Hard Root Beer recipe
- Thread starter Bauerbrewery1989
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I was going to respond with "high-sugar beers you're going to pasteurize should carbonate much faster than normal primed bottles", but I didn't because I haven't actually done this myself and didn't want to talk out of my ass. But... well, I guess that's the case, as suspected.
Just brewed 12.5 gallons Saturday can't wait till time to enjoy, check out my og and I'm really digging the color this time around.
Recipe this batch:
14lbs 2row
.75lbs Carmel/ crystal 80
8lbs brown sugar light by accident
1.5lbs lactose
8ozs maltidextrine
Using 001 with a starter blow off tubes are on a ready for the battle
Recipe this batch:
14lbs 2row
.75lbs Carmel/ crystal 80
8lbs brown sugar light by accident
1.5lbs lactose
8ozs maltidextrine
Using 001 with a starter blow off tubes are on a ready for the battle
turkeyjerky214
Well-Known Member
Really looking forward to brewing this one in a few weeks.
PasbitinusBluinusRibbinus
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Maybe I've messed this up somehow, but at the moment this is not something drinkable. I scaled the recipe up to 5 gallons, added 4 cups sugar, 24oz honey, and 5x the rootbeer/vanilla flavoring. Its harsh, then sticky-sweet, then sour. Root beer nose but nothing resembles the taste.
It didn't seem infected, hydrometer readings seemed normal. Left in primary for about a month at 65F.
Any ideas?
It didn't seem infected, hydrometer readings seemed normal. Left in primary for about a month at 65F.
Any ideas?
Pinebarrensbrew
Well-Known Member
Sub'd. This is happening after I brew my northern English brown
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She dropped and is steady at 1.010 bottling 12gals tomorrow
New bottles I de-labeled and cleaned got three other cases ready to go all they need is sanitized
And made this so I get the most out of my bottling bucket
New bottles I de-labeled and cleaned got three other cases ready to go all they need is sanitized
And made this so I get the most out of my bottling bucket
1) wouldn't a dark malt be a better choice?
2) I found this degraded in taste as the weeks went by. It lost a lot of the obvious root beer taste and became almost a weak cream sodaish flavour...
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2) I found this degraded in taste as the weeks went by. It lost a lot of the obvious root beer taste and became almost a weak cream sodaish flavour...
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Well having a problem with carbonation think I'm going to trickle alil champagne yeast and recap and see what comes from that still taste amazing flat almost root beer wine like lol, can let hb go to waste right
Yretsof
Well-Known Member
I have the ingredients to make a 5 gal batch of this just havent gotten around to it, anyone kegged it? I left bottles and havent looked back.
The only issue I had kegging it was towards the end of the keg it was pouring lighter and lighter in color. I believe the rootbeer extract was settling out. I'm hoping now that I have additional regulators I can carb it to the proper volume for soda and hope that keeps it more mixed together.
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Yretsof
Well-Known Member
I keep a keg of root beer on tap for the kids. I've never had a "thinning" problem like that. What extract did you use? And did the taste change or was it just color loss?
It was McCormick brand rootbeer extract. And yes the taste changed also. Each pour has less and less rootbeer flavor. The first few pours come out black as night then it get paler and paler in color. Towards the end of the keg you wouldn't even know it was supposed to be rootbeer. Has happened with both batches that I have made and kegged.
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I'd say kegging is preferable since you can just bulk pasteurize it and sweeten to taste. Might taint your seals with root beer smell if you do it all the time.
As for extract settling, anyone try shaking the keg, as you might a hefe?
As for extract settling, anyone try shaking the keg, as you might a hefe?
Yeah I tried that for the first keg. Made for foamy pours shaking before serving. Also made for cloudy pours once it stopped foaming. Then I got tired if stirring the keg and just drank it as it came.
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So your idea to let it sit longer for the particles to drop before adding extract was a no go?
I don't have the ability to shake my keg before serving but I want to make this. I just would like a consistent pour. If I wanted to give some away, can I fill growlers from my keg like beer and not worry about bombs if the temperature rises in the growlers a bit (say if I have a car ride to take before sharing growlers)?
I'm still setting up my kegging stuff so I'm no expert, but I don't think I'd ever keg something with active yeast and fermentables. It's basically asking for carbonation problems if not disasters like the one you just described. Bring it to 170 and the yeast will be dead, virtually all of the alcohol retained. Rack from stove to keg, chill.
From the above I'd also avoid McCormick extract--has anyone else seen this separation from other brands? Maybe that's the issue.
From the above I'd also avoid McCormick extract--has anyone else seen this separation from other brands? Maybe that's the issue.
Wait, can you go back and explain this? Are you saying once fully fermented, backsweeten and heat to 170 then keg from the pot? Because I believe the addition of fermentables is entirely necessary, but not sure about heating to 170. Wouldn't that cook off the alochol?
Not appreciably--heat quickly and cool quickly. You can do it at 160, too, if you go a little longer, but 170 is good and safe. Google up a food pasteurization temp/time chart for an idea. I have one I usually post but I'm on mobile.
Alcohol solutions don't share the boiling point of alcohol, long story short (lots of people confused about that).
Your alternatives are artificial sweeteners and superfine filtration, basically.
Alcohol solutions don't share the boiling point of alcohol, long story short (lots of people confused about that).
Your alternatives are artificial sweeteners and superfine filtration, basically.
Howhownow
Well-Known Member
If you are going to keg and force carb, see any issue with taking out the yeast with Camden, etc., then kegging, carbing? Could even prime, keg, then add camden when the carbonation reaches desired levels.
Yretsof
Well-Known Member
I use zaterains rootbeer extract. Over 15 gallons now and no problems settling. Its a little minty but my kids like it.
Any suggestions for a beer recipe that finishes out around 5-6% abv, but has very little taste? Maybe I could do a regular beer, with no hops, and finish out at 6%, then use it in place of water with my regular rootbeer recipe....
Any suggestions for a beer recipe that finishes out around 5-6% abv, but has very little taste? Maybe I could do a regular beer, with no hops, and finish out at 6%, then use it in place of water with my regular rootbeer recipe....
Campden and even potassium sorbate inhibit bacteria and yeasts, they don't kill or even very reliably halt the activity of your carbonating yeast. There's a good chance it will keep going. Bulk pasteurizing is even easier than bottle pasteurizing and it actually works, so I don't see why you wouldn't do that if you're kegging.
No. It didn't help at all. Both batches did the same. I did pick up a different brand if rootbeer extract. Forget which kind at the moment. But will post back with any results when I get around to making the next batch.
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That's what I do I just upped my grain bill on the last big batch tht got me to 10% and carbonation problems, think if you go 7lb 2row, 3/4 lb Carmel 80 maybe even 120, then the 1lb lactose and maybe 2lbs or so of brown sugar should get you around 6.5%, I used the rainbow extract on this batch and it settled out on but I bottle so just a couple tips over end and it's got color or just pour and leave all behind and it's a clear beer that taste like rootbeer will post a pic in a lil while
moedidimus
Member
Great thread guys. Just powered through the whole thing.
Bulk pasteurizing for kegging does sound easier. How would you do that? Just pour into a pot and heat to 160-170? Thanks
Bulk pasteurizing for kegging does sound easier. How would you do that? Just pour into a pot and heat to 160-170? Thanks
Yep, that's your target. Really just hitting 160 or so is enough for the level of pasteurization you need, but 165-170 rules out the error without getting hotter than you need. You can cool ASAP once you hit target, you don't need to maintain it any longer than it takes you to get there.
You want to take standard precautions against splashing and such, especially when hot--otherwise, it's not hard at all, much easier than bottle pasteurizing, and you have a stable final product.
You want to take standard precautions against splashing and such, especially when hot--otherwise, it's not hard at all, much easier than bottle pasteurizing, and you have a stable final product.
moedidimus
Member
Is all the sugar in the secondary for sweetening? Or is some of that for carbing? I'll be kegging, so I'm not sure if I should these same amounts. Thanks
I'm too lazy. I bought a few of these from Williams Brewing.
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/INVERT-TUBE-BACKNUT-P179C104.aspx
