Hard Root Beer recipe

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Bauerbrewery1989

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-Primary-
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
4 oz brown sugar
1 pound light DME
Nottingham Ale Yeast

-Secondary-
1 split vanilla bean
4 oz brown sugar
5 1/2oz honey
2 tbsp root beer extract (McCormick)

This is for a one gallon test batch. i was going to let it ferment in the primary until it was dry, stabilize, and then add to secondary. Ill be starting the recipe this weekend.

I was thinking about adding 8 oz lactose to secondary as well to try to get a "root beer float" flavor.

Any thoughts of additions/edits to the recipe?
 
looks good. i added dandelion root from my backyard to mine. i added 1 whole plant root for 1 gal. try adding hops too it worked well with my root beer.
 
What kind of hops did you use aeviaanah? I was thinking of something more earthy like Mt. hood or Willamette. I guess if I just used the dandelions instead of hops I could always just have it as a gruit.

Ill definatly be posting results as I go, if I tweak the recipe at all ill post a final recipe when it's done.
 
Just an update
I started the batch last night, the ingredients I used are-

1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
4 oz brown sugar
4 oz lactose
1 pound light DME
Nottingham Ale Yeast

It's basically the same as I originally planned on with the addition of 4oz lactose. The fermentation went crazy, glad I put an overflow on it. My hydrometer was broken (dropped it while I was moving my supplies to kitchen) so I don't know what the OG is. Will update in about a week when I transfer to secondary or if anything out of the ordinary occurs.
 
So I just got done bottling the root beer.

At bottling I added-
1 cup sugar boiled in 1 cup water
5 1/2 oz wildflower honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp root beer extract (McCormick)

I gave it a taste before I bottled....oh my.

It initially tastes like damn good rootbeer, and the aftertaste of honey and vanilla. it gives that mouthfeel you get like you just drank a rootbeer float, which I'm guessing is from the lactose. And this is when it was warm and uncarbonated! I'm telling you right now I'm buying a kegging setup just so I can make a big old batch of this and bring it to tailgates.
 
That's awesome. I'm going to make this this weekend. Just picked everything up at LHBS.

You dont think thats too much sugar at bottling do you? Wont to much sugar cause a high enough carbonation to cause bottle bombs? Maybe not, just curious.
 
This would be the final recipe. I'm thinking next time to add a vanilla bean in the primary and also hops, most likely Willamette. I feel as though this would be a lot easier in a keg, but you could skip stabilizing it, bottle, and put in the fridge to stop fermentation.

Grandpa Willies Hard Root Beer

---Primary---
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
4 oz brown sugar
4 oz lactose
1 pound light DME
Nottingham Ale Yeast

Boil DME, brown sugar, and lactose with about 4 cups water. Pour in primary. Add nutrient and energizer. Top off. Let cool and pitch yeast. Ferment for 5-7 days. Stabilize (if kegging). Wait another week.

---Before Kegging---
1 cup sugar boiled in 1 cup water
5 1/2 oz wildflower honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp root beer extract (McCormick)

Boil sugar and add to bottling bucket. Then add honey (warm it so its easier to pour) and the extracts. Let cool and add primary. Pour in Keg or bottles.
 
For the bottling Tellish33, I bottled one in a plastic bottle so I can tell how carbed it is, then I'm going to put in the fridge to stop the fermentation process.
 
I might bottle in easy cap bottles for a week or so then fridge em. Not crazy about plastic bottles. I might even try smaller champagne bottles.

Let us know if a week is good for carbing.
 
I agree on the plastic, it's just seemed like the easiest way to check the carbonation. Ill keep updating until the root beer is completely carbed or if anything out of the ordinary happens.
 
Just popped one out of the fridge. It tastes great. The honey flavor is very pronounced at the end, with a touch of vanilla. It took about 4 days to carb, but my apartment is really warm right now, so that might have sped it up. I think it would be better force carbed in a keg though. Next batch ill be reducing the amount of honey and adding just a touch more lactose. Over all a great brew. Strong too, I've had 4 so far and feel preetttyy good.
 
Has the head of a darker beer, and retains it very well. The foam tastes like, well, foamy root beer. Its carbonation is beer-like, not soda-like, if that makes since. Very small bubbles, not the same as if you opened a pop.

image.jpg
 
Any update on the bottle/carb status? I've been out of practice for a year and think this one will be my restarting point.
 
The carbing on this was alittle tricky, what I did was bottled one in a plastic bottle, and the rest in glass. I felt how hard the plastic bottle became to judge how carbed they were, and when the plastic bottle was rock hard, I put them all in the fridge to put the yeast in hibernation. It took a total of 4 days with mine, but check everyday, since it can cause a messy situation if it gets overcarbed. I think they make caps that help prevent the bottles from blowing.
 
Thank you, I'm really proud of this recipe. Just had the last one, brewing more as we speak. I can tell a drastic differene in flavor from the first one. It's great right when its done carbing, but even better with just a week of aging. it gets more mellow and smoother.
 
I don't see why not. I'd like to hear your results if you try it. Stabilizing, sweetening, and kegging seems like it would be the best way of making bigger batches. If anyone brews this please post you're results, I'd like some incite on what others think of it. My friends and I love it, but I'd like a "more experienced" palates opinion, haha.
 
Any updates from anyone else that made this? How'd it come out, does it taste as good as it sounds and how long did it take? Did you carb in bottles and pasteurize if so how many days to fully carb or did you just put in the fridge? Did anyone get a OG and FG to figure out ABV?
 
I have found some sassafras trees growing behind the house I'm going to this with roots instead of the extract I believe.i wonder should I mash them or throw them in the boil?
 
I'll be making another batch of this on the 4th and just got another hydrometer so I'll ppost the OG when I make it. If anyone makes this id really appreciate any reviews/ critiques. Won't hurt my feelings if you say anything negative. I too would be interested in knowing about using herbs for the root beer flavor. Planning on aging some of this and would rather use herbs then extract.
 
I should be making 2 gallons this week. I got everything but the extract yesterday, my lhbs only had Rainbow brand and I've seen horrible reviews for it. Then couldn't find any at Meijer ugggh.
 
To answer both of those questions.

Pkrath84- yes, I did pitch the whole packet of yeast. I always rehydrate beforehand as well.

scottswe- you won't need carbonation tablets for this, since there will be already a lot of sugar to carbonate the bottle.
 
Just got done making a 3 gallon batch, the OG was 1.045. I may add more DME or corn sugar, maybe honey, to the next batch to raise the gravity. Basically just used the 1 gallon recipe and tripled the ingredients.
 
I plan on upping the sugars for higher gravity. Would that effect how much root beer extract I use? (And thanks for the tip bauer I found it at Wally mart)
 
Hmm, I would say use the 2 tbsp, taste, and see if it needs more. Maybe add 1 tsp at a time. Root Beer extract is really strong.
 
Dumb question. I just ordered my ingredients and hopefully will be making this next weekend. Did you cook this any before you put it in the primary?
 
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