Rootbeer Fermentation (alcoholic?)

[phatuna]

Why doesn't the fermentation in rootbeer produce alcohol? We brewed some for our kids from a kit that came with red star champagne yeast and are wondering why it doesn't turn ferment into alcohol.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

It DOES ferment just like you expect. However, fermentation produces a lot of CO2 in relation to the amount of alcohol produced. By capturing the CO2 at the very start of fermentation, the beverage becomes carbonated quickly without becoming highly alcoholic. The ABV is likely less than 0.5%.

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

It does. Just not enough to make it highly alcoholic. It's less than 1/10th of a percent ABV I believe.

 

[phatuna]

That's funny. The box says nothing about alcohol but it does say for kids of all ages...

My three year old loved it, and slept well last night...

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

It would take you probably 40-50 of those rootbeers to get the equivelant of 1 beer. If you're kids drank that many, I think you'd have more problems on your hands then them getting drunk.