Some years ago, we began brewing our own root beer. One of our earliest dates together involved sitting on a park bench, sampling Fentiman's Burdock and Dandelion brew, which led us to contemplate the possibilities of brewing our own soft drinks.
That summer I discovered the restorative properties of a good root beer. If I was frazzled, or suffering from a headache, a bottle of root beer-- which my dear new love seemed always to supply at just the right moment-- would often do the trick. It didn't have to be an exotic variety like Fentiman's, but we soon found that a root beer made from something other than synthetic flavorings was difficult to find.
Eventually we tracked down a book on the subject, amassed a collection of bottles, found an antique bottle capper, and developed a technique to make our own. In spring 2007 we composed the following set of instructions to hand out at the Boston Skillshare.
Root Beer Making at Home
with
Darrah and Rosie
Basic Equipment:with
Darrah and Rosie
Heavy, unthreaded glass bottles, bottle capper, and bottle caps.
Recycled Sam Adams bottles work well!
You can also use screw-top plastic bottles in lieu of glass.
Brew-pot – at least 6 Qt.
A big stainless stock pot works well.
Strainer – to filter the wort.
Jug, carboy or food-grade plastic pail – a five-gallon bucket is ideal.
Sanitizing tub & unscented chlorine bleach (2 tbsp per gallon)
Time-saving Devices:
Racking cane, filler tube, and siphon tubing.
“Jet” bottle washer.
Kitchen scale/gram balance.
Root Beer:
Measurements are given by weight with approximate volume conversions. This recipe is made dried ingredients, but it may be interesting to you to experiment with fresh foraged plant matter also. Cambridge Naturals is a good source for dried herbs and roots. This recipe makes one gallon, but you can easily scale it up. This recipe adapted from one published by Fleishman’s yeast company in 1912.
½ oz. (3 T) sassafras root
½ oz. (3 T) juniper berries
¼ oz. (½ cup) leaf hops
¼ oz (1 T) dandelion root
a few drops wintergreen oil
1 lb sugar
1 gal. water
1/8 t granulated ale yeast
Boil in half the water the roots, berry, and leaf for 20 minutes. Strain. Add sugar and the remaining water. Allow to cool to lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast in a ¼ cup of the liquid, and stir it into the pot. Proceed with bottling. Begin to check carbonation after 18 hours. Refrigerate as soon as it’s ready! KEEP COLD!
Useful References:
Stephen Cresswell, Homemade Root Beer, Soda & Pop. Storey Publishing. 1998.
Euell Gibbons, Stalking the Wild Asparagus. Alan Hood & Co. 1988.
Saunders, Charles, Edible and Useful Wild Plants. Dover. 1976.
