Root Beer!

[Don Armstrong]

OK - the kids at my house love root beer so I have told them I will give it a try. I bought the "Old Fashioned" root beer extract from Northern Brewer and saved a few empty 2 liter bottles. Should I just follow the directions on the package or can you give me the secret to sure-fire, darn tasty, bottle conditioned, root beer!

Oh, and what is the best yeast to use?

[john mills]

If your going to bottle condition, you'll have to consume all the bottles shortly after desired carbonation level is reached. If not...BOOOM!!! Bottle bombs. 2L bottles can take more pressure than glass so that's good, and you can bleed off the excess co2 if needed. But keep in mind that the yeast is making alcohol, in addition to co2, so if gone too long it may taste bad.
I haven't used the Old Fashioned Root Beer you mentioned, but the extract I use makes 5 gallons (Zatarain's). I mix the extract with 4# table sugar in enough water to fill the keg. Then force carbonate. My kids thought is was the best until they tried Heisler's Root Beer. Now, I mix about 3# sugar with about 1# brown sugar, and they like it better. Pretty much any dry yeast will be good to use. The cheaper the better. I wouldn't use an entire pack. That is enough to fully ferment 5 gal of beer. 3 grams would be enough to carbonate 5 gallons.
Why not try different yeast with different bottles and let us know which one tastes best?

[JohnD]

Refrigerate the 2L bottles after they prressurize to prevent blow ups. Just squeeze the bottles to see if they are pressurized. This usually takes about 2 days at room temp.

[Don]

I haven't used the Old Fashioned Root Beer you mentioned, but the extract I use makes 5 gallons (Zatarain's). I mix the extract with 4# table sugar in enough water to fill the keg. Then force carbonate. My kids thought is was the best until they tried Heisler's Root Beer. Now, I mix about 3# sugar with about 1# brown sugar, and they like it better.

I have found that dark cane sugar taste better than light.

[john mills]

I have found that dark..better than light.

Don has gone to the dark side!!

[Don]

Duct tape is like the force:
It has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together.