Hard Root Beer recipe

[Thanks_Yeasties]

I would think it wouldn't matter as I believe the RootBeer flavor will overpower whatever flavors you'd get from the DME. As to the yeast I think you'd be fine as again the rootbeer flavor pretty much dominates this brew.

Gave it a try at a 50/50 light/dark mix, put a 2 gallon batch on a wlp002 yeast cake and it was done bubbling in a little over a day, going to sweeten it this upcoming weekend. thanks for the response!

 

[easymode]

So here is my noob question:

You said, "Boil DME, brown sugar, and lactose with about 4 cups water. Pour in primary." What do you mean by "pour in primary?" I assume that's the jug the brew is fermenting in?

Sorry for the noob question. I've only done brewing "kits" and i'm venturing into brewing my first true home brew (by true i mean without a kit).

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

So here is my noob question:

You said, "Boil DME, brown sugar, and lactose with about 4 cups water. Pour in primary." What do you mean by "pour in primary?" I assume that's the jug the brew is fermenting in?

Sorry for the noob question. I've only done brewing "kits" and i'm venturing into brewing my first true home brew (by true i mean without a kit).

yep you got it, boil and dump in. the "{Primary" is the jug that you'll be fermenting in whether its a bucket or a carboy.

 

[Ike]

THANKS TO ALL FOR THIS THREAD!

I was looking for a non-alcoholic root beer thread. I'm an angel. I swear. Now I found this. I've been corrupted. I'll never be the same. ...bwahahahah! Love it. I was heading to the LHBS to grab the last I needed for my first batch of cider, DEFINITELY going to do a 1-2 gallon batch of this to give the cider a little company in the hallway closet!

 

[damicomj]

So what is the conclusion on the flavor settling to the bottom? Should we wait 3-4 weeks before bottling so most of the solids settle out?

I brewed this last night and it started bubbling an hour after placing into the carboy. And after about 4 hours, it sounded like a machine gun, it was bubbling so fast. Checked it this morning and it still is bubbling like CRAZY. Definitely recommend an overflow tube, or else you will end up with a big mess.

 

[easymode]

I was curious, I tried making This recipe with a little tweak and I've noticed, that after about a week of growing, it looks like a blonde ale. Not quite golden, but like a light brown. A very light brown. Is that what happened with you?

I'm asking because I have brewed root beer before and it did not have that color. Had traditional route beer color to it. Unless I would need to add coloring?

 

[damicomj]

I was curious, I tried making This recipe with a little tweak and I've noticed, that after about a week of growing, it looks like a blonde ale. Not quite golden, but like a light brown. A very light brown. Is that what happened with you?

I'm asking because I have brewed root beer before and it did not have that color. Had traditional route beer color to it. Unless I would need to add coloring?

What do you mean when you say "growing?" I have had mine in the primary fermenter for 1 week and 2 days, and it looks like an amber ale. I can see through it.

 

[Ike]

Regarding Easymode's question: I'm definitely a noob, so take everything I say as deeply suspect, but I figure the color we see in our primaries relates to the type of DME and/or amount of brown sugar we used. There are no other players (grains, for example) to impart any color. Based on what I see in the little bottle sitting on my countertop, the majority of that brown "root beer color" will come from the addition of the root beer extract on bottling day.

MY TURN TO ASK A QUESTION! Hey, the recipe says let it sit in primary a week, stabilize (if kegging) let it sit another week, then keg. If I'm not kegging, does that mean two full weeks in primary? Or just the same ol' same ol' "quit trying to pin numbers on everything, Ike, leave it in primary until the SG is stable, then bottle."

THANKS!

 

[killerkhezu]

Okay so I bottled a batch of this on Monday or Tuesday. I went to go check on them just to make sure they didn't explode(they are in the basement AT about 65 degrees) and all of my extract has sunk to the bottom.... I made sure it was all mixed in before bottling. What would cause my extracts to sink/separate?

 

[Ike]

Okay so I bottled a batch of this on Monday or Tuesday. I went to go check on them just to make sure they didn't explode(they are in the basement AT about 65 degrees) and all of my extract has sunk to the bottom.... I made sure it was all mixed in before bottling. What would cause my extracts to sink/separate?

Same has happened in mine, and has happened to others upstream, including those kegging. Discussion seems to orbit around the root beer extract adhering to the sediment in the fermented wort, and settling out over time. Anybody tried a secondary to see if they can get sediment to settle out?

Although mine isn't fully carbed yet, I couldn't wait. SLOWLY inverting the bottle a few times seemed to remix everything and tasted as well as I expect this batch will taste (I need to temperature control and probably change yeasts).

 

[MMBB]

For you guys that are kegging, what serving temp/psi are you running? I'd assume that you'd put more psi on it than an ale and need longer beer lines to calm down the foaming.

Has anyone tried another yeast other than Nottingham Ale or WLP001?

I also guess it is safe to say that the Rainbow rootbear flavoring isn't ideal. Has anyone tried gnome root beer extract? my LHBS sells Gnome, Zatarains, and Rainbow.

 

[Smokingun]

I just bottled my first 1 gal. batch. Tasted great @ bottling!
Has anyone reused the yeast cake from this to make another batch or used it for something else? What did you use it for and what were the results?

Thanks

 

[aknox]

I have read through all 29 pages of this thread after enjoying my first "Not Your Father's Root Beer". I will be using the recipe from this thread with a few changes. But first, a couple of questions.

1. Why not add the honey at the end of the boil?
2. I will be adding 4 ounces of Sassafrass root instead of using extract to the primary around day 4 and continue to take readings until the gravity is stable before bottling.

Once it finishes out, I will be bottling with 2 ounces of dextrose in a cup of water. I've never pasteurized bottles and I've never had a problem with bottle bombs once the gravity is finished. So I'm not quite understanding this part. I'm just planning of this carbing up like a normal beer.

Here is the recipe:

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
3 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 42.9 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 2 14.3 %
1 lbs Brown Sugar, Light (8.0 SRM) Sugar 3 14.3 %
1 lbs Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 4 14.3 %
1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35.49 ml] Yeast 5 -
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Primary 7.0 days) Other 6 -
0.50 tsp Yeast Energizer (Primary 7.0 days) Other 7 -
1 lbs Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 8 14.3 %

Est Original Gravity: 1.072 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Est Final Gravity: 0.998 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9.8 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Bitterness: 0.0 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 16.6 SRM

 

[1fast636]

How many gals you planning I will have to watch this thread again interested in see how yours comes out with just sassafras root rather then extract keep us posted

 

[Ike]

Well, I gave it a while to shape up, but I just dumped the remainder of my first batch of this down the drain. I ran into a couple problems:

1.) Temperature control. This has improved significantly here at Casa Marana Brewing since this was brewed, but I'm pretty sure the Notty fermenting at room temp was a bad idea: the "hot Notty" flavor is large and in charge. Next batch will surely have some form of temperature control; at least a swamp cooler and hopefully something better.

and

2.) What I think was a stalled fermentation. FG before bottling was 1.018, which didn't faze me too much, but in light of the difficulties I had getting it to carb up in the bottles, well... now I'm not so sure. After adding yeast and nutrient to the individual bottles when they wouldn't carb up initially, I ended up with a ROCK HARD plastic tester bottle that bottle-bombed when I opened it (I'm guessing infected during the re-opening and re-capping) and about a 50/50 ratio of mildly carbed bottles to completely flat bottles. I'm hoping better temperature control and overall yeast practices may yield better results next time.

 

[easymode]

I experienced a stall fermentation also. What helped me was agitating the used at the bottom. Just get along spoon or rod and stir up the used without adding oxygen. Do this about once a day over the course of a couple of days and it should agitate enough to finish fermentation.

I've also been tempted to add the non-fermenting sugars, such as lactose, at the end. Since it's not fermenting, what's the purpose and adding it in the beginning?

 

[Ike]

I experienced a stall fermentation also. What helped me was agitating the used at the bottom. Just get along spoon or rod and stir up the used without adding oxygen. Do this about once a day over the course of a couple of days and it should agitate enough to finish fermentation.

Interesting to hear this, THANKS! Although I'd originally blamed infection, I wonder if this is actually what might have happened to my PET test bottle resulting in such good (over) carbonation there, and such crappy carbonation in the rest of the glass bottles. Several days of picking it up, squeezing it, holding it up to the light... the occasional tip back and forth during inspection... before finally putting the whole batch into the fridge. I probably did just that to the test bottle but neglected the glass ones.

Thanks again!

Ike

 

[Shwagger]

What is the verdict on kegging 5g and settling, carbing, flavor?

Doing a 5g in about a week using the OP recipe x5. Using Zatarains 4oz root beer extract

 

[Shwagger]

Nudge

 

[Ike]

Nudge

My batch was bottled, but had the problem with the flavoring adhering to the sediment, like others.

I'd suggest using whatever means you had to clear the "beer" as much as you could before flavoring. If that's going to secondary, so be it. If that's cold crashing, so be it. Whatever you have. My fear is that if you just go from primary to keg without at least cold crashing, you'll end up with a 5gallon version of one of my bottles: sediment and flavor at the bottom. Problem is, you can't gently invert your keg a few times like I could with a bottle.

That said, I AM a noob. I have never kegged, nor cold crashed. But I've been wasting a LOT of time on HBT, and want to start both of these things ASAP!

Ike

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

What is the verdict on kegging 5g and settling, carbing, flavor?



Doing a 5g in about a week using the OP recipe x5. Using Zatarains 4oz root beer extract

I kegged my batch but as stated earlier in the thread the root beer extract did settle which made for a few pours of over the top RootBeer flavor but then after drinking for a while the flavor and color got less and less until I was just left with a somewhat sweet alcoholic beverage that had a hint of rootbeer flavor to it. Carbing I didn't have any issues with. Just follow any of the co2 charts to hit your volume of co2 that you desire. I carbed mine to around 20-25psi at 38F.

 

[Shwagger]

Hmm, that is a bummer. Thanks for the replies.

I think I will try a few methods to clear it up a bit. including rocking the keg a few times. It's not a big deal to do that

 

[Rambunctious]

April 5 ,2015
Started two gallon batch following previous recipe double quantities
1 gal water for the boil and sugar dissolve.
1gal water to help cool and make volume
8 cups sugar
3 Tbl spoon root-beer extract.
Yeast is harvested from previous batch this will be third gen.
Will add 3 cups sugar and 2cups water 2 Tbl spoon root-beer extract for bottling.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

April 5 ,2015
Started two gallon batch following previous recipe double quantities
1 gal water for the boil and sugar dissolve.
1gal water to help cool and make volume
8 cups sugar
3 Tbl spoon root-beer extract.
Yeast is harvested from previous batch this will be third gen.
Will add 3 cups sugar and 2cups water 2 Tbl spoon root-beer extract for bottling.

Nice. Do post back your results. Looking to hear how it turns out for you.

 

[Rambunctious]

I have made this several times it is better that spreckers hard rootbeer I have been told not so sweet. It ends up about 8% A.B.V.

 

[easymode]

-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?

I've copied this recipe and i'm having some perplexing mixed results. Here is my process in case it's my methods.

- Boil 4 cups of water
- Add DME, Lactose, Sugars, and yeast energizer & nutrient.
- After dissolved, pour into primary and fill the rest with cool water.
- Mix well and check temp. (If it's below 70 degrees i'll still let it sit for an hour or so to be sure it's below 70 degrees all the way through.)
- Measure gravity
- Add yeast and mix well
- Put in a dark room temperature environment for a week (area stays around 72-74 degrees).
- After a week, remeasure gravity. Once I see all sugars are gobbled up by the yeast, the next part begins.
- Add the priming sugars, vanilla, and rootbeer extract
- Add truvia for added sweetness (this part I added to get more sweetness). It's a non-fermentable sugar.
- Mix well and then bottle
- Sit in a dark room temperature environment to carbonate (area stays around 72-74 degrees).
- Toss in fridge for a day or two and then drink.

Anywho. Here is the issue i'm having.

The most common issue is after a week in the bottles everything separates. The liquid is almost clear with a dark mesh at the bottom. You twist the top and take a sip and it's disgusting. This happened several times. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. While at a brewshop a guy told me of wyeast strain 3333, that it'll leave a slight clove/licorice flavor. So on a whim I bought it. Figured if the batch could finally not separate then the flavor should work well for a hard root beer since many root beers have some sort of clove or licorice flavor. I did everything identical, just used a different yeast (the wyeast strain 3333). It didn't separate and was delicious. Had a definite root beer flavor and had a slight mint / licorice after taste which wasn't bad. It was enjoyable. So enjoyable I went through half a gallon before I knew it. Having between 6-8% alcohol added to the enjoyment

So, I went back and bought the Nottingham Ale Yeast again, had the exact same problem before. Everything separated and was disgusting.

Now, some might say it's the truvia. I've read mixed reviews on using it. Most negative points was the fact it leaves a slight mint aftertaste. Honestly, it's not terrible with a root beer. It kinda lifted it up a notch. The lactose gives it a fuller flavor and the hint of mint from the truvia lifted it up a little. Now, before anyone says "truvia is your problem" I cut the truvia out and made a batch. Followed the recipe exactly. The exact same problem occurred. If I copy the recipe to every exact detail, i'm still having this issue.

So, is it the yeast? Or was I lucky with that one batch? What could it be?

 

[pensfan6671]

I normally double fermentation to clear my beer. Maybe Ill try a triple just to get rid of all sediment. Then will add the extract when I put in keg. That way it can cling to anything. Planning to brew this week. Will let you ll know how it goes after Im done.

 

[TSBCO]

has there been any resolution on the seperations issues.
Want to try this one after I free up some bottles.

 

[Pyg]

-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?

Ok I am going to give this a try, but in 2 gallons.
I had a few questions.

1- I have seen other versions use Safale S-04*** Fermentis S-04, instead of Nottingham Ale Yeast. does it make a difference? Does Notty add something to the mix?

2- is yeast nutrient/yeast energizer necessary? I used it in my wine making, but never beer. I have as of late come to the opinion that it is needed for Skeeter Pee and tough ferments, but most ale yeast have no problem converting the sugar.
Can I get by without it?

3- if I bottle, can I use glass bottles with beer caps?
4- if bottled do I have to pasteurize to stop the ferment, or can I just put in fridge?

5- how long after bottling is carbonation done, (when should I toss in fridge)?

6- is the LHBS root beer extract bad? I noticed that McCormicks is priced $5 more than the LHBS version.

7- Don't you despise people who put their questions in numerical order?

 

[easymode]

has there been any resolution on the seperations issues.
Want to try this one after I free up some bottles.

I've literalky ceased making this until someone figures out how to stop the separation.