CHOW Root Beer Recipe

I finally made root beer last Friday using this recipe, my first batch of homebrewed soda. Served it to dinner guests on two days later and it was a hit with everyone. My significant other noted the licorice/anise flavors as well as the cinnamon; my friends enjoyed the vanilla notes. I wasn't sure if I liked it at first, it was nothing like I'd ever had before, but I definitely enjoyed it more as the week went on. (I finally finished it just this evening.)

I did however use the bottling method that Polly mentions of putting it in a 2-liter plastic bottle from David B. Fankhauser's website http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/...
I will try putting it in "proper" glass bottles for the next batch. (My sweetie has several from her own homebrewed beer.) This batch filled a 101-oz Poland Springs bottle plus half of a 2-liter bottle and was ready to refrigerate in approx. 36 hours.

The only alterations I made were adding 3 cardamon pods, approx 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, lemon rind instead of orange (the amount given is vague - "1/8" wide" but how long?); and I was short on brown sugar so I had to mostly use white sugar but added extra molasses (2 tablespoons per cup.) I am definitely ready to make another batch and continue experimenting and playing with flavors; the next time however I will use organic rapadura sugar from my local co-op, which is raw sugar in which the molasses has not been stripped out and still contains all the trace minerals. It is less sweet and more subtle in it's flavor.

I had no problem getting all the ingredients I needed (roots, etc) from either my local co-op or from Mountain Rose Herbs online; most everything I used was organic.

The yeast I used was Red Star Champagne yeast.

I want to try carbonating with yeast, since it doesn't require expensive equipment and it seems nice and authentic, but i've read on other websites that it usually results in a gross, alcohol-y off taste. Has anyone else actually tried it? It seems pretty complicated and hard to get right, is it worth the risk of weird root beer or should I try using CO2?

I want to back up purpletheory and say that wintergreen tastes much more like modern commercial rootbeer. Sassafras a little bit of a different taste that is good but not really the same. There are some other recipes on http://rootbeerbrewer.com

We are making beer after a class we took, and I want to make reflective beer labels from www.rippedsheets.com reflective laser labels. They glow in a dark room if there is a spot light, and I think that would be be cool.

We tried this recipe this weekend and it turned out horribly. The taste; the carbonation and bottling went swimmingly.

Before we bottled the brew and even before we added the yeast, the only real smell present was the sarsaparilla smell. Has anyone else making this recipe had that experience? I want to guess that we should have put in 2tbs of sarsaparilla and 3/4 cup sassafras...

emmaroseeats Sep 2, 2009 11:35 AM

star7bs - you may want to try this homemeade ginger ale recipe from Alton Brown:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/al...

jscrow Aug 11, 2009 04:33 AM

Hey all,
I work at a local grocery store, and i could find everything i needed to make this except for the Burdock root, Licorice root, and the Sarsparilla root. Ive been to probably a dozen shops trying to find these. We do carry the Licorice root powder, but i didnt think it would work. I live in Phoenix, Az anyone who knows anything around here it would help out a lot, thanks.

Thanks for the recipe, I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds great. When I make it, I think I'll tweak it a bit by adding a few drops of wintergreen oil for a flavor a bit closer to commercial root beer, and also add some maltodextrin to enhance head foam. I also prefer the bubble quality of the champagne yeast, also doesn't taste quite as yeasty to my palette, wouldn't recommend glass bottles if you go that route (boom)

For anyone having a hard time finding ingredients, I've been ordering my herbs from http://www.herbco.com - haven't had any problems with them, prices are good, always get my package within a couple of days, great selection, including sassafras bark.

For anyone worried about sassafras containing safrole, chances are that you already are consuming it, as it is also found in black pepper and basil. Oh snap! I don't worry about it too much, I would imagine that it would take quite a large amount to hurt somebody. I'm sure there are plenty of other things killing us much faster, like pollution and McDonalds.

HaHa... funny indeed. I'm still finding traces of root beer in my bathroom from when half my first batch exploded... two years ago...

I'm looking to make this one again. I have a much better understanding about cleaning and sanitizing and controlling the yeast (I just started homebrewing beer.) The only problem is, I'm having a hard time tracking down sassafras (probably because it's illegal.) I've tried looking up recipes online, but most of them contain "root beer syrup" or the likes. I have no clue how to track down a sassafras tree as I'm a lifelong city dweller and couldn't tell oak from cedar. Does anyone know of a good substitute for sassafras? Or maybe even another recipe that they've tried successfully?

Exploding root beer is an American classic. Also it's incredibly funny. One thing that has helped is to have surgically sterile equipment, and to chill down the fermenting hooch as it gets closer to being ready.

Sassafras trees grow over most of North America. Young trees are shallow rooted and easily pulled. Just peel the bark from the roots and steep the peelings in boiling water.

I used to go into the woods and get my own sassafras root. It grows like weeds in the NY state area.

Thanks Chow for the awesome idea to make your own soda! Next request- homemade Ginger Ale please! I am a Michigander relocated to the Bay Area who was raised on the sweet tastes of Vernors ginger ale and considers this my ultimate drink of choice. I would love to be able to even mimic the enjoyment in my own kitchen. Chow and Chowhounds- any advice?

Thank God that someone else brought up the sassafras illegality. Anybody who does the slighest research on root beer recipes will come across this warning and every article about root beer that i've ever read will give a warning about sassafras.

What's next? Chocolate frosting with the tobacco from a pack of cigarettes?

In 1960, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of sassafras oil and safrole in foods and drugs based on the animal studies and human case reports. Several years later, the sale of sassafras oil, roots, or tea was prohibited by law. Subsequently, both Canada and the United States have passed laws against the sale of any consumable products (beverages, foods, cosmetics, health products such as toothpaste, and others) that contain more than specific small amounts of safrole. Safrole is used as the main precursor for the clandestine manufacture of MDMA (ecstasy).

jpprice May 25, 2008 05:38 PM

Great Fermentations in Indianapolis is a home brew store that carries an abundant supply of fresh brewer's yeast.

Patlican, have you tried the Alberta Co-op on NE 15th & Alberta? They carry all sorts of herbs-- many more than New Seasons.

I have a question. I was just informed that the goverment has classed Sassafrass as a controled substance for some reason. So is there anything I can substitute in it's place? Or are you still able to get Sassafrass?

Did anyone else have serious problems finding the ingredients? I've been all over Portland (OR) and can't find half this stuff, even at New Seasons and the Beaverton Herbarium. Ideas?

Hey jcb,

Thanks for that detailed response. It does explain what might have gone wrong. I followed the Chow bottling instructions by soaking the bottles in chlorine water for a bit then rinsing it clean... but I guess the rinsing water I used had contaminants in it... I think I'll sanitize my bottles kinda like I do my mason jars in the future, using a huge rondelle or stock pot with boiling water and a long tong.

I'll give it another go when I get the good ol' root beer craving. And I'll report back. :)

Thanks again.

About carbonating root beer, just be certain to take precautions against exploding bottles. No kidding, I've heard stories.

i live in indianapolis is there any stores loccally without using the internet that i can get the ale yeast and the roots

bluishgnome,

Off flavors like horse sweat are attributed to contamination by a wiild yeast called Brettanomyces (as opposed to Saccharomyces cerevisiae , brewers yeast). I would imagine the milky consistency was due to additional microbial contamination... probably some sort of bacteria. When brewing, some people get lucky by not carefully sanitizing their equipment/bottles, but more often than not improper sanitation is what attributes to exploding bottles (as well as adding too much sugar) and poor (or at least inconsistent) brewing results. Soaking everything that will touch the wort or soda in a dilute solution of iodophore (~12 ppm or 1oz diluted in 10 gallons) for 5-10 minutes is sufficient to sanitize clean glassware. While one should try to poor out as much of the iodophore as possible, it is not necessary to rinse the containers- but if you do, make sure to use water that has been pre-boiled and allowed to cool while covered. Most if not all contamination comes from either touching the liquid with something that is "dirty" (i.e. not sanitized) or from being left open to the air. Hope this helps.

Anyone tried using whey to carbonate their rootbeer (with this recipe or another)?

I'm thinking about trying it, but would like to hear others opinions and before I give it a go.

Thanks!

The best way to avoid exploding bottles is to use plastic bottles--you can recycle 2 liter bottles from commercial soda, or recycle seltzer bottles. You can use a squeeze test to determine when they are adequately carbonated--when they're hard, they are ready.

I use artificial carbonation when I make soda, but that's because I have a full carbonating setup from my prior homebrewing.

All this shlepping for 4 bottles of the stuff that is probably not as good as IPC? Really...

Okay, I just read up a few messages, where Diana cautions to not put too much sugar in. or they go "boom".

I wish I did, but don't feel bad; exploding root beer is pretty common from what I hear. In fact, it's an American institution.

So I tried making root beer... but failed miserably. At 2AM last night, all three bottles (didn't get enough for a fourth bottle somehow...) exploded in close succession. I live in NYC, it's currently high 60s during the day and about 48 during the night... my apartment seems to keep at a steady 77 or so.

I bought the bottles at a store that's reputable for beer brewing supplies. I used 1/8 tsp of yeast, exact measure... give or take. And two cups of brown sugar, as called for... maybe I packed it too hard?

But anyway. The root beer in my test bottle was awfully herbal with hints of horse and used cat litter. It wasn't nice and crisp and a bit more on the thicker side... kinda like the consistency of milk.

Would anyone know the reason for any (or all) of my problems?

Bottles and caps can be purchased at a home brewing supply store. You may also order them online--we've listed a source above. Let us know how it turns out!

Regan B Apr 24, 2007 03:26 AM

I always wanted to brew my own root beer, and you all have me convinced to give it a try. Where can the bottles be purchased?

Hi, I am researching home brewing of root beer. Does anybody know someone who is an expert in the history and production of root beer? Please let me know. Thanks!

I've mad a ton of root beer with Spelnda. The trick is to have a keg (can be bought second hand from a beer supply sotre) and co2 system. Just sweeten with spelnda, put it in the keg, and force carbonate it the way soda companies and homebrewers do.

Be caeful adding extra sugar. Carbonation is caused by the the yeast eating the sugar and, um, farting. Well, sort of. the more sugar to eat, the more carbonation...bottle go "boom".

Jes, I'm not going to tell you not to try it, but I doubt using a low calorie sugar-subsitute such as Splenda will work. The yeast need sugar to create the carbon dioxide (carbonation). If you want to use a different form of sugar--such as maple syrup or honey, then it probably work, but the proportions may be off and I still can't guarantee it.

On second thought, you could, theoretically, brew the base without adding any sugar then once it's cooled, mix in some Splenda or Equal, then carbonate it manually (like with a soda siphon). That probably would work--so let me know how it turns out!

Regan B Mar 4, 2007 09:03 AM

This is probably a stupid question, but is there a way to make one's own sugar-free root beer?

This will get as carbonated as you're used to; over time, more so. We used to make large batches of root beer in glass bottles - we would know they had reached maximum carbonation by the sounds of exploding bottles. You can use washed plastic soda bottles rather than capping your own glass bottles. They're readily available, and won't shatter. They don't look as cool, but you can always make your own labels.

I've tried to make root beer a number of times. I just finished making the wort with this recipe. After all my attepmts... this one seems like it will be the winner. I did a little taste test while pouring it into the glass carboy. It was very nice and the aroma is wonderful. I added a half a cup extra sugar because I tend to like it a bit sweeter. I strongly suggest using the vanilla bean as suggested and not vanilla extract. They are nothing alike and the true vanilla bean gives it a wonderful, hearty aspect.