-Primary-
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
4 oz brown sugar
1 pound light DME
Nottingham Ale Yeast
-Secondary-
1 split vanilla bean
4 oz brown sugar
5 1/2oz honey
2 tbsp root beer extract (McCormick)
This is for a one gallon test batch. i was going to let it ferment in the primary until it was dry, stabilize, and then add to secondary. Ill be starting the recipe this weekend.
I was thinking about adding 8 oz lactose to secondary as well to try to get a "root beer float" flavor.
Any thoughts of additions/edits to the recipe?
I've copied this recipe and i'm having some perplexing mixed results. Here is my process in case it's my methods.
- Boil 4 cups of water
- Add DME, Lactose, Sugars, and yeast energizer & nutrient.
- After dissolved, pour into primary and fill the rest with cool water.
- Mix well and check temp. (If it's below 70 degrees i'll still let it sit for an hour or so to be sure it's below 70 degrees all the way through.)
- Measure gravity
- Add yeast and mix well
- Put in a dark room temperature environment for a week (area stays around 72-74 degrees).
- After a week, remeasure gravity. Once I see all sugars are gobbled up by the yeast, the next part begins.
- Add the priming sugars, vanilla, and rootbeer extract
- Add truvia for added sweetness (this part I added to get more sweetness). It's a non-fermentable sugar.
- Mix well and then bottle
- Sit in a dark room temperature environment to carbonate (area stays around 72-74 degrees).
- Toss in fridge for a day or two and then drink.
Anywho. Here is the issue i'm having.
The most common issue is after a week in the bottles everything separates. The liquid is almost clear with a dark mesh at the bottom. You twist the top and take a sip and it's disgusting. This happened several times. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. While at a brewshop a guy told me of wyeast strain 3333, that it'll leave a slight clove/licorice flavor. So on a whim I bought it. Figured if the batch could finally not separate then the flavor should work well for a hard root beer since many root beers have some sort of clove or licorice flavor. I did everything identical, just used a different yeast (the wyeast strain 3333). It didn't separate and was delicious. Had a definite root beer flavor and had a slight mint / licorice after taste which wasn't bad. It was enjoyable. So enjoyable I went through half a gallon before I knew it. Having between 6-8% alcohol added to the enjoyment
So, I went back and bought the Nottingham Ale Yeast again, had the exact same problem before. Everything separated and was disgusting.
Now, some might say it's the truvia. I've read mixed reviews on using it. Most negative points was the fact it leaves a slight mint aftertaste. Honestly, it's not terrible with a root beer. It kinda lifted it up a notch. The lactose gives it a fuller flavor and the hint of mint from the truvia lifted it up a little. Now, before anyone says "truvia is your problem" I cut the truvia out and made a batch. Followed the recipe exactly. The exact same problem occurred. If I copy the recipe to every exact detail, i'm still having this issue.
So, is it the yeast? Or was I lucky with that one batch? What could it be?