Homebrew Soda Extract

Root Beer and Soda Pop Making Instructions

Soda pop is simply made by mixing a flavoring, sugar, water, and yeast.  It is then put in a clean plastic bottle and you wait a few days.

YEAST IS THE SECRET OF NATURAL CARBONATION
Use Fresh Yeast Only.
USE WARM WATER FOR THE WHOLE BATCH
Water temp should be no warmer than 90degrees
NOT HOT and NOT COLD
TOO LITTLE YEAST- LOW CARBONATION
TOO MUCH YEAST- FOAMING AND POSSIBLE BURSTING   BOTTLES.
USE PLASTIC SODA POP BOTTLES NOT GLASS!
Squeeze the bottles to check the carbonation level.
EVERYTHING THE SODA TOUCHES MUST BE SANITIZED!!

AMOUNT  TO BE MADE YEAST /SUGAR
1 GALLON   1/8 -1/4 Tsp. /2 CUPS
2 GALLONS 1/4 - 1/2 Tsp. /4 CUPS
4 GALLONS 1/2 - 1 Tsp. /8 CUPS

STEP 1 Dissolve yeast in a cup of warm water (70-90 deg F). Let stand  5 minutes or longer to dissolve, mix thoroughly before adding.  Champagne yeast is preferred
STEP 2 Combine flavoring (as per package directions), and sugar in sufficient warm water to dissolve sugar.
STEP 3 Add the yeast mixture.  Add warm water to fill up to desired quantity.
STEP 4 Sugar can be added to suit your taste.
STEP 5 Fill bottles within 1 - 2 inches from the top and screw on caps.
STEP 6 Age AT LEAST 3 - 4 days at room temp (65-70degrees F), then store in  a cooler dark place.  Total aging of at least a week and 2 weeks improves the flavor.  When the plastic bottles are "tight" they are carbonated and ready to drink. Refrigerate before using.

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12/17/2009 -- I got Your Root beer extract. The instructions are for natural carbonated I will be using a CO2 Tank. I would like to know the amount of mix per gal. for extract and if I need to add sugar how much to start?

12/9/2009 -- I did not know you had soda making kits! WOW! This could definately save me some money as my family and I do drink sodas. Is the sasaparilla flavoring the one you use to make the "Cola" type soda, or is it only for flavored sodas(ie: rootbeer, lemon/lime, strawberry, etc.?

9/16/2009 -- I would like to force carbonate some rootbeer at what psi should I force it at and for how long. then what psi should I dispense it at.

6/10/2009 -- Im trying to find some heavy, unthreaded glass 12 oz. bottles for my root beer brewing...Do you have any idea where I can find them?

1/26/2008 -- I live about an hour (if traffic is good) from the address on your website. Do you have an actual store or is everything here based solely online?

6/22/2007 -- What is the conversion factor for using honey or molasses,in addition too or substitute to sugar, in my rootbeer? How would either change the flavor?

5/2/2007 -- I'm going to get back into the soda making racket and I still have some old extracts (about 7 years old). How long do the last after opening? Some smell fine, others smell weird. Also, I'd like to try force cabonating the soda so not to have the layer of yeast sludge, but can I force carbonate and then add the soda to bottles? Will it lose much carbonation? One last question... can the growler . . .

4/17/2007 -- For four gallons of soda, like the flavoring here suggests it makes, how much of the Lavlin yeast suggested here will I need?

1/4/2007 -- if i order a soda extract what else do i need ie:yeast? etc

10/2/2006 -- I am looking to make some Apple Beer. can you tell me if this is real beer or soda pop? And do you have some?(stuff to make it.) OR know where I can get some.

8/22/2006 -- Have you stopped selling a Cola mix, or is it just out of stock?

12/6/2005 -- Do you have to boil the water when adding the mix? If not, what temperature should you add the yeast?

9/10/2005 -- Can you also put the root beer in a 5 gallon keg?

6/17/2005 -- I've made/drank many batches of beer, but now I'm pregnant and I want to make Ginger Ale instead to help with my morning sickness. I have a corneleous keg, but no CO2 tank. Do I have to force carbonate my soda if I keg it, or can I use yeast?

5/20/2005 -- Hi - Love your store and am now just about a regular - I hope. Can you give me a Cliff Notes version of soda making - what I need, supplies, how to, etc. I think it would be fun for my kids. They would love to make rootbeer, I think.

5/3/2005 -- I have a question concerning Beer and POP can you force carbonation it and then bottle it? will this reduce the carbonation or the taste?

5/2/2005 -- Just would like to know what to use for Dr Pepper flavor if there is such extract? Thanks for your response!

4/9/2005 -- This isn’t really a question but a tip for the soda pop makers out there: After you bottle your soda place bottles in a plastic storage bin (with cover) and place bin in an out of the way spot for fermentation to take place. Should you have a bottle burst it will greatly minimize the cleanup!

2/9/2005 -- I've got a homebrew recipe that calls for 11 pounds of fresh raspberries. I was hoping to use raspberry extract in place of the raspberries. For a 6.5 gallon batch, do you know how much extract is roughly equivalent to 11 pounds of raspberries. Any type of fresh-to-extract conversion factor would be a great help.

2/6/2005 -- If you force carbonate the soda extract do you carbonate the water and sugar first and then add the extract or do it all at once and what’s the difference?

1/25/2005 -- I recently bottled orange soda and rootbeer using: the Homebrew extract, champagne yeast (1/2 tsp for 2gal orange and 1/4 tsp for 2 gal rootbeer), and sugar. At what point (if any) in the carbonation/aging process can I feel safe that my glass bottles will not explode? Or are they ticking timebombs until I drink them?

1/4/2005 -- I was wondering, when you carbonate the soda do you still end up with the thin layer of trub in the bottom of the bottle?

11/27/2004 -- Several other websites have mentioned the possibility of bottles (plastic or glass) blowing up because the soda continues to carbonate unless stopped by refrigeration. You don't mention that anywhere here. Is it true? That's the only thing that has held me back from making some.

11/26/2004 -- What is the difference between ginger ale and ginger beer? I see that you have both in your soda, oops pop, section.

10/25/2004 -- is it possible to ferment store bought soda? What if it is brought to 170* in a brew pot?

10/25/2004 -- is it possible to make soda into beer minus the hops or is there somthing in the extract that prevents over fermantation?

10/23/2004 -- In making root beer (or other sodas), if I choose to replace the standard sugar with honey or brown sugar, what is the comparable rate? In other words, how much honey in place of a cup of sugar, etc...?

9/3/2004 -- I've been to a few microbrew festivals and had some EXCELLENT hard rootbeer and cola. Could these kits be adjusted to give a decent abv?

8/31/2004 -- Can I bottle rootbeer in 1/2 or 1 gallon glass jugs.

8/29/2004 -- how many packets of wine yeast do you add to the root beer batch and where do you get malltodextrin

7/19/2004 -- My favorite soda is Vanilla Coke. I'd like to make it and put on tap in a 5 gallon keg. Should I mix cola extract with cream soda extract, or cola with a vanilla flavoring? I'd hate to ruin 5 gallons of soda to figure this out.

6/23/2004 -- If I order a soda extract, what else do I need to make a batch of soda?

6/9/2004 -- I have an unusual question about the soda extracts. I am interested in making sodas at home for my son, who has food allergies. I am wondering if any of the soda extracts are "safe" for him. What are the ingredients in your extracts? Specifically, I need to avoid corn products (syrup, cornstarch, caramel coloring, maltodextrin, dextrin/dextrose, etc), wheat and related products (gluten . . .

4/30/2004 -- I currently have a full sized kegerator. I'm considering replacing the single tap with a dual tap tower, and adding a splitter for the C02. If I do that is there any reason I couldn't put home made soda through one tap, and beer through the other? Thanks!

3/25/2004 -- If you force carbonate soda do you add the same amount of sugar or less since the yeast is no longer dissolving any of it?

3/19/2004 -- I would like to know how you would rate you soda extract kits if I followed the direction's that they come with. Would you rate the end product as like a name brand soda or an off brand or possibly somewhere in between? I usally only drink pepsi and good root beer and cream soda. Do you think that it is possible to add a little carmel to the cola to get a taste similar to adding Jack. Thanks

2/19/2004 -- If I use a keg & co2 to carbonate my soda, do I still add yeast? Can I bottle it after carbonation, or does it have to stay in the keg? Does the keg need to be refrigerated at all?

1/24/2004 -- How come the yeast does not create alcohol? And what is the yeast for?

11/21/2003 -- Can you make any of the soda pop sugar free?

11/2/2003 -- My father wants to make root beer. I understand that you have ingredients for the root beer but where can i get the equipment to bottle and make the root beer in?

10/25/2003 -- With the Soda kits, is it as simple as mixing it together and then bottle it? Is there heating, cooling, etc? I assume I can use glass bottles and my bench capper. How much does the kit yield?

10/14/2003 -- Can you mix the soda extract with water in a 5 gal. cornelius keg and then force carbonate it?

10/3/2003 -- If you make rootbeer and let it sit long enough, does the yeast fermentation create any significant amount of alcohol?

9/24/2003 -- My husband wants to make homemade root beer and bottle it for future use, what kind of supplies do we need to start?

9/6/2003 -- As with your beer brewing kits, are the soda making kits complete? Nothing like brewing with the family, but the kids aren't going to be allowed to test the beer.

8/17/2003 -- Is this the proper champagne wine yeast to use in making home rootbeer? If not what is? I was told to use dry ice or champagne yeast. If this is right , how do I use it and how much?

7/28/2003 -- I have never made soda. How long does it take, and what is the shelf life? I was thinking about making some for my children at Christmas.

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