Root Beer and yeast

[landrer]

Has anyone ever tried fermenting root beer extract to make a alcoholic root beer? Also, hops or no hops?

 

[BBL_Brewer]

We fermented root beer in Microbiology class back in the day. No hops. It was pretty good. I suppose you could add some hops though and experiment around. Check around, there are probably reciepes out there.

 

[cullen]

Many years ago we mixed root beer extract, water, sugar, and yeast to make root beer. It never got particularly alcoholic since we bottled it immediately. However, I would think that a little primary fermentation time would increase the alcohol level.

I can't imagine that hops (either flavor or bitterness) would be what you'd want in a root beer, though.

 

[gstrawn]

I purchased some root beer extract this summer and didn't have any free bottles so I put then im some half gallon apple juice containers I sterilized. I added ale yeast to carbonate but because the containers were so large it was very difficult to carbonate and therefore fermented. Granted there wasn't significant temp control, it was about 72, but it wasn't good. If I we're to make an alcoholic rootbeer id try using some grain and limited extract to taste. And just use that for flavoring, but then again I didn't try to make an alcoholic rootbeer, it just happened so if don't right it might work well. Id try a 1 gallon batch and see where you're at. Not saying it wouldn't be good just saying mine definitely wasnt