I recently decided to try my hand at Root beer making and found this forum. It's been quite helpful but I see that there hasn't been much activity lately. Has the topic been exhausted or has everyone moved on?

Anyway... my first batch is complete. I naturally carbonated using champaign yeast in 2 liter bottles. I'm fairly satisfied with the results other than the yeast flavor. It has an after taste that tastes a lot like beer. (not the flavor I was going for, at all.) I'll experiment with other types of yeast but I may have to go to forced carbonation to get the product that I'm envisioning.

Hi Ronnie - sorry for the delayed response.

Forced carbonation is the only way to avoid the yeast flavor.
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Bottoms up!
Kevin Guske

So heres a tribute toast with root beer in hand to you and the many mugs of suds along your happy trails. --Charles Wysocki, artist and root beer fan, 1928-2002

Hi kevin,

Thanks for the reply. I think you're right. That's the direction I'm headed. This past week I've been shopping Ebay and other sites. I have everything I need except the CO2 tank which I'll get locally.

Hopefully this weekend I'll be all set to get going on my first (good) batch. I'll report back if anyone would be interested in how it turns out.

Sounds great! How did it go?

It was really good stuff! I used Hoptech #1 extract plus a little of the McCormicks. The hoptech is a little spicier than I prefer, so the McCormicks mellowed it out. Root beer tastes sooo much better without yeast! I'll probably try the Hoptech #3 next, which is supposed to be like Thomas Kemper.

This weekend, I'm gonna try a Dr. Pepper clone. That ought to be interesting.

Ron

Great! Sounds fun, too. Please keep us posted.