homemade rootbeer

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We are interested in making homemade root beer. Can anyone give us any information on where to obtain supplies, bottling equipment, caps, ets.? Also, any tried and true recipes, tips, and general information would be greatly appreciated. Thank You. DAN

-- DAN (dshaske@excel.net), November 07, 1999

Answers

In the past I have gotten the concentrate at the super market, it is made by Hires, you can also get some for ginger ale.

-- Bob Henderson (redgate@echoweb.net), November 07, 1999.

Lehman's Hardware carries supplies. A web search will show the online catalog address.

-- greenbeanman (greenbeanman@ourtownusa.net), November 07, 1999.

Any beer or wine brewing store will have all you need. there are maney of brew supliers on-line. While you wait find some dark bottles.The kind that are not screw-off are what you want. You will need some B-bright for sterilization. You can use bleach but wash it out real good. Just like canning sterilzation is the key to bottling.A capper,caps, siphon hose, and recipes are in every home brew store.Good luck, it will taste great if you keep everthing clean.

-- Lawson Moore (marmerduke@aol.com), November 10, 1999.

Check Storey's Basic Country Skills - a great all around resource plus recipe for rootbeer

-- j. shuert (city003@aol.com), January 08, 2000.

When I tried making it in the past with the Hires concentrate it came out with a real strong yeast flavor. Any suggestions on what I can do to improve it?

-- BigDaddy23-2 (DSev347385@aol.com), January 18, 2000.


Do NOT use baker's yeast. It'll work, but tastes "yeasty"! Wine yeast is your best bet, and I have found that "Champagne" yeast seems to be best. Do not expect this to taste just like the commercial product, but it's pretty good, especially after you've had a few. Kids will also initially think the first ones are odd, unless you psyche them out. Good Luck!

Brad

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), February 14, 2000.


this is the recipe that my mother gave me. It is from the Sedalia Demicrat: take a gallon jar glass or plastic milk carton it must have a screw on lid and fill it 1/2 full of warm water. Useing a funnel add 2C sugar, 2T root beer extract and 1 scant t. dry yeast with the lid on shake to dissolve sugar and yeast. Fill the jug rest of the way with water to with in 2/3 inchs of top. Screw the lid back on and let set for 12 hours at room temp. then put in refridgerator. A number of readers recomending adding 2 or 3 rasines to guerentie to make it fizzy. This makes a gallon of "fresh" root beer and you can make any flavored soda you want.

-- red hen (redhen@fiberia.com), February 15, 2000.

Hi all- we've been making hires rootbeer since I was a kid! If you put a raisin in each bottle, it will absorb the yeast. I can't find the extract in stores in my area - can anyone tell me where I can buy it online, boo hoo? Thanks! Carol

-- Carol Taylor (CarolM-Taylor@mediaone.net), September 30, 2001.

We found the dark brown bottles with the attached, hinged caps at antique stores. We never got good results with two liter plastic bottles or big 20 oz.

We use regular baking yeast and have not had any yeasty taste to speak of. We pour gently and don't disturb the yeast on the bottom and leave the last few ounces in the bottle.

We leave the bottles at room temperature for five day. Be careful, although we never had any blow up, they always caution about it.

We refrigerate and then open one to see if they have "worked". We always have a few that don't "make". They are flat when you open them.

In trying to come up with that "rich" taste of really good rootbeer, we thought of adding a little vanilla to the batch. That was it. Gave it the taste we were looking for.

We make cola and orange also. If you can buy the syrup, you can make the soda.

-- homestead2 (homestead@localnetplus.com), September 30, 2001.


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