Have you ever made root beer?

[RunnerDuck]

My son loves root beer. I thought he might get a kick out of trying to make it ourselves. Seems easy enough! Ever done it? How'd it go? What's a good (natural) extract to use?

[cushsb]

would love to make some for myself too! that's two waiting for someone to post a rootbeer recipe.

[Sheryl1678]

I have never made it personally but my mom used to make it when I was a kid. She would make batches in new (clean) garbage cans because she made so much. It was out of this world. I will post the recipe if she remembers it.

[JessicaTX]

I made some with my kids using root beer extract, sugar, water and yeast. It was ok..but you could taste the yeast in it so my kids weren't terribly fond of it. You know..none of our science experiments ever go quite as well as I imagine they will :P

[cristeen]

I've made sodas... my attempts at root beers not from extract have all failed so far (yucky tasting). But my BFF did give us all the ingredients for making root beer for Xmas (some of them are very hard to find) - I just haven't gotten around to it yet. But sodas from apple juice, lemonade, ginger syrup, etc., have all turned out yummy.

Making sodas period is pretty easy, if you have the equipment and know the basics. You really don't want to make more than you have room for in the fridge, though. Sodas ferment very quickly and then need to be put in the fridge to slow fermentation or you risk explosions. We brew beer, so sodas wasn't much of a leap.

This is a great book on the basics of soda making. The recipes in there that I've tried have been hit or miss, but the information is sound.

[RunnerDuck]

Originally Posted by JessicaTX

I made some with my kids using root beer extract, sugar, water and yeast. It was ok..but you could taste the yeast in it so my kids weren't terribly fond of it. You know..none of our science experiments ever go quite as well as I imagine they will :P

For the yeast issue, I have read you can buy liquid yeast or champaign (sp) yeast and it is supposed to taste better.

[Storm Bride]

We made it from extract with sugar and yeast when I was a kid. It did have a slightly yeasty taste, but I loved it. We just had to watch that we didn't drink the yeasty sediment from the bottom of the bottle. Mom's homemade root beer was the only soda we ever had in the house.

I'll be watching this thread for any more natural alternatives. Obviously, pop is junk, no matter what...but I'd like to make some that doesn't have all the crap you get in standard storebought.