Root Beer

[Agnebrew]

I've begun brewing beer for a 4th of July party, and would like to do a root beer for the kids. Anybody have a recipe? Also, can you bottle carbonate a root beer?

[BDawg]

Use plastic PET soda bottles for root beer and other soda.

I would highly suggest force carbonating it if you can. In order to bottle condition, you need to somehow stop the yeast from fermenting all that sugar. That's a royal pain in the ass, and highly dangerous if you try to use glass bottles.

Most LHBSs have soda extracts that work and taste pretty well. Even the little brown "woodgrained" soda extract are better than most store bought and I bet the kids will love it. I use them, make a 5 gal batch out of it even though the extract says it's for 4, and I can cut back a little on the sugar. They don't notice and it still tastes good. Are there better quality soda kits out there? Sure probably.

[Agnebrew]

Thanks BDawg. I appreciate it. All look next time I'm at LHBS.

[Bugeater]

The extract from the LHBS makes great root beer and is easy as hell. I taught my daughter how to make it herself when she about 12 and she now makes it a couple times each summer. Her friends think its really cool.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[ChrisKennedy]

Have you tried the cola extract?

[smurfe]

I made a five gallon keg of the Gnome Root Beer last week for the kids. It is fantastic. Five pounds sugar, 2 bottles of the extract and I dumped in about a half bottle of vanilla extract. Force carbed at 35 psi. It took about 15 minutes to throw together. Came out fantastic. Tastes like Barq's Rootbeer

[rhino777]

You know I snagged the woodgrain root beer extract thinking I'd try it out soon. I keep hearing not to use the same equipment for soda as for beer though. Is this true or can I get by with just a really good cleaning/pbw soak after using my equipment for soda?

[bub]

dedicate a keg and hoses to it, the smell will not come out without changing all the rubber.
BUB