Root Beer Recipe

[Curtis2010]

Sorry to hear about her condition -- certainly makes brewing a challenge in expect.

I get the occasional charter guest who is gluten intolerant.

 

[dallasdb]

If you dont have a kegging system to force carbonate the soda, you have to use yeast to do it naturally... In making beer when you add yeast they eat the sugar and produce co2 and alcohol... Theres not much alcohol in the soda because the fermentable levels are down & we dont leave it under fermetation very long before putting the sodas in the fridge and stopping the process...

Just to be clear, the yeast are only to carb the bottles but if you keg you don't need the yeast. Is that right?

 

[robbyhicks]

I believe that is correct... Any keggers confirm?

 

[rhoop]

Yep, that's correct.

 

[Curtis2010]

Just to be clear, the yeast are only to carb the bottles but if you keg you don't need the yeast. Is that right?

Yes, that is correct. No reason to use yeast at all for force carb'ed soda.

 

[MDB]

Can I just cut this recipe in half to scale it? And I'm using bread yeast to carb -- how much?

 

[Curtis2010]

Can I just cut this recipe in half to scale it?...

With a soda since you are not worried about things like mash efficiency you should just be able o scale it by simple division.

 

[robbyhicks]

Brewed sunday afternoon, 2.5 just scaled in halfusing the gluten free ingredients... Went to freezer/cooler this afternoon, bottles were nice & hard... The gravity sample we took on sunday was a little weak, we will see how it is carbed up... Used 1 or 2 tsp of nottingham dry yeast and 4oz of cane sugar for carbbing... I will crack one this evening after softball...

 

[Big-R]

...Used 1 or 2 tsp of nottingham dry yeast and 4oz of cane sugar for carbbing... I will crack one this evening after softball...

How did it turn out?

 

[ggoodman]

Brewed 5 gallons of this, tasted it and it was not near sweet enough for me. I added 2lbs dark brown sugar(boiled it first in a little water). and after stupidly adding hot liquid to cold carbonated cold liquid watched as I lost about liter on the garage floor before I could get the lid back on.

4 hours later it's much better tasting and I think it will be steller when fully carbed

Speaking of which how long will it take to carb at 26psi 40f?

 

[Curtis2010]

...
4 hours later it's much better tasting and I think it will be steller when fully carbed

Speaking of which how long will it take to carb at 26psi 40f?

A much debated subject, for which I have never found a definitive answer which is not mathematically complex. You can agitate the keg a bit (roll it on the floor or shake it for example ) to increase the exposed surface area and this will speed up the process. With one good agitation and a few more days at 26PSI/40F I would expect it to be adequately carb'ed.

Glad the base recipe worked out for you. Let us know how the final product turns out.

 

[ggoodman]

I got tired of waiting and cranked the reg up to 30ish PSI and shook the snot out of the keg for 20min. Then stuck it in the fridge turned temp down to 35F. Learned something.....Longer hose is def better for higher pressure. the short line made a foamy mess. the long one poured beautify. So I love this rootbeer more than commercial options. next time I will only add 1lb of sugar. and for some reason I get no head like the Craters picture
Anywho the wife love's it which is all that matters since its' hers

 

[Curtis2010]

...So I love this rootbeer more than commercial options. next time I will only add 1lb of sugar. and for some reason I get no head like the Craters picture
Anywho the wife love's it which is all that matters since its' hers

Maybe the gluten free ingredients? What was your final recipe?

 

[ggoodman]

Op's first posted plus half lb white and half lb dark sugar....... I was hitting my IPW when I made this so the mash temp got a little high on the stove, maybe this is the cause?
Color was initially milky brown now it looks very dark. I am going to bottle all of it as it is becoming a pain managing the pressure so It stays carbed and trying to serve out of my keg orator.

LHBS lady looked at me like I had lost my mind when I said I was collecting grain and exstract to brew a root beer.

 

[Curtis2010]

Op's first posted plus half lb white and half lb dark sugar....... I was hitting my IPW when I made this so the mash temp got a little high on the stove, maybe this is the cause?
Color was initially milky brown now it looks very dark. I am going to bottle all of it as it is becoming a pain managing the pressure so It stays carbed and trying to serve out of my keg orator.

LHBS lady looked at me like I had lost my mind when I said I was collecting grain and exstract to brew a root beer.

Sugars will thin the body, so maybe when you try it with less sugar that will help. Maybe higher mash temp could denature some of the proteins and reduce head retention depending upon how high. No need to do anything but steep these ingredients.

You might try increasing the grains slightly to offset the effect of the sugars. I would try increasing the CaraPils rather than the oats -- doubt the wife will like chewy root beer.

You should take the LHBS lady a bottle and see how she likes it !

IPW?

 

[ggoodman]

I meant IPA

 

[skippy2235]

So I know this is an old thread but it has my attention.
I just installed my first keg and co2 bottle in the garage yesterday.
This sounds like something I am going to try.
My question is:
When the ingrediants list say 8oz, do you mean 8oz as 1 cup. (volume)
or do you mean 8oz as in 1/2 LB. (weight)
sorry if this is a stupid question

 

[snaps10]

In brewing its always weight. Volume measures of dry materials are not accurate.

 

[skippy2235]

So just an update.
I made this recipe and with some sugar this is great.
Made per recipe given there is some really bitter bite.
I added 1/2 cup molasses and 6 cups white sugar, and 2 cups corn sugar, and 1/2 cup of maltros dextron. Has great head foam, and retention, creamy and full body.
This is awesome. I love this stuff. I drank 4 gallons in about a week.
Thanks for the help in starting us newbies.

 

[tmags711]

Sub'd, just to bookmark the recipe. Thanks all!

 

[winenewb172]

You could also adapt this to brew a "hard" root beer by upping the gravity with DME. I have a small 1-liter test batch of this approach brewing now. I brought the OG of this test batch up to about 1.060 with DME and pitched a generic dry brewer's yeast by Coopers.[/QUOTE]

Could I add lactose to sweeten this without making my abv go sky high? I want it to be sweet and creamy but also bottle carbed and I've been dreaming of hard root beer for some time now

 

[winenewb172]

I'm also in the hospital on morphine for pain so excuse any nonsense I write lol

 

[ZmannR2]

noms!!!

 

[NorthMoonBrewing]

Has anyone thought of using lactose for a little creamier feel? I know great fermintations in Indy had a orange ice cream creams ale that they used that for? Trying to recipe in the next couple weeks.