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All root recipe
 
 
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jcl5150
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Joined: Jul 28, 2009
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:01 am    Post subject: All root recipe Reply with quote

Hi there! I am new to home brewing root beer and just found this great forum. I recently made my second batch (first batch was ruined by non-active brewer's yeast, bought in my ignorance). Here is what I used:

3 vanilla beans - split
1/2 licorice root - broken into pieces
3/4 cup sarsaparilla root - cut and sifted
1 tbs burdock root
1 cinnamon stick
3 heads star anise
1 teaspoon marshmallow root
2 tablespoons of wintergreen
2 cups raisins - chopped

I boiled all this in 8 cups of tap water for 20 minutes, then added:

2 cups of brown sugar
1 tbs molasses
1 tbs honey

I simmered for another 15 minutes, then sifted the liquid into a 1 gallon glass jug filled with 4 more cups of tap water. I shook it up at let it cool to room temperature.

I added 1/8 teaspoon champagne yeast to 1/4 cup warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes, then added to the jug and shook.

I bottled in plastic bottles and screwed the caps on and let sit for about 3 days (the bottles really started to bulge!). I then refrigerated.

Today I tried a bottle and it was pretty good, although half came out in foam! It is a bit on the sweet side, and I'd like a bit more bite to it. I like my root beer with a bit more vanilla taste and to be creamy. It is the color of an amber beer, not store-bought root beer. In my next batch, I am going to use sassafras bark. I got all the barks and herbs from Star West Botannicals on-line. I have no idea if they are any good or not, or if it is better to use oils/extracts, which I've read a bit about on these forums.

Eventually, I'd like to force carbonate and use glass bottles and a bottle capper. I want to sell my brew downtown at the park where they have small concerts on weekends and stuff. There is always a kettle corn guy there and a hot dog/sausage guy. I know I am a long way off from this, though.

Does anyone have any advice/suggestions? Anything you could tell me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
  
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callmebruce
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Joined: Aug 11, 2010
Posts: 15

PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 11:53 am    Post subject: Re: All root recipe Reply with quote

I know this was posted a long time ago, but it sounds like a great recipe! I'll have to try it. If you are still around - did you try bottling and selling it? Or did you try a different recipe? If so, let me know how you did.
  
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darrenct83
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Joined: Nov 17, 2010
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You may want to switch to using ale yeast instead of champagne yeast. The ale yeast is less likely to give the foaming over effect you got from your champagne yeast. All yeasts will also give off a slight amount of flavor. The flavor of ale yeast is more desirable to most people than that of champagne yeast.
  
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NewerBrewer
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Joined: Nov 23, 2010
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 4:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm new, so sorry if the answers to these questions are obvious, but when you say wintergreen, do you mean oil, extract, leaves, etc? Also, does half licorice root mean half of an entire root, or do you mean half cup, tablespoon, teaspoon, etc?
  
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jcaps
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Joined: Jan 08, 2011
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:57 am    Post subject: Re: All root recipe Reply with quote

sounds good. the brown sugar / molases / honey will make it very sweet. maybe replace brown sugar with cane sugar. I find that vanilla extract works pretty well, it might be hard to extract the flavor form just boiling the vanilla bean.
  
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Garison83
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Joined: Jan 14, 2012
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:25 am    Post subject: Re: All root recipe Reply with quote

There are no Root Beers or ingredients for Root Beers in the US that use sarsaparilla because

"Sassafras albidum--"Sassafras albidum" (roots)--safrole, the oil from these roots, is believed to be carcinogenic, so artificial versions are generally used instead."
from Wiki.

I drank a lot of Root Beer as a child and I don't have cancer yet.
The stuff one can get today is a pale imitation of the real stuff.-
  
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learylax3r
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Joined: Apr 03, 2012
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 12:46 pm    Post subject: Re: All root recipe Reply with quote

Garison83 wrote:
There are no Root Beers or ingredients for Root Beers in the US that use sarsaparilla because

"Sassafras albidum--"Sassafras albidum" (roots)--safrole, the oil from these roots, is believed to be carcinogenic, so artificial versions are generally used instead."
from Wiki.

I drank a lot of Root Beer as a child and I don't have cancer yet.
The stuff one can get today is a pale imitation of the real stuff.-


It was Sassafras that was made illegal for sale, not sarsaparilla. personally I feel that sarsaparilla root beer is a little sweeter than sassafras root beer, and gives it a similar taste to the candies. American Spice Company has an online ordering that sells safrole free sassafras. I just tried brewing some today with Sassafras root, Juniper Berries, Ginger root, Anise, Vanilla, and Maple syrup, I think I added a little too much sugar to the recipe because it tasted pretty sweet before bottling, but I tried to keep it simple on the first batch. Hopefully the yeast will cut down on the sugar taste and it will have more of a bite. Good luck brewing, and if you want the exact recipe I used PM me.
  
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