Rainbow rootbeer extract and Nottingham yeast?

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callmebruce

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I've made a couple batches of root beer using McCormicks, and wanted to give Rainbow rootbeer a try. I picked up the extract and have it in the fridge. I picked up Rainbow cola extract at the same time.

So - in making the Cola using Rainbow extract, 2 cups of cane sugar and Nottingham yeast - I got a very strong sulfur smell after the cola carbed up. No smell in making in. Tasting it before adding yeast, it tasted good. After pitching the yeast and letting it work for five days to carb up, and putting it in the fridge for a few days - it stunk big time.

I thought my process was wrong, so tried again, making sure everything was sanitized. Same results. The process worked fine for McCormick rootbeer and for Ginger Beer from scratch - so I'm thinking something is wrong with the cola extract (perhaps on the LHBS shelf too long? Stored improperly before I got it? Opened by a customer at the LHBS, then put back on the shelf?).

Which is a round-about way of asking: folks that have made Rainbow extract rootbeer. Was it good? Did you use Nottingham yeast? Did it get stinky? Does it like a different yeast? Is it better with or without vanilla extract?

I want to make another batch of rootbeer. I just don't want the smell that I got with the cola. Man, that stunk twice. I'm not ready for a third stinkin'!
 
Giving it a try. Got nothing to lose, and it could be tasty - enough other folks had success! So, did 1.5 cups of light brown sugar, 1/3 cup of clover honey (would of gone more, but that all I had on hand at the time). Brought one gallon of water and the sugars up to 180 degrees slowly. Took it off the stove. Immersed the pot (with lid closed) in cold water to get the temp back down. Added 1.5 T Rainbow rootbeer extract and 1 T Vanilla extract. Waited for the temp to get down, and added 1/4 t Nottingham Ale yeast in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water.

Soaked everything in bleach and water prior to putting stuff together.

It's bottled, and will check in three to five days for carbonation. Hoping the bad smell was just the cola. If this smells like sulfur, I'm crossing Rainbow extracts off my list (well, for Yeast carbonation - I'm sure it's fine with a keg).
 
So far the root beer smells fine and tastes fine. It has not carb'ed up yet, has a way to go. But testing the first bottle - it's perfectly fine. (guess I said bad things about a brand I ought to take back).

As an FYI - posts are right about not getting the rootbeer smell out of your equipment. I wanted to test using a bottling bucket with spigot and hoses. Let's just say that soaking the bucket and hose with water and bleach, rinsing it out and soaking with water and baking soda has not gotten the rootbeer smell out. Tossed the hose. Hoping to work some more on the bucket.
 
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