Root beer recipe / method?

[brad2157]

I’m trying my 2nd go at making a batch of root beer with my son. The last time I made a batch, it tasted great, but it lost all of it’s carbonation when pouring (all foam). Here’s what I did before.

I made a 5g batch made with Gnome brand root beer extract, 2lbs brown sugar, 2lbs white sugar, 16 oz. light corn syrup, and a dab of pure vanilla extract. Force carb'd @ 40psi for 3 days in a corny keg, then brought pressure down to 30 psi. It was set at 43 degrees in my fridge. I used the ball lock disconnect fitting to 30' of 3/16" I.D. line connected to a picnic / cobra tap for dispensing to try to keep foam down.

Is there anything obvious that doesn’t look right with my recipe or how I carb’d it / served it? Do I need to pick one pressure and leave it the same the entire time when force carbing and serving? (I’m used to carbing regular beer at a higher psi for faster carbonation, then lowering to serving psi.)

I would like to use the same recipe again if possible, since it tasted great. I am thinking about getting a perlick 650ss flow control faucet with ball lock adapter just for serving this straight from the keg (no lines at all). I recently bought one for pulling samples off my corny when force carbing my regular beer and it works great, no foam at all even in a higher carbed beer.

 

[North_of_60]

It shounds over carbed.

I have made ginger ale. It should be somewhat similar. I force carb with 30 psi, shake the keg vigorously and then put it in the fridge at about 40 degrees and set the co2 at about 10 psi. I only had 5 foot of 3/16th line on that one. No problems.

I like you recepie, I’ll try it.

(EDIT) After reading other posts on soda it looks like mine was under carbed. It tasted great though.

 

[Yooper]

For soda, I use 1 foot per every 1 psi on the regulator, and it takes more than 3 days to fully carb up well. 30 psi sounds about right, though, with 30' of 3/16" beer line. I don't think a flow control faucet will work as well as it would with a lower carbed liquid like beer, but I could be wrong. Changing the pressure down to serve may work briefly (like at a party), but should create more foaming overall since the pressure has to go back up for the soda to stay carbed.

 

[brad2157]

Thanks for the replies! It will be later this week before I get to make it, but I’ll see how it turns out this time.