Best Carboy Cap for Root Beer?

[Miningmanpwn]

I recently got into naturally carbonating my own sodas, but seem to run into the same problem every time. I have very little amounts of carbonation. I believe it has something to do with my cap, but just to be sure, here's my recipe for 3 gallons:

6 Cups Sugar
3/4 Tsp of Yeast (I usually throw in a bit extra)
3 Tbsp Extract
Fill with Water to 3 Gallons

I ferment it in a plastic better bottle to avoid explosion. I have been using an orange carboy cap, but i have a feeling that its leaking. I attempted to put Saran Wrap between the carboy and a stopper to seal it tightly, and it blew off and made a mess. My current batch has an orange cap that has been zip tied on, but I'm not sure if that's tight enough. I ferment around 70 in my room under a thin blanket to block out light. I don't do anything after taking it out of the carboy, I just put it in milk jugs and drink it. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[saramc]

Well, the Better Bottle really is not constructed for proper sealing in order to achieve mass carbonation, the CO2 will leak out of the orange cap once the pressure is high enough (as you have witnessed). If you absolutely need to use the BB, couldn't you just part the soda off to gallon jugs later in the process and let those carb up? Even better....use PET bottles (2-3L)? Then transfer to refrig when sides are firm?

 

[LuiInIdaho]

I recently got into naturally carbonating my own sodas, but seem to run into the same problem every time. I have very little amounts of carbonation. I believe it has something to do with my cap, but just to be sure, here's my recipe for 3 gallons:

6 Cups Sugar
3/4 Tsp of Yeast (I usually throw in a bit extra)
3 Tbsp Extract
Fill with Water to 3 Gallons

I ferment it in a plastic better bottle to avoid explosion. I have been using an orange carboy cap, but i have a feeling that its leaking. I attempted to put Saran Wrap between the carboy and a stopper to seal it tightly, and it blew off and made a mess. My current batch has an orange cap that has been zip tied on, but I'm not sure if that's tight enough. I ferment around 70 in my room under a thin blanket to block out light. I don't do anything after taking it out of the carboy, I just put it in milk jugs and drink it. Any help would be much appreciated.

When the yeast consume the sugar, it will produce CO2. Unfortunately, the CO2 that you are producing is not going into solution for your root beer. It is escaping out of your carboy cap.

When I make root beer, I mix up my ingredients, add the sugar, and add the yeast. Then I bottle and seal my root beer. Then, when the yeast eats the sugar, it produces the CO2 like you want. However, the CO2 has no place to go so it is absorbed into solution, which is what carbonates your root beer.

I think that if you mix everything up well, and make sure that the sugar is disolved, and bottle that, you will get the carbonated drink that you want.

I hope that this helps.

Mark

 

[MrFoodScientist]

Ditto what Mark said.

Also consider that if you're using a five gallon carboy, then you have two+ gallons of headspace to pressurize before it starts carbonating. I would suggest 2-liter soda bottles with only a little bit of headspace sealed tightly.

 

[Miningmanpwn]

So from what I hear, my carboy is useless for making soda (If I am wrong about my assumption please correct me). Is there any way I can put it to use besides from taking up room?

Bryce

 

[Inner10]

So from what I hear, my carboy is useless for making soda (If I am wrong about my assumption please correct me). Is there any way I can put it to use besides from taking up room?

Bryce

It's completely useless for soda but perfect for wine.