never made soda before so this is all new to me. I have been a diet pepsi addict for years but about a year ago gave it up due to a developed sensitivity to the artificial sweetener. My new addictions are iced tea for the caffeine and orange soda for my carbonated soda fix. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to try and make our own.

I recently made soda using this recipe except instead of the yeast called for, I used 1/4tsp regular yeast like for baking.

Real Grape Soda
Made with real grape juice, this soda is a far cry from the syrupy sweetness of commercial grape sodas. It’s an interesting change of pace for adults, and it’s a fun treat for children, too.
1/2 gallon grape juice
1/2 gallon water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ale or champagne yeast
Simmer juice, water and sugar in a stockpot for 30 minutes. Let cool, and then add the yeast. Let the soda stand at room temperature for 24 hours, then use a funnel to pour the soda into bottles. Leave 1 to 2 inches of empty space at the top of the bottle and attach the bottle caps. Write the date on the bottles and store them in a warm, draft-free place, ideally at room temperature, for an additional 24 hours. Then refrigerate. For best results, let the soda sit an additional day or two in the refrigerator before drinking. Makes 1 gallon


The 2ltr soda bottles were rock hard yesterday so I put them in the fridge. I have noticed there is brown gunk settled in there and am assuming it is the yeast. I poured some into a glass and there is plenty of fizz but it smells very yeasty. The actual taste is pretty good but it is not soda like other than the carbonation, more like a cross between a very fruity beer and a really sweet wine, I'm not quite sure how to explain it. I am not at all sure I want to let my kids taste it though, it just smells alcoholic to me.

I have ordered a few different flavors of soda flavoring as well as some champange yeast but thought to rush things and try this recipe. Any thoughts on the possible alcohol content would be greatly appreciated as well as thoughts on whether it didn't come out because of the difference in the yeast used, amount etc.

Thanks for any and all help!

Cali

Welcome!

The recipe you used seems good. The yeast can be substituted, but you already noticed the problem with using baker's yeast: the added flavor. Even though you will be using a different yeast, don't expect all of the yeast flavors to disappear. The champagne yeast is supposed to be the best for sodas, but could still add a little something to the flavors.

The alcohol content should be less than 1%. It would take a lot of soda to inebriate oneself. There are ways to carb it using co2 tanks and such. If you want to avoid the alcohol and yeasty flavors this may be the way to go. There are several threads on this topic.

If you want to up the flavor try adding more juice or fruit extract from fresh fruit.

Keep at it and try other types to find what you like best!

Thank you very much for the help and ideas! The flavor is acually decent, at least to me. Not sure what the kids will think. My worry besides the smell was mainly the possibility of my change in yeast causing it to become an alcoholic beverage. Since I now know that is not the case, I will let the kids give it a go and see what they think.

As of right now this is just something to try so I think we'll stick to yeast vs co2 tanks since it fits more with my budget but who knows what the future holds. lol

I am sure I will be back. Thanks again!

Cali

Please come back as often as you want.

If you want to get the kids involved, it would be a fun project to get whatever local fruit is in season and make your own soda from that fruit. Blueberries, blackberries (wild ones are free ), strawberries, ...etc.

Basically, puree the fruit and strain into a pot. Add sugar and yeast, then bottle in single 20oz or 2L bottles. Carbonate for 24-48hrs and then chill for 2 days. Try adjusting the amount of fruit to your taste.

The options are almost limitless. I am considering a watermelon soda right now since there are literally a ton around the lab.

And lastly, give ginger ale a try. The rhizomes from the store are super cheap (roughly 25cents) for a 2L batch. With brown and white sugar mixtures, the soda is excellent!

Good luck.

Hello again,

I hadn't thought about ginger ale but after reading your post I went poking around and found your recipe, it sounds great. I have a question though.

In your recipe you say to leave the fresh soda in a dark place for 2 days. Could you tell me at about what room temp? We keep our ac set at about average I guess, mid to high 70's. Would that work? I just want to make sure I don't end up with a mess.

Thanks again,
Cali

Well room temps for my wife and I are around 82F. We prefer warm temps and we are kind of cheap

So far the temps have not been a problem for us so yours in the 70s should be fine. I left mine on the counter in the kitchen which gets very little light.

Just check the bottle(s) a couple of times a day (morning and evening) to be sure they are not reaching explosive potentials. If the bottles are hard they should be ready to put into the fridge.

lol. I know what you mean. I prefer right at about 80 myself but in order for the ac to cool off the upstairs the downstairs has to be kept cooler, which is why I can usually be found with a sweather on in the house even when it is 115+ outside.

Thank you again for the info.

Cali