Rootbeer Questions and General Recipe

[Rootbeer!]

Hello, everyone! I'm relatively new to the Root Beer brewing scene and I've been going through different recipes trying to figure out that recipe that'll be my go-to for making Root Beer. General Recipe I used:

MAKES 3 GALLONS
12 Qts Water
36 oz. Honey
6 Star Anise (TRY WITHOUT)
3/8 tsp. Salt
3/8 cp. Sarsaparilla
3/8 cp. Sassafras
3 cp. light brown sugar
1 1/2 cp Vanilla Flavoring
3/8 cp. Chopped Raisins
3/8 tsp. Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Champagne Yeast (per gallon)
4 oz. Maltodextrine

I add maltodextrine to reduce the "watery" part of the Root Beer.

Now I have two questions:

1. Does Root Beer taste different AFTER being preserved for a number of days, or is it generally easy to tell after the ingredients have finished mixing?

2. My brew that's currently being preserved using the above recipe (but much smaller to test) tasted a bit too much like honey. I'm thinking of reducing the honey amount by half.

3. Does boiling/simmering change the taste at all when done differently?

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Apparently, others have used the recipe I've given with great results (same methods of brewing) but I'm concerned I'm doing something wrong.

Thanks to anyone who replies!

 

[MaxStout]

First, welcome to the forum!

I make RB from extract with a few additions, but I think the principles will be the same for your Qs.
1. I find the flavor does mellow a bit after it sits a few days, though it tastes good as soon as I carbonate it.
3. I would not recommend boiling, as that will drive off some of the aroma/flavor.

 

[Rootbeer!]

First, welcome to the forum!

I make RB from extract with a few additions, but I think the principles will be the same for your Qs.
1. I find the flavor does mellow a bit after it sits a few days, though it tastes good as soon as I carbonate it.
3. I would not recommend boiling, as that will drive off some of the aroma/flavor.

Some people use Crazy8's version of the recipe and he boils for the entire time which, for them, has seemed to work. I merely simmered and lightly boiled.

Thanks for the reply! How did you go about adding the yeast? Mixing it in or leaving it on the top when it reached the right temperature?

 

[z-bob]

I wouldn't use any honey. I might use a little molasses, but mostly good old white sugar. A couple of other ingredients you might want to investigate are wild cherry bark (a major component of McCormick's root beer concentrate), and wintergreen (I think a lot of commercial root beers are mostly vanilla, wintergreen, and caramel)

 

[MaxStout]

Some people use Crazy8's version of the recipe and he boils for the entire time which, for them, has seemed to work. I merely simmered and lightly boiled.

Thanks for the reply! How did you go about adding the yeast? Mixing it in or leaving it on the top when it reached the right temperature?

I don't use the yeast method; I force-carb mine, using 1L PET pop bottles and a carbonation cap. Mix the root beer, chill, then pressurize with CO2 at about 30psi.

 

[Rootbeer!]

I wouldn't use any honey. I might use a little molasses, but mostly good old white sugar. A couple of other ingredients you might want to investigate are wild cherry bark (a major component of McCormick's root beer concentrate), and wintergreen (I think a lot of commercial root beers are mostly vanilla, wintergreen, and caramel)

Thanks for the reply!

I just tasted the end batch and it had too much of a "honey taste". It had an awesome texture and foam though so I'm happy about that. So....next batch would you suggest trying to use white sugar? Or if it's molasses, how much in place of the white sugar?

Should I use the same amount of white sugar or molasses as I did with the honey?

 

[Rootbeer!]

Update:

Tried using White Sugar in replacement of Honey. I think I found the culprit which is the Brown Sugar's molasses taste. I'm considering reducing the amount and adding something different as well like either wintergreen or as z-bob suggested: wild cherry bark.

 

[verboten]

I love a nice minty Rootbeer!

 

[bugdry]

Update:

Tried using White Sugar in replacement of Honey. I think I found the culprit which is the Brown Sugar's molasses taste. I'm considering reducing the amount and adding something different as well like either wintergreen or as z-bob suggested: wild cherry bark.

Did you ever try out these changes?