Hard root beer experiment

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

So I'm attempting a hard root beer experiment (2 gallons). I started with a traditional root beer from extract and made it the way the directions called for. I then cooled it down, placed it in my carboy, added 2 cups of DME, and plan to back sweeten it with 20 or so root beer barrels candy melted down into a syrup. See what I got after a few weeks and possibly bottle it or dump it.
Any pros or cons about this idea?

 

[sfmiraj]

Sounds intriguing! Some syrups have preservatives which may inhibit fermentation. Please detail the process.

 

[genes]

Why not ferment a batch of root beer made with syrup from your LHBS?

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Why not ferment a batch of root beer made with syrup from your LHBS?

What's LHBS?

 

[kennywd]

What's LHBS?

Local homebrew supply store

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Local homebrew supply store

I would but unfortunately the one in our town closed in January.(

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

<img src="https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60454"/>

<img src="https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=60456"/>

So here it is bottled today. A nice 12er! I tasted some and man is it strong (alcohol)! It definitely root beer tasting. Only time will tell if the flavor changes. I will keep updating.

 

[landshark]

Hope the bottles don't blow up on you. Good luck.

 

[Supurb]

Looks pretty good, very intersting. If it works out you may have the next best thing.

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Yea the whole bottle bombs is what I'm worried about. I primed with twenty root beer barrels candy and a tsp of DME in a cup of boiling water and made a syrup. Added it to 2 gallons of the root beer and bottled. I will keep a close eye on it and keep the bottles locked up in a cooler in case of bombs. After a couple weeks If no bombs I will place in fridge.

 

[Fizzycist]

If you bottled a tester in a plastic bottle you could squeeze check it then pasteurize. Check out the sticky in the cider forum.

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

I checked s bottle today 24 hours later and it barely made a hissss. I will continue to monitor the bottles.

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Day 2 and lookin good!

 

[SouthBay]

subscribed!

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

subscribed!

What?

 

[Dan]

^^He is interested in your post and now that he has posted will receive updates when anybody else posts on it.

BTW great thread. Neat idea. I hope everything works out well!

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

^^He is interested in your post and now that he has posted will receive updates when anybody else posts on it.

BTW great thread. Neat idea. I hope everything works out well!

Oh thanks, newbie here!

 

[bcgpete]

I'm interested too! Been wanting to try hard root beer for a while...

 

[Grinnan5150]

I might have overlooked it so if you already said I apologize....but what type of yeast did you pitch?

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

I might have overlooked it so if you already said I apologize....but what type of yeast did you pitch?

Fleishmans bread yeast, I know not the best choice but I was desperate and it's an experiment so what the heck. It did ferment well I'd say, it's got a strong alcohol level from what I sampled, a little green tasting but it had that root Beer flavor.

 

[SouthBay]

Any updates on this yet?

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

Any updates on this yet?

Sorry to say this is the final result. It tasted like a hard alcohol root beer but had this NASTY aftertaste that I just couldn't bear. Like a plasticky taste the best I can describe it. I think it has something to do with the candy for some reason because my hard cider I made with the red hot candies had a similar aftertaste, but not even in the same ballpark as this had. It could of been the yeast too, who knows? Oh well?

 

[sfmiraj]

Not a failure, it just means more experimentation is due! What about RB extracts and supplement with various sugars?

 

[Zuljin]

Storing them in a garbage can with a dead rat and some old pizza dough was probably not the best idea. :cross:

BRACH’S A&W ROOT BEER BARRELS
Item # 1521

INGREDIENTS: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Natural and Artificial Flavors
MAY CONTAIN: Citric Acid, and/or FDC Yellow #5 and Yellow #6

Corn syrup probably didn't help the taste, not when combined with the other ingredients, anyway.

Try just fermenting it as is. We used to make root beer from an extract made by Zatarans. It was a few spoon fulls of extract, water and like 2 cups white table sugar to a gallon. Heck, I'm gonna do it.

 

[SouthBay]

I think i'm going to give it a shot too.

My plan is to mash some Pale Ale Malt to get appx 1.050-1.055. I'll boil that with a either a bit of magnum or willamette to bitter (just enough to preserve the brew). Pitch some nottingham and ferment.

Then, i'm going to get some of the 'soda extract' and rack the brew onto that for a secondary, and let it sit for a week or two before sending it to the keg.

Maybe i'll toss in a pound or two of Caramel 80, and probably mash at 158 or so to keep it sweeter. I have about 6oz of Lactose just in case that doesnt get the flavor right. I'll probably grab some brewers licorice for flavor adjustment as well.

Probably wont brew it for a while, but i'll post back results when i do.

EDIT: Another thought - rootbeer kits use cane sugar and neutral yeast. maybe it'll need a second pack of root beer extract to increase the rootbeer flavor/presence against the malts/hops/yeast.

 

[ajbram]

I've given this some thought too. I think it will be a winter experiment, but my thoughts are to mash some pale malt and chocolate malt at 158 or so, then boil with sarsaparilla and licorice root (and other herbs), probably use some Saaz or Hallartauer for mild bittering, add some lactose, and ferment with T-58 for that spicy estery flavour. I'll keep everyone updated when i get around to this.

 

[HAREEBROWNBEEST]

That all sounds good. I used the wrong yeast and. I'm sure the candies screwed the flavor up too, but I was surprised there were no bottle bombs. I kept the bottles along with a plastic bottle to check the firmness of the carb process in a five gallon bucket with a lid in case the bottles did explode. Three weeks on 74 degrees and they were fine.