Hard Cream Soda / Root-beer. Any Last Words?

[Peasant]

In an effort to not have to make a redundant post, I've scrounged this section pretty heavily in search of answers to a few basic questions. Found some good info, but as I'm making this batch of hard cream soda (my first soda ever) and I only have one shot at it (wedding present) I figured I'd see if there were any last minute tips anyone had. I have plenty of beer brewing experience, but never done a soda, and I'm on a time crunch.

My plan as of now...

• Make regular cream soda with table sugar and vanilla extract.
• Ferment in carboy with champagne yeast for a week (or till it stops fermenting).
• While tasting, add table sugar for flavor, then bottle.
• Use 1 plastic bottle, the rest glass. When plastic bottle is adequately firm, refrigerate and keep cold until consumed. (ie; ice chest during travel etc)

This seems to be the best way to manage the issue of bottle bombs without kegging, which I can't do at the moment. If there is another method of handling that I'd love to hear it.

Have a friend with a root-beer kit who wants to also turn it into a hard root-beer. Plan is pretty much the same.

Any words of wisdom for a first time soda maker?

 

[Yooper]

Well, "hard cream soda" isn't a soda and if you let it ferment out it will be pretty high in alcohol. that's fine if that's what you want, but all the sugar will ferment out and it might taste horrible. Adding some sugar to taste would mean a sweet high alcohol drink. I would try it in a very small dose first (say, a 2L bottle) to see if it's at all drinkable.

 

[Bauzer]

I was lurking on a thread regarding 'hard' root beer being made and they use the same plastic bottle method for carbing testing, and when ready they will pasteurize all the bottles for about 10-15 mins in boiling water. This will kill any yeast and then you should be able to store room temp.

Actually, here is the thread!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=416406

 

[buMbLeB]

I've never made this style of soda, but I have messed around with various things that are similar (ginger beer, hard tea) and I have a few thoughts:

1) You don't say how hard you want it (I know, I know...), but I suggest aiming no higher than 5-6%. I like stronger drinks myself, and make them, but I've found it's easier to get a tasty, flavourful drink with lower abv.

2) Instead of fermenting dry, I usually stop it with refrigeration. For a sweet soda I'd aim for around 1.020 (very sweet) to 1.010 (semi).

3) Use all plastic bottles.

4) Make more than one batch at the same time, with a few variations. I don't know what straight alcoholic vanilla will taste like (I'm actually really curious) but it might not be what you expect. Change up the sugar levels and maybe add in a few different flavours in case one doesn't work out.

5) Get a back up gift.

 

[madscientist451]

The commercial alcohol-pop products that are filling the shelves everywhere are brewed malt beverages with flavors and sweeteners added after fermentation. Fermenting a liquid containing mostly refined table sugar will result in a "hot" or phenolic alcohol bite that (to me) makes it undesirable. I've tried it, its nasty, and doesn't get any better with age.

 

[daft]

The commercial alcohol-pop products that are filling the shelves everywhere are brewed malt beverages with flavors and sweeteners added after fermentation.

I read that they use brewed malt approach due to a quirk/loophole in tax law. So they could do it a more sensible way but incurring a lot more tax. Still might require after-ferment additives tho.

 

[buMbLeB]

Fermenting a liquid containing mostly refined table sugar will result in a "hot" or phenolic alcohol bite that (to me) makes it undesirable. I've tried it, its nasty, and doesn't get any better with age.

I'm not sure I agree, but I'm curious why you think so. As I said above, I've made quite a few ginger beers and hard teas, and those have used table sugar as the fermentable. While I went through periods of experimentation for each, I now consistently make products that I consider superior to commercial versions (not that anyone really makes a hard tea).

I have a really good sense of smell, so I assume that my palate is somewhat sensitive, and I don't get "hot" unless I go over 9%, and I've never tasted anything phenolic. What am I missing?

 

[madscientist451]

I'm not sure I agree, but I'm curious why you think so. As I said above, I've made quite a few ginger beers and hard teas, and those have used table sugar as the fermentable. While I went through periods of experimentation for each, I now consistently make products that I consider superior to commercial versions (not that anyone really makes a hard tea).

I have a really good sense of smell, so I assume that my palate is somewhat sensitive, and I don't get "hot" unless I go over 9%, and I've never tasted anything phenolic. What am I missing?

Its been a while since I tried it, but I was using the sugar to boost the alcohol in some cider and fruit wines, probably from 6% to 12-13%, used wine yeast, no temperature control and I just can't stand the stuff, even though I've been aging it for several years.
I have added some sugar to high gravity (Belgian quad) that came out pretty good, the alcohol note was balanced by the malts and after aging for a year is pretty tasty, but a 12 oz bottle will give you quite a buzz.
So I'm basing my comments on two or three attempts that didn't work for me, everyone has different tastes and some people don't mind fermented sugar drinks made a certain way. There's no right or wrong way to taste, its an individual thing.

 

[buMbLeB]

Interesting! I've also been sugaring up my apple ciders, though I usually cold crash them around 9% and drink them from the fridge; but I did let one batch go to dry as a "wine" around 11% or so, and while it's not spectacular, it's pretty good. Certainly not "hot" or anything, my elderly lightweight Dad really digs it.

Does the alcohol in your experiments taste "different" than other drinks, or just too much? Thanks for your reply.

 

[WI_Wino]

Make a non alcoholic cream soda then add everclear to get to ~5% ABV. Or whatever taste good. Is kegging an option?