Root beer

[João Machado]

Hello.
Can someone explain to me what exatly is root beer and how it's made?

 

[Jaybird]

Way too much to just post on exactly what it is and how its made but there is a GREAT book you can get from that online bookstore on how to make root beer.

and then there is this

Root beer - Wikipedia
+ loads of stuff here on HBT as well. Good luck in the hunt for the perfect rootbeer. My SWMBO and kids did an awesome root beer blind tasting last year. 8 root beers and 1 clear winner.



Cheers
Jay

 

[TheBluePhantom]

Short answer, it is a soft drink, no alcohol. I believe it started in the USA during prohibition just to have something interesting to drink. Or maybe it just got popular to make at home, it was a good excuse to have bottles, bottle caps, and a capper arouond the house.

it was made with, water, sugar and flavorings, then carbonated. I think Sassafras root was a primary flavoring at first, but that was found to be bad for you. These days the flavorings vary, but common ones are a combination of wintergreen, vanilla, anise, molasses and other various spices. Often home brewers will just buy a bottle of root beer extract (several brands are available) and add to sugar water, then carbonate.

Similar to this is Sarsparilla, or birch beer. also non alcoholic. I prefer the birch beer.

These days there are also some hard root beers on the market, which vary from a plain commercial beer with a light root beer taste, to a heavy bodied full flavored drink, ABV varies from 5 to 15%

 

[DBhomebrew]

I used to serve root beer at a 19th century living history museum. More than once a European nearly spit it out saying it tasted like medicine. Apparently it's a common flavoring for cough syrup and the like.

 

[Jim R]

Nothing really to do with home brewing.

 

[João Machado]

Short answer, it is a soft drink, no alcohol. I believe it started in the USA during prohibition just to have something interesting to drink. Or maybe it just got popular to make at home, it was a good excuse to have bottles, bottle caps, and a capper arouond the house.

it was made with, water, sugar and flavorings, then carbonated. I think Sassafras root was a primary flavoring at first, but that was found to be bad for you. These days the flavorings vary, but common ones are a combination of wintergreen, vanilla, anise, molasses and other various spices. Often home brewers will just buy a bottle of root beer extract (several brands are available) and add to sugar water, then carbonate.

Similar to this is Sarsparilla, or birch beer. also non alcoholic. I prefer the birch beer.

These days there are also some hard root beers on the market, which vary from a plain commercial beer with a light root beer taste, to a heavy bodied full flavored drink, ABV varies from 5 to 15%

So... If you put yeast in that mixture...it can be an alcoholic drink. But it is not beer.

 

[João Machado]

Nothing really to do with home brewing.

In terms of general brewing, at least what we are used to call brewing (beer, mead, cider, wine), it's not that...but I think it can be something fun to try and do.

Like I said here, it is not beer, since it lacks the essential ingredients.
Yesterday I saw a video of a guy trying to brew bean beer...and a guy from northern brewing said it had to have malt extract...
Not sure about all of these.

 

[dallasd9]

Short answer, it is a soft drink, no alcohol. I believe it started in the USA during prohibition just to have something interesting to drink. Or maybe it just got popular to make at home, it was a good excuse to have bottles, bottle caps, and a capper arouond the house.

it was made with, water, sugar and flavorings, then carbonated. I think Sassafras root was a primary flavoring at first, but that was found to be bad for you. These days the flavorings vary, but common ones are a combination of wintergreen, vanilla, anise, molasses and other various spices. Often home brewers will just buy a bottle of root beer extract (several brands are available) and add to sugar water, then carbonate.

Similar to this is Sarsparilla, or birch beer. also non alcoholic. I prefer the birch beer.

These days there are also some hard root beers on the market, which vary from a plain commercial beer with a light root beer taste, to a heavy bodied full flavored drink, ABV varies from 5 to 15%

I've been home brewing beer for a couple years now. So today I picked up a Root Beer Extract. It says to add surgar, water, extract, & yeast.

Questions:
I'm confused; Wont the yeast convert the sugar into alcohol? Can't I just skip the yeast and force carbonate with co2 in a keg?

 

[Jonakr]

I've been home brewing beer for a couple years now. So today I picked up a Root Beer Extract. It says to add surgar, water, extract, & yeast.

Questions:
I'm confused; Wont the yeast convert the sugar into alcohol? Can't I just skip the yeast and force carbonate with co2 in a keg?

There will be a small amount of alcohol. Yes, you could just keg and force carbonate.

I've sourced both Sarsaparilla and sassafras root. I love real rootbeer, but my family complained that it tastes like bark. I was sad.

 

[dallasd9]

Thanks for the guidance

 

[TheBluePhantom]

I've been home brewing beer for a couple years now. So today I picked up a Root Beer Extract. It says to add surgar, water, extract, & yeast.

Questions:
I'm confused; Wont the yeast convert the sugar into alcohol? Can't I just skip the yeast and force carbonate with co2 in a keg?

Yes, a minute amount of alcohol, and I do carbonate in a keg. But if you are trying to carbonate with yeast, you have to carefully select your yeast for a type that will go dormant at refrigeration, then refrigerate when it is carbonated. Otherwise you can brew bombs.

Oh, and I did read later that it predates prohibition by several decades. Just never caught on elsewhere I guess.