Well, the first attempt at Root Beer did not go so well. I don't know how you guys take failure but in Fort Knox there must be vengeance, or at least another attempt!
I noticed I didn't give any credit to where I got the recipe, materials, and any other info. Here is a list of what I used and where we got it!
The 1st Attempt Materials
Recipe Inspiration
*The technique and recipe was inspired by the link below, not copied, that is probably why it didn't taste good!*
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/cheese/rootbeer_jn0.htm
Extract:
I did some research on the extract. I thought at first that I would make it from scratch but because of my lack of baking skills and the weird ingredients you have to find to make it from scratch I decided to go the extract route. I was recommended this website by a home brew website. I bought the "gourmet" extract because of the example that they gave of the taste. They have 3 very different extracts so choose based on your preference:
http://homemadesodacompany.com/rootbeer3.aspx
As you can see I paid $7 for it and it smells exactly like what I wanted! It will make up to 5 gallons so you can do the math if it is a good deal or not. Finding the right extract is the most important thing when making your home brew because it is what is delivering the overall taste.
Ale Yeast:
I was recommended by different sites to use Ale Yeast instead of regular yeast to I bought this yeast:
http://homemadesodacompany.com/coopersaustralianaleyeast15gr.aspx
It seems like it makes sense but I will tell you later why it may have been a mistake.
Maple Syrup: A friend gave me a bottle that his dad bottled in Vermont. For more information or if you would like to purchase some of this syrup let us know.
Vanilla: This is a Meijer brand vanilla. We have pure vanilla but I chose to use Meijer brand because I like the way it smelled better than the real stuff
Brown Sugar: Basic brown sugar from Meijer
Cane Sugar: This was important to me to use Cane sugar because it is what all the major brewers use.
Molasses: We got this at Kroger. This is an ingredient that is used in a lot of root beers but it smelled awful in my opinion!
Honey: We used some real honey that britt had from a wedding that she photographed.
Containers: Water jugs from Kroger and eventually glass "EZ Cap" containers from Ikea!
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40065867#/10082806/
So, The above ingredients did not work!
Here is why I think they didn't work:
First, the honey, and molasses were eliminated from the next batch because they gave it a weird taste. The molasses gave it an awful smell (even though i only used 1/8 cup) and the honey didn't work well with everything else. Second, I put in too much ale yeast (because of "miscalculation) and it fermented too quickly (don't trust the yahoo or google answers when baking!). This created an overwhelming alcohol taste. Also, the ingredients didn't work well together at all. They all stuck out like sore thumbs. My theory was like trying to take a whole bunch of colored crayons and melt them together expecting them to make a rainbow when in reality they just make a brown blob!
In theory. the extract, water, sugar, and yeast alone should task good so I thought adding a lot of the extra ingredients that I like in my favorite brews would only make it better! This did not turn out to be right!
The Second Attempt!
So, the second attempt we did 1 and 1/4 cup of cane sugar, 1/8 cup of brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp yeast to start the batch (backward compared to how I did it last time)! The yeast started to work with the sugar as soon as I put it in. I then shook everything together trying to spread out the yeast evenly. Next, I added 2 tbs of the extract, and 2 tbs. of the vanilla mixing it in with the sugar. To mix everything together, I put in half my water and stirred it up. Finally I put in 1/4 cup of maple syrup as an extra sweetener. Britt and I then used our automotive funnel with the filter to poor the mix into the water jug from earlier. The filter kept out any large particles and made the drink clear. I screwed on the top so it could ferment and put it in our guest bedroom (warmest room in the house- 75 degrees or so) overnight. We will see how it tastes tomorrow!
Update:
Britt let me know this morning that the water jug had expanded and was tight (which tells us that it is done). She poured it through our automotive funnel again to filter out any remaining particles. Once she gets it into the fridge in our nice glass containers from ikea it will stop fermenting and cool down. I will try it tonight to let you know!
Solutions if it still sucks!
If the taste is still not where I want it to be I will make one more batch using only extract, water, sugar, and yeast. If the overall taste sucks then I know the extract is not what I am looking for. If it still tastes good but still "alcoholly" I will replace the ale yeast with a typical baking yeast. I don't know why that would matter but it is a thought. If that doesn't work I will move to one of the undesirable fast methods of carbonation. That will be for another day!
Awesome News Update!
We were able to find brown glass bottle with something called a "EZ Lid" online for $1 for a 16 oz bottle. I bought 6 16 oz bottles and 2 32 oz bottles for $18 with shipping!
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/ez-cap-bottle-special-16-oz.html
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/ez-cap-bottle-special-1-liter.html
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