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Adventures in soda making


girl chow

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Last June, I met a guy who changed the way I think about soda pop. His name is Chris Webb and he owns a company called Real Soda, a company that can find just about any soda pop, so long as it’s still being produced in some corner of the world. Together Chris Webb and business partner Danny (who works out of a California office) are the “soda hunters.”

If a soda pop you gurgled down in the 1970s is still being bottled somewhere, they will find it for you. Just ask Webb about Delaware Punch. It’s an old school soda they have to ship from someplace in Mexico. And if anyone knows where to find any Strawberry Nehi, Chris Webb would like to talk to you.

So when I met Chris Webb in early June last summer, the Seattle area was on the verge of an amazing heat wave that would prove one of the hottest (some would argue longest) summer in recent history. Webb was getting ready to run a soda garden at the annual Washington Summer Microbrew Festival (held every Father’s Day Weekend in Kirkland, a suburb of Seattle). So we started talking about soda. His loving description of sipping down a bottle of Bubble Up on a hot summer day struck me as pure nostalgia. It made me want to run out and get a bottle. So I did. I found it at Larry's Market, an upscale market in Bellevue, a suburb of Seattle.

There, I found row after row of fabulous soda pops I drank as a kid in the 1970s: Bubble Up, Green Riverand Grape Nehi, among them. I remember sucking down a bottle as a kid, drinking so fast that my head hurt. Of course, my soda pop drinking would drastically change in the 1980s with the invention of Tab in a can. It was the bastardization of soda pop, as we all now know.

Chris Webb said something that struck me as so absolutely true and really upsetting. “Commercial soda today is just nothing like it used to be.” Why? Because of competition. As each manufacturer struggled to beat the other with lower prices, the product suffered. Mass manufacturing would change how soda pop would taste —forever.

So during the heat wave of 2003, I made a choice. I was going to spend the whole summer drinking only bottled soda. Of course, this was not possible at all times, but for the most part, I avoided most canned sodas and only tried to drink the stuff in the glass bottle (and preferably an old fashioned style soda).

It was a great summer. I tried Moxie’s and Vernors. I sipped Bubble Up and Green River, just like when I was a kid. Oh Nehi, sweet, sweet Nehi.

Then I thought, why don’t I make my own soda?

That’s when my obsession started. I went to a local beer supply shop, and started researching the ingredients of soda pop. I started messing around with brewing teas made from sassafras and sarsaparilla, juniper berries and licorice roots to see if I could find a combination that would taste like what I imagined old fashioned root beer and sarsaparilla would taste. I came up with a strange assortment of concoctions using molasses and honey and cane sugar. I read Stephen Cresswell's "Homemade Root Beer, Soda & Pop"

It would prove to be a great resource.

I knew after reading Cresswell's book that natural carbonation is the ultimate in the soda pop experience. I knew that if I wanted to take my soda to the next level, I would have to eventually experiment with yeast to naturally carbonate the soda, but frankly, the idea seemed daunting. There were so many variables. What if I bottled incorrectly and a dreaded microbe gave my soda a funky taste? What if I used too much yeast and all my bottles exploded? What kind of supplies would I need?

I put off the yeast experimentation and focused on making homemade syrups that I could combine with sparkling water to make Italian style sodas, if you will. They were great. I wondered what they would taste like with natural carbonation?

So, finally, I stopped being a chicken. On Feb. 28, I took the plunge. I went back to my local brew supply shop and bought a bottle capper, a case of bottles and caps, some champagne yeast, a brewing bucket, a good thermometer and some sanitizer. I was ready to roll. And I only had to lay out about $50.

With the help of my handy assistant, my husband, we set to work on making soda. I brewed together a combination I like: sarsaparilla bark, sassafras, licorice root, molasses and cane sugar. I let it boil, then let it rest for a half hour while we sanitized the bucket and bottles. It was an easy process, using a bleach and water solution and then following with the commercial sanitizer that our local brew expert recommended.

Then, it came time to activate the yeast. We followed all the instructions, making sure the temperature was just right to activate the yeast, but not hot enough to kill it.

We combined the syrup in the brewer’s bucket and added enough water to bring it to the proper temperature. We added the yeast and paused, noting that my fascination with soda pop had just gone to a whole new level. We started filling the bottles, capping them off. We placed them in a large plastic box, equipped with a lid that would capture any accidental explosions, and put the box in a closet. Then, we waited.

Stephen Cresswell suggests checking for proper carbonation after 72 hours. The brew expert at the brew supply shop said carbonation shouldn’t take longer than two or three days. And so we checked after two days. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. No bubbles. I wondered, did I not get the yeast hot enough? Did I get it too hot? Egads, did the yeast die??!! Day three, another check. Still, no carbonation. The same goes for day four and five. Ahhh, disappointment.

I was convinced I had failed. I told everyone at work my first batch of bonafide sarsaparilla was a flop. I was thoroughly orange crushed.

So I left the remaining bottles at peace in my closet. Finally, on Sunday, I got around to opening another bottle, thinking, well, maybe there is a chance that I didn’t wait long enough.

Houston: we have lift off!! Bubbles. Lots of ‘em. It took eight days, but there they were. Natural carbonation.

And it tasted just like I imagined: sweet and crisp and what I guess some grandpa used to make in his basement to give to his grandkids. It was delicious.

I shared some with a few friends over the weekend. They’ve all asked me for any extra bottles from my next batch. I’ve even given a taste to friends at work and they all want more. Maybe they’re being polite, or maybe they really like it. We’ll see.

Next week: I make homemade root beer and then, ginger ale.

A palate, like a mind, works better with exposure and education and is a product of its environment.

-- Frank Bruni

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If you are looking for a really good extract to bottle and practice your carbonation technique on you might try this. I have been drinking beverages made with this all of my life (both in still and carbonated form) and it is really good. It also lends itself to the addition of other ingredients (vanilla for example).

One of the hardest things to do in home soda making is getting the carbonation right if one is using yeast in order to get natural carbonation. There are so many factors that can affect the result (temp, available fermentable sugars, viability and source of the yeast, etc.) that it often takes a few tries to get a consistant product. Extracts offer an easy way to practice (as opposed to wasting your valuable natural herbs, etc.) as they are so much less expensive than doing it from scratch.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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Thanks for the link Mayhaw Man. I've tasted the Rainbow Flavor extracts and haven't been all that impresed (they need doctoring). I'm curious about Zatarain's. What a bargain at $1.80 a bottle. That will be great for experimenting (and affordable).

I really enjoy experimenting with mixtures of different herbs and sweeteners, and it's affordable enough for an occasional hobby, but I've been working on cream soda, and the vanilla beans are getting expensive :biggrin:

As for the carbonation, this is the same thing everyone tells me. I'm just thrilled my first batch was a success. I wonder how often that is true for home brewers. I hope I don't get too cocky and wind up with a closet full of a pop explosion.

edited: to add Rainbow link

Edited by girl chow (log)

A palate, like a mind, works better with exposure and education and is a product of its environment.

-- Frank Bruni

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That product has been around for over 100 years. Those little bottles are on the shelves in grocery stores everywhere down here, which pretty much attests to the contimuing popularity of using it to make drinks at home. When I was a kid we used to whack a teaspooon or so of extract along with some finely granulated sugar and hit it with the soda siphon. Pretty refreshing instant root beer.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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Thanks for sharing your experiences. I have the same book, but haven't spent as much time experimenting with herb mixtures. I've made only one naturally carbonated batch of root beer so far, and it turned out somewhat less carbonated than I had hoped. From your experience, it sounds like I should have just been a bit more patient...

Are you aware of any good mail order sources for things like licorice root and sarsaparilla bark? I haven't recently checked around too much either locally (in Boston) or on the web, but remember having a difficult time finding them when I made my batch.

Josh

Edited by joshlh (log)
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Joshlh, I don't know of any mail supply houses, but I really would love to hear if anyone has suggestions (Mayhaw Man?)

I get my sassafras "potpouri," sarsaparilla bark, licorice root, juniper berries, vanilla beans, yada yada at local brew supply stores. Do you have any in your area? They're pretty good resources for soda brewers, naturally.

I've stopped in at a few natural food stores, but none of them carry sassafras (carcinogenic) and actual licorice root can be very hard to find (most of the ones you find at brew supply shops are actually processed licorice sticks, not actual licorice roots).

I would love to find a reliable resource that ships out quality AND fresh herbs and roots. It would probably really improve my final product.

This weekend, I'll be making either root beer or ginger ale. My report: next week.

A palate, like a mind, works better with exposure and education and is a product of its environment.

-- Frank Bruni

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey Schielke! I have a bottle of my first batch of sarsaparilla saved for you! Hopefully we'll meet up at a PNW egullet event sometime soon, before the shelf life of my first batch expires, so I can give you a bottle. Otherwise, I'll save you a bottle from the next batch.

UPDATE: I did not make root beer or ginger ale last weekend or the weekend before because my entire family was wiped out by the awful stomach virus that is going around and I didn't want to bottle up any pop with all those germs in the house. I think it will be safe to resume bottling this weekend though.

My plan is to make ginger ale on Saturday, and then it will be about a week before I'll have anything to report.

A palate, like a mind, works better with exposure and education and is a product of its environment.

-- Frank Bruni

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update: My attempt at ginger ale was a total bust, but I'm determined to try again this month.

My combination of fresh lemon and lime juice, ginger root and cane sugar just did not turn out the way I thought it would. It was somehow bitter and overly sweet at the same time, so I didn't even bother bottling it. I think I need a lot more work on the ratio of ingredients, but I'm determined to give it a second try later this month.

I'm ordering the Zataran's bottled root beer extract today. I think I need one more batch of experimenting with carbonation.

A palate, like a mind, works better with exposure and education and is a product of its environment.

-- Frank Bruni

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I've done ginger beer a few times using plastic seltzer bottles, ginger, lime juice, bread yeast, water cream of tartar and sugar, loosely following this recipe and method. The results have been pretty good--flavorful and mostly carbonated, but having a yeasty flavor, not so crisp and clean as most sodas (commercial or artisan). I've been brewing beer lately with my Dad and have come to realize that the yeast strain used has more influence on flavor than I thought. The recipe recommends bread yeast because it creates lots of CO2 and not much alcohol, but I'd like to try champagne yeast next. Does champagne yeast impart any noticeable flavor? Is there any noticeable alcohol in the end result (not that I'd mind)?

-Jason

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Thanks for the recipe link. I was going to use ale yeast for the next batch of ginger ale, but maybe I'll give bread yeast a try? Something to think about.

I used champagne yeast for my sarsaparilla and I'm sure with the eight days of sitting and carbonating that a small amount of alcohol probably resulted from the yeast, but I didn't get a noticeable buzz from two back-to-back bottles and nobody mentioned to me that they caught a buzz from my first batch. As a precaution, I didn't give any to any children :biggrin:

I'm sure there always is a bit of alcohol in home-brewed and yeasted soda pop.

I consider it a fun little bonus.

A palate, like a mind, works better with exposure and education and is a product of its environment.

-- Frank Bruni

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. The recipe recommends bread yeast because it creates lots of CO2 and not much alcohol, but I'd like to try champagne yeast next.

If you go back and look up a classic prohibition era homebrew recipe (one with Blue Ribbon Brand Malt Syrup)you will find that they all use bread yeast. While it kicks off like gangbusters it is not particularly alcohol tolerant and will die when you get up around 5%, so the brew tends to be very sweet. I would think that bread yeast would work well in soda for this same reason.

Champagne yeasts will be more alcohol tolerant (duh :laugh: ) and will give you a longer fermentation. I am not sure what it will do to the flavor profile however. If you have a good homebrew shop in your area you might ask them what kind of LIQUID YEASTS that they keep in stock and what might lend itself well to carbonating softdrinks.

You might also contact Wyeast Labs. They are great people and I would imagine that if you call them up that they would be willing to give you advice (especially if you invest in a little of their fine liquid yeast).

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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My Dad and I use the liquid yeast in (beer) homebrewing, but he always goes to the brew store as it is not near downtown DC where I live (no car). Next time I'll try to accompany him and see what they got and what they recommend. I haven't paid attention to the brand up until now.

I searched the usenet postings on google groups and there seems to be no consensus on which type of yeast to use. Ale, bread and champagne (never lager) yeast are all recommended in different recipes, often for the same types of soft drinks. There are many different strains of ale (top-fermenting) yeast, all with different flavor profiles; I think it is just a matter of finding the one with the flavor desired. There is probably less focus on flavor with bread yeast and more focus on CO2 production. Just thinking aloud.

We're going to brew beer this weekend, so hopefully I'll be able to get out there and get some advice and try the soda soon, probably ginger beer. I'll report back.

Thanks for the Wyeast link.

I also found this. I might order some, it's cheap and easier to make smaller batches with.

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  • 3 months later...

After Googling for Hires Root Beer Extract I found this info:

I used to get root beer extract from Hires who sold their root

beer to Proctor&Gamble who sold it to McCormick's. One ingredient, sassafras was

placed on the carcinogen list consequently sassafras was replaced with a

synthetic flavoring called sassafrol.

So you won't find Hires Root Beer Extract anymore unless you want to buy old bottles on eBay.

Another site suggested if you can't find root beer extract on your local grocery store shelf, try searching online for Brewing Suppliers.

Click here for HomeBrewHeaven.com Once at the site, do a search for root beer and you will come up with Zatarain's Root Beer extract.

Here's another brew supply site. Click on "Online Catalog" on the left side and on the page that appears, about a third of the way down their list of products, is "Root Beer Flavors and Equipment" where they sell their own brand of root beer flavoring.

And if you need to know how to make root beer from extract, here's one recipe:

Click Here. They also have instructions on how to make root beer from scratch. I have not gone through either process so I can't vouch for the recipes.

I hope this helps.

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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I did notice that old Hires bottles are frequently listed on eBay (some full, some empty) - don't know about the shelf-life of root beer extract, though.

...I thought I had an appetite for destruction but all I wanted was a club sandwich.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 year later...

Last week I made some Root Beer. It was rather easy because I had some Zatarain's Root Beer extract. Mix into sugared water, add a yeast starter, bottle in sanitized wine bottles and cork. I did wash, sanitize and dry the bottles and corks. After 5 days the root beer was creamy delicious. Inspired by my success I made a batch of lemon-vanilla soda today. 1.5 gallons of water, 2 vanilla beans, 4 juiced lemons, sugar until it tasted right and then added my yeast starter and bottled. It should be ready by the weekend. So does any one know of a possible pathogen partial to sweet water? It will be kept cold the entire time in the bottle.

If you're in for dinner there is enough to get me through next week!

John Malik

Chef/Owner

33 Liberty Restaurant

Greenville, SC

www.33liberty.com

Customer at the carving station: "Pardon me but is that roast beef rare?"

Apprentice Cook Malik: "No sir! There's plenty more in the kitchen!"

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The soda was a little heavy on the yeast and that gave it a bit of an off nose, too yeasty. But after allowing it to chill for 7 days there was a huge difference in the texture and nose. The soda resembles a Sun Drop. Next time, more sugar, less yeast and no vanilla. Grapes are in season......

John Malik

Chef/Owner

33 Liberty Restaurant

Greenville, SC

www.33liberty.com

Customer at the carving station: "Pardon me but is that roast beef rare?"

Apprentice Cook Malik: "No sir! There's plenty more in the kitchen!"

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So you can make carbonated soft drinks by just fermenting juice? Like making beer? Do they taste funky? Could I, say, make a cola this way?

Well, sort of. You usually don't leave them long enough for the yeast to start converting sugar into alcohol, just CO2. I think once they start fermenting, it's time to throw them away.

I've been meaning to try Ginger Ale, which I guess is pretty easy.

Not sure about Cola. I think the main flavorings are Kola (Cola) Nuts, Cinnamon, and Lemon. I've got no idea where you could get the nuts.

-Erik

---

Erik Ellestad

If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck...

Bernal Heights, SF, CA

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I just made myself some ginger ale, and it turned out quite respectably. Since I have a 6 liter force carbonator I didn't bother with the yeast, I just chilled it down and shot a bunch of CO2 into it.

Next time, I'll be more heavy handed on the ginger... this time I used 1 ounce of ginger per liter... next time I'll double that for some more heat. I also did not boil the lemony stuff at all... I used fresh juice, but instead of zest, I used Boyajian's lemon oil, which did the same thing and didn't leave chunks of stuff to clog up the carbonator's dispenser mechanism.

I'd not do root beer in the carbonator, however, since I've played with the Zatarains syrup and that stuff does wierd stuff around plastics... I'd not want everything I carbonate for months in the future to taste of root beer.

Christopher D. Holst aka "cdh"

Learn to brew beer with my eGCI course

Chris Holst, Attorney-at-Lunch

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