Adventures in soda making

[The Cynical Chef]

A carbonator, huh. I don't have one here because we are just too small but that's cool. My first batch of lemon & vanilla soda was too heavy on the yeast (2 teaspoons for 1 & 1/2 gallons) and too light on the sugar (2 cups). This go round I will up the lemon, add another cup of sugar and make do with only 1/2 teaspoon of yeast.

We have been saving wine bottles with the screw caps and that should seal tighter than a used wine cork.

And "fifty dollars " if you plan on doing this yourself please make sure you sanitize the bottles and work in an insanely clean enviroment. bonne chance!

[cdh]

Nobody is too small for a carbonator!

What I've got is this... http://www.morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=18291

Cheap enough and quite useful. You get 3 bottles, one of which you can force carbonate with gas in a couple of days, and the other two come with tight tops that will allow yeast carbonation within a week, and then you can hook the tap up to serve them.

Beware of root beer, as it gets into the plastic and stays there.. but other sodas are fine.

[eje]

Anyone got a recipe for home made tonic water syrup?

I picked up some Quinine (Cinchona) Bark for another project, and have some left over.

I have always wanted to try a from scratch gin and tonic.

[cdh]

Wow!

Cool!

The tonic recipes I've seen are all quinine sugar and citrus... Finding the balance is the question... And there isn't a standardized unit of quinine, so the balancing thing is still an art.

[M.X.Hassett]

Anyone got a recipe for home made tonic water syrup?

I picked up some Quinine (Cinchona) Bark for another project, and have some left over.

I have always wanted to try a from scratch gin and tonic.

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This might help http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5062700572.html

[eje]

This might help http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5062700572.html

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I wonder if they'd reply if I sent a note and promised I wasn't opening a competing bar?

Gotta love that guy's mad professor enthusiasm.

I've been thinking about it, and wondering if I should seperate the lemon-lime aspect and the bitter aspect. Be pretty easy to make lemon/lime syrup and some sort of quinine bitters.

Isn't tonic water really just quinine bitters, syrup, lemon-lime, and fizzy water in a convenient pre-mixed single package? Or am I over simplifying?

[M.X.Hassett]

1)I've been thinking about it, and wondering if I should seperate the lemon-lime aspect and the bitter aspect.  Be pretty easy to make lemon/lime syrup and some sort of quinine bitters.

2)Isn't tonic water really just quinine bitters, syrup, lemon-lime, and fizzy water in a convenient pre-mixed single package?  Or am I over simplifying?

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1) I would think that that may be the way to go until you figure out a ratio you like. Then you can make larger batches with all ingredients together.

2) Yes I beleive that is exactly what it is. I have seen chintona bark(yellow quinine) listed as an ingredient I am not sure if this is another name for quinine or a cousin of it(I.E. Yellow vs. Green Chart.)

Edit: I added the #'s to Eje post for ease of responding.

Edited November 8, 2005 by M.X.Hassett (log)

[cathrynapple]

when i was young my family had a little...carbonator? we used falvor syrups and water, then attached teh bottle, pulled a lever, and our drinks were fizzy.

this sounds like something i'd try, though.