Fun fact sassafrass root bark is a precursive for mdma. So old school Coca-Cola and rootbeer is the reason our grandparents and great grandparents walked 20miles barefoot to school each day or so they claim
As an Englishman who loves the USA, Root Beer IS the flavour of the US. Every time I smell or drink it, I am transported back to my many visits. Can't wait to make this recipe. See how you guys tasted it way back. Thank you so much. Really enjoy the video's and always sit smiling like an idiot when I watch as your enthusiasm is so infective.
Thank you so much for the love Barrington!! Just thinking about this root beer makes our mouths water. We'll have to get some more of this brewing some time. Happy fermenting and cheers! 🍺
My college roommate’s grandmother made root beer in Idaho. Usually turned out well. But he told me that one time when he was visiting they heard explosions and breaking bottle sounds coming from the cellar. Should ‘a used a tester bottle! Cheers 🍻
add some marshmallow root to your decoction. It ads a creamy mouthfeel that you get when you drink root beer. There are other roots that do the same but marshmallow root is fairly easy to find.
@@alfredfabulous3640 you can find it in Europe - it grows wild in some areas, but it could also be cultivated. This is from Wikipedia: "Althaea is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. It includes Althaea officinalis, also known as the marshmallow plant, whence the fluffy confection got its name. They are found on the banks of rivers and in salt marshes, preferring moist, sandy soils. The stems grow to 1-2 m tall, and flower in mid summer. The leaves are palmately lobed with 3-7 lobes. Althaea species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Bucculatrix quadrigemina.[citation needed]"
Original root beer is made with sassafras root. That is the main flavor and why it's called root beer. Wintergreen, cloves and anise aren't roots. We used to make it in Mississippi where we had sassafras trees. It was Mississippi indians who invented root beer and the first commercially bottled root beer, Barq's, was first bottled in Mississippi.
Awesome! Maybe one day we'll have to see if we can harvest our own sassafras root. Or at least we'd love to see the sassafras tree in person. That would be very cool!
I was in the Sacramento Living History group for some time, and (especially) during the annual Gold Rush Days event, I would have sassparilla or birch beer. Just loved it!
Made my first ginger bug and found you guys trying to find videos on how to use it. Definitely looking forward to all of your content, the videos are awesome!
Just made my first Ginger Bug and I'm on day 3. I had seen many people make a giner bug, but you guys made it so easy to understand/process that I couldn't help but try it!
That's wonderful to hear you're going to give the ginger bug a try! If you have questions along the way, here's a video you may find helpful where we answer many of the top questions we get about ginger bugs and making homemade fermented ginger ale --> th-cam.com/video/Z0fnIcakwnM/w-d-xo.html
When I first saw your Ginger Bug video a week ago, Root Beer was my immediate desire to make. So glad you came out with this video between then and now! Thanks!
I don't have sarsaparilla, sassafras, birch, or the other stuff, but your heads up about being careful not to add too much cinnamon or it might taste more like a holiday drink actually gave me the idea to _make_ a holiday drink, especially since I'm a big fan of "Christmas in July"! I've got the cinnamon, clove, Star Anise, and even some cranberries in my freezer from Christmas and dried elderberries I bought from Amazon for when I was making Elderberry syrup. I guess there's no real wrong way to make a rootbeer if I like the outcome. I'm thinking maybe I'll cook up the spices and then add a cranberry or two at the end just to color it red. Don't know if it will work, but at the very least I'd be making something that's highly nutritious. 😊 And if it _does_ work, this would be a perfect test run for next Christmas! 😊🎄
Wow! That sounds amazing! Did you make this and how did it turn out? We'd love to know if you got a good Christmas recipe. That would be perfect for right now! 😮🍺🎄
Nice! You should have success in starting your root beer using tepache. Just note that tepache tends to turn into vinegar if you keep fermenting it, so it's possible you'll get a slight vinegar flavor in your root beer, versus using something like a ginger bug. Sounds yummy though!
thank you for the recipe! I used it as a guideline for experimentation, swapping out both the sassafras and smilax ornata for equal parts Indian sarsaparilla root (Hemidesmus indicus) since it was available at my local herbal shop. the anise i swapped for cloves, molasses i swapped for sorghum, and i added a pinch of nutmeg and half of a vanilla bean. its similar to a very mild sarsaparilla soda, definitely needs further experimentation but considering this was my first ginger bug and fermenting experience it wasn't a total failure! i also followed your ginger ale recipe (without experimenting this time lol) and I'm looking forward to trying that in a few days!
Aww wow! What a great memory. Every great once in a while we'll put molasses on our pancakes or even honey! There's so much knowledge from the past that our great grandparents knew. Always love hearing stories like these! Thanks for sharing! 💕
Thank you, one of my fondest memories was going to my uncle Larry's for his homemade root beer. Now thanks to you, I can make my own and share it with my family. Much love💕
That's amazing! Thank you so much for sharing Dawne! I bet there's so many other traditional recipes out there that's just waiting to be discovered. Cheers! 🍺
Love you guys! This recipe is almost identical to the one I found for sarsaparilla, except no vanilla bean. FYI: there’s really no sarsaparilla plant: it’s really Smilax rotundofolia, more commonly called the bane of my existence in my yard, or GREENBRIER. I have been pulling up the roots and drying them out for my first fermentation adventure (& to keep the neighbors happy.) I can send you some of this and, as a matter of fact, I have sassafras plants as well - they just popped up in my backyard, from nowhere! Weirdness…for real. I’m in the middle of older suburbia. So if you can tell me how to get in touch with you, I will send you some of both. Keep going ! Edit: I found out you have a patreon , so I’m going there to check you out.
Hello!! Oh my goodness you are so wonderful! Thank you so much for being one of our first Patreons! We really appreciate the support! It will encourage us to make more videos!! Please reach out to us on Facebook so that we can stay in touch there! (facebook.com/fermentationadventure/)
I want a&m root beer like I used to get at the a&w where they kept the mugs in ice water. Sooooo good on a hot summer day. I seem to recall them having a canister with some sort of concoction in it.
You're so welcome! We've loved this recipe but it does seem a little harder today to get some of the ingredients. You can substitute ingredients if you have to though and get some unique flavors! 🍺
Awesome video and really cool recipe! Did you try experimenting without the ginger bug? Instead of boiling all of the ingredients, do you think there could be enough natural yeasts on all of the barks & roots just to let everything steep for a few days and see how much activity builds up? I might try this by foraging for my own dandelion root, burdock root, and birch bark. On the east coast I'd also forage for sassafras branches as well. This would make for a fantastic wild ferment!
Thanks so much Nick! 😊 I bet if you steeped everything for a few days it would make more of a "cold brew" tea that would probably taste great. Once you added the sugar it would most likely ferment just fine, especially if you added some fresh ingredients in there like fresh ginger or other roots. Let us know if you come up with another delicious recipe! Anything that improves on the flavor would be outstanding! 😁
Thanks so much for the love alcyonecrucis! It's a bit of a challenging recipe because it can be hard to find some of the ingredients, but if you do it's delicious. We're so happy you enjoyed our video! 😊
Thank you so much for your question! We actually hadn't measured the alcohol on this one but it should be very simple to ginger bug. We made a whole video on alcohol percentages after so many days. th-cam.com/video/86SwZyUbtF0/w-d-xo.html We hope that helps! 🍺
Nice video. One thing to be aware of is that it's possible to infect your Root beer if you're stirring with a spatula, setting it on the counter and then stirring it with the same spatula again. Also, you didn't sanitize the lids before you screwed them on. Once it comes off of the heat, you should only bring it in contact with sanitized stuff until it's ready to drink. Homebrewers often use Starsan in a spray bottle to keep things sanitized.
Good content! As a cool bit of info, when you boil the water, any chlorine that is in your water is off-gassed, so for those people that don't have to worry about the off flavors chlorine could potentially cause from the yeast interaction
Thanks! Glad you liked it! Yes, the boiling method works great if it's only chlorine in the water, but many cities go back and forth between using chlorine and chloramine. Unfortunately chloramine cannot be boiled out. Ugh. We're so very fond of our water filter these days!
@@FermentationAdventure You can start using it after a month, but I know many people that keep it up to 18 months before using it. Also any time you use a vanilla bean in cooking you can add the left over pod after scraping to the vanilla you are steeping.
@@FermentationAdventure You can use it in anything you’d use any vanilla in I love baking! I have the worlds best challah recipe, it’s a brioche bread. So fantastic if you or anyone wants it. My new vanilla I’m making is a Tahitian vanilla bean. It has marshmallow root tones to it. You can get 10 beans on Amazon for $31 and that will make 3 pints of extract so you’re saving money for a far superior product! BTW I’m starting my ginger bug and dill pickles today. Thank you for the great videos!
u can sqeez a plastic bottle a bit then pour beer in there, close squeezed bottle - whent bottle retur to normal form -beer is ready ;) , I use this method for bread kvass, the recipe for root beer is great, once I find the ingredients I will prepare it
Thanks so much for the suggestion Kamil! We'll have to try that. It's a little hard to find some of the ingredients so we had to shop around online for them. Happy fermenting! 🍺
😂 Hope you enjoy! You can buy them online - we like these: amzn.to/321ZJCE. We also list all our other favorite fermenting gear here, in case you're interested: fermentationadventure.com/gear/. Thanks!
This was really awesome, thank you! Love all the roots and herbs!!! Will make mine using dates as sweetener and banana nice cream for the float!! Yayyy
Love ur content, have u ever tried Mavi / Mauby / Mabi ? It’s a fermented drink from the Caribbean. It contains mavi tree bark , ginger and cinnamon stick
Hi! Thanks for this video. Quick question: Is there a way to stop fermentation so the bottle won't continue building pressure if I won't be drinking it right away?
Yes! That's what we used in this recipe. Some people aren't comfortable with using that and sarsaparilla root but the flavors are really incredible. Feels like you're going back in time having a traditional root beer the way it used to taste. 🍺
I just made my first batch following this approach. It does indeed produce a pleasant fizzy soda, but it does *not* taste much like root beer. The *syrup* (before fermentation) when added to club soda tastes *exactly* like root beer, but the ginger-bug based stuff tastes almost like cream soda, with a tiny hint of a medicinal taste that some people might not like (it's not overpowering, but it's there). I would be interested in hearing other people's results. I know my ginger bug was good and healthy when I made it, and I know the root beer syrup was great (because it tasted great with club soda), but I wasn't expecting to get a cream soda-like taste. In fact, I would describe it as a kind of "cream soda kombucha" taste.
That's so awesome that you made the root beer! It's possible with more anise seed or star anise it might taste a bit cream soda-y since those give off more vanilla flavor. The sassafras and sarsaparilla should really make more of the root beer flavor you're expecting though. Did you try it with the sassafras root bark? The "root bark" is what has the most typical flavors that we were tasting. Hope this helps a bit to get you the flavor you're looking for!
@@FermentationAdventure I think there may be a couple of different issues going on. One is that I added some wild cherry bark to the roots, which doesn't change the taste much before fermentation, but after fermentation that cherry flavor comes forward (I described it as medicinal tasting, but after another glass I think it's more like cherry cough medicine, so that's probably the wild cherry bark). There was plenty of sassafras in the syrup, and it tastes exactly like root beer before fermentation, but something about the fermentation process (or perhaps the amount of syrup to water ratio was off, that might also explain the light carbonation I suppose). I'm going to try again this week some time, and I'm literally going to follow your recipe exactly, and see what I get. I notice you don't separate it into a syrup stage and a fermentation stage, so I probably shouldn't either (though that does preclude me from using the syrup with club soda -- so it's sort of an all-or-nothing approach!)
@@angelsuniverse6021 Yeah I've made it a couple times since the original. Definitely leave out the wild cherry bark. Also, increase the brown sugar, and use significantly more sassafras than you think you need. Fermentation seems to remove some of the sassafras taste, so you need to err on the side of having too much of it. I've got it dialed in fairly well, but I think I need another batch or two to really get it just right.
Ooooo! Cream soda is one of Sarah's favorites and definitely on our list to find a good recipe. Butter beer would be funny for all of the Harry Potter fans out there. Ha! Thanks for the ideas!
Hi! Thanks for sharing your recipes. So fond of root beer and would want to make my own. Glad to have found this. May I ask, white sugar was used in the recipe? Can brown sugar or coco sugar be used instead? Would also want to see the other alternative recipe. Keep safe.
Looks amazing! Another video idea would be to make your own vanilla. It’s an infusion, not a fermentation, but I still think it would be a good fit for your channel. You can ferment it with different types of alcohol and can even speed up the long process with a sous vide. There are lots of vanilla bean co-ops where you can buy reasonably priced beans. I could totally see you two making a really great video (or even series of videos) about it!
yeah, agreed. i've been making my own vanilla for a few years now. Recently discovered tahitian vanilla bean, which is a tad more flavorful than madagascar, and it's been my go to bean for making vanilla extract. There is a woman on youtube that shows you how to make it, and I use her video as a guide because she only uses a bean and a half, in each pint jar but she lets them mature for around two years. And I have to agree with her, the flavor from that vanilla extract is beyond amazing. I use half of whatever is called for. Look a video by suburbanhomesteaderWY. Her recipe is the best one I have found, but it does take a long time. I have gotten into the habit of making one to two batches of vanilla at a time using her recipe. Just make sure that the vodka, rum, or bourbon that you use is vegan. check barnivore to be safe.
@@markgailmor5954 We checked out the SuburbanHomesteaderWY and really enjoyed video on making vanilla, so thank you! Now to find the best vanilla beans to use...
@@FermentationAdventure I have been using tahitian vanilla beans lately and really like them. They impart a different flavor from madagascar vanilla beans but that's quite fascinating for me. I'm also making a new batch of vanilla right now using rum as opposed to vodka or bourbon. I can't wait to taste the rum based vanilla in a year or so.
Just wondering are there any pressure regulating stoppers for the bottles ? Where they release gas to keep the bottles from exploding but keep a good safe pressure for that nice fizz ?
@@FermentationAdventure their not exactly pubs like you would imagine, they only sell herbly stuff. I will try and find out their location. Its somewhere like Rawtenstall or Haslingden which is about 20 miles out of Manchester.
Will be eagerly awaiting for the alternate ingredients "roots" 🍺... I'm down here in Southeast Asia so sassafras and sasparilla is unavailable and crazy expensive imported...
We've done a lot of research on root beer and we've seen a lot of different types of roots being used alternatively. They all change the flavor and texture of your root beer so you'll have to experiment! For roots and main flavors we've so far seen: sassafras root, sarsparilla root, ginger root, licorice, dandelion, burdock, birch bark, star anise, cinnamon, vanilla bean, cloves, For spice flavorings we've seen: star anise, anise, cinnamon, vanilla bean, cloves, wintergreen leaf, coriander, allspice There's so many others but this link might give you some ideas too: blog.mountainroseherbs.com/homemade-root-beer Hope that helps!
Does anyone know where to buy sassafras in the uk? I grew up in Canada and LOVED root beer but haven’t had it for nearly 30 years. Would love to be able to make it here. TIA.
I hope you were able to find some! We're not sure about getting it in the UK. We had to order it online here in the States. They don't view it favorably here. We've heard of some who grow it on their farms and harvest the bark. That would be interesting to try!
The original root beer, that was made by A&W, had a variety of ingredients. Cherry bark, wintergreen, cloves, sassafras bark, sarsparilla, marshmallow root, vanilla, and I think a bit of ginger. However, they have always safe guarded their recipe so I'm just guessing based on what my palate has recognized.
A&W does make some good tasting root beer! That would be an amazing recipe. We'll definitely have to try adding a few of those ingredients that you mentioned. They can only improve on the flavor! Thanks so much Mark! 😊
@@jackovhemling1831 That's because the FDA unfairly labeled sassafras as potentially dangerous, when it does no harm at all. Out in the Midwest you can still find sassafras tea and I've seen sassafras soda too but it's not common to see it.
I'm old enough to remember real root beer. And remember when coke & pepsi funded the studies that outlawed the use of Sassafras. That change in taste lossed a large percentage of market share. Guess who benefited?
Wow! We bet those are some good memories of real root beer from back then. It's sad how most people have never experienced the real flavor of root beer. It's such a complex flavor! Thanks for sharing Richard! 🍺
Hello! We're excited for you! If you're using a plastic tester bottle, the drawback is that it's possible for the plastic to break down and leach into the drink, especially when it's as acidic as fermented drinks tent to be. So this ends up being a more personal decision on how you feel about plastics. If you do choose to drink the fermented drink that's in the tester bottle, we'd recommend the following: transferring the contents of the tester bottle to a glass bottle as soon as it's done fermenting, only using a tester bottle one time, and using a stronger grade plastic that's meant to store more acidic drinks (like those that were previously holding soda). Hope that helps and happy fermenting!
It seems like it's been harder over the years to find either one! We've found them both in different amounts but normally in root beer recipes they call for both but you don't have to. You could technically use either one separately and then use other spices to fill in and round out the flavor. Try adding anise seed, fennel seed, vanilla, star anise, and different kinds of mint. Feel free to experiment and good luck! 🍻
@@FermentationAdventure what do you suggest the measurement be for powdered sassafras root bark if i want the same yield as you have in your video? The powder is fairly fine, but it sure smells potent. Thank you for the response btw
You might have to experiment on the amount to work out the flavor you like but normally when we're using dried herbs vs fresh herbs we go with a ratio of 1 part dried equals 3 parts fresh. So if it was 1 teaspoon dried it would be 3 teaspoons fresh. I hope that helps!
That sounds interesting Irene. If you used the root beer in the secondary fermentation it would be adding one culture to a completely different culture. You can definitely try it though on the secondary fermentation. Let us know how it goes!
When you say whey, would the clear yellow-ish liquid that often separates out of the top of yogurt work? Also, could a little bit of sourdough starter work? What about leftover brine from fermented sauerkraut?
All great ideas! You probably could use each one as its own starter. They would all taste a little different though since they're from different strains and concentrations of bacteria and yeast. Good observation!
Thanks for the question Eleni! We've had soda in our fridge that has lasted for years but it doesn't taste as fresh after a while. As long as it looks, smells, and tastes good and doesn't have any mold it should be good. We like to have it not too long after though so it tastes the best. Watch out the longer you store it though! It can get pretty pressurized so make sure to burp your bottles every once in a while! Enjoy!
Hi! Once they're done fermenting and are in the fridge, they still need to be burped to let out excess gases but since the fermentation process will be slowed down significantly, it may only need it every once in a while. For ours, if it was an active ferment to begin with, we might burp them monthly, or otherwise even up to once every few months. Hope that helps! 😄
Hello! These naturally fermented drinks continue to ferment until they're basically run out of sugar, or until there is no more bacteria/yeast to consume the sugars. Heat/pasteurizing the drinks would stop the fermentation, but it would also kill off the healthy probiotics in fermented drinks. For active ferments that are still bubbling, the best way to ensure that there isn't too much pressure building in a closed glass bottle would be to also use a plastic tester bottle. We also show this on other videos and it has really helped us! Also burping (opening) bottles 1-2 times per day helps to release any excess gases, during the first week or so of secondary fermentation. Once the bottles are placed in the fridge, it slows the fermentation process down, and hence you wouldn't need as frequent burping. Hope that helps!!
Absolutely! This should work just fine. We also recently did a video on how a bunch of different sugars do in the fermentation process: th-cam.com/video/TTHom2VY2R4/w-d-xo.html
Hello Avril! Once it's done, you can store it in the refrigerate in a pressure-safe bottle (like the glass flip-top beer bottles in this video). It will slow the fermentation process to nearly a halt, but it will continue at a very slow pace. So for best flavor, we recommend drinking your fermented beverage within 6 months. As long as it is stored in a closed pressure-safe bottle, it will remain bubbly because it will continue to build pressure as it ferments ever so slowly. Since the pressure is still going to build, it's a good idea to "burp" the bottles to let out some pressure every few weeks or so, depending on how active the ferment was and how quickly it continues to build pressure. Hope that helps!
We've had bottles of our ginger ale in the refrigerator for months and it still tasted great to us. You'd have to decide for yourself and watch out for mold, but we like to move it to the refrigerator so it slows down the fermentation. Good luck!
My first Ginger Beer is coming along great! Took me a few poorly done tries. I haven't seen anything online about making bugs with sweeteners that aren't sugar. What do you think about trying out this idea, since some can't consume sugar?
We get a lot of questions about this as well. The bacteria in fermented drinks really feed on sugar (fructose or sucrose) so mostly we like to say it's not a good idea to ferment with non-sugar sweeteners. However, it would be a good experiment to see if anything varieties of these sweeteners will work! Thank you!!
How would you do this with water kefir? Would you take the kefir liquid from an F1 fermentation (with grains) and add it to the root beer syrup in a half gallon container for an F2 (w/o grains) and then bottle it for an F3? Or would you just bottle a few Tbsp of syrup with F1 fermented kefir?
Usually, we do use different starter cultures interchangeably, but in this case, I'm not sure a Kombucha culture would be ideal for the root beer. It should work in jump starting the fermentation process in this recipe, however it would be a different bacteria which tends to have a strong vinegar taste, which we think might be strange with the root beer flavor. But then again you may like it! If you try it with the root beer, let us know how it goes!
My Grandmother used to make us the best sassafras tea. Store bought Root beers do not taste the same since they banned the sassafras for being a carcinogen.
It was an unnecessary ban too. I'm playing with recipes for sassafras root beer too, which is slightly different from traditional root beer. But I remember being able to get sassafras roo beer as a child.
Hi Mary! Thanks for the comment. Yes you can use a champagne yeast instead of a ginger bug as the starter culture for this root beer. However, it should carbonate a lot faster and vigorously so you'll want to be extra careful if you plan to bottle this.
Thanks for the question! You are definitely welcome to try making this root beer without boiling it, although you would get a different flavor and result than this recipe. Part of the reason we boil it is to get the most flavor out of the spices. Boiling it also kills any other unwanted bacteria that may be present. That way, when your root beer syrup cools down and you add the ginger bug, the healthy bacteria and yeast will be more likely to thrive.
Yeah that's the tough part when you don't want to consume any alcohol at all. All of these ferments end up making a tiny bit of alcohol. You can always use less sugar and shorten the time to make less alcohol. 👍
From what we've heard it sounds like you can use it just like that with cutting it and boiling it to release some of the starches. We haven't tried it yet but let us know how it goes if you do!
Hey guys!! You guys are awesome! Thanks again for another amazing video! We've got so much fermented beverages I can't consume them fast enough! But we're trying! Looking forward to making your root beer recipe, but I've got a question...we've got tons of sassafras trees here on our 100 acre farm. Can I use the bark and roots from these trees? Is this sassafras bark really just back or does it include roots and tinder branches?
Thanks so much for the question Jay and Denisse! We know what you mean about having too many drinks. Many times we're out of jars and try to finish them so we can make others. Haha! As far as foraging sassafras, we haven't foraged for it ourselves but there are some really great posts when you Google sassafras foraging or harvesting. Definitely make sure you read up on it before foraging anything wild of course. Apparently though mid to late February or early March is a great time since the sassafras tree sends a lot of its sap to the roots and concentrates it there. The bark also has great flavor but the roots are where most of it is. Here's a great post that might help: discover.hubpages.com/health/Sassafras-How-to-harvest-Use-Sassafras That would be amazing trying wild sassafras! It's expensive and hard to find at the moment online. Good luck! 😊🍺
@@FermentationAdventure Awesome! My father and grandfather would go to the treeline around our farm and dig young sassafras root in the Spring to made fresh sassafras tea. One of my mother and grandmothers favorites! We're excited to make your root beer!! We love foraging for our own roots and herbs! We've going to order birch bark and sarsaparilla root now! We've been making Kentucky Bourbon Vanilla for years! Excited to add that to our recipe! We got everything else. THANK YOU!! Heading over to review the post link you added!! We've got tons of these young sassafras trees here on our farm.
Wow! What a great family tradition to continue. I bet your root beer will taste even better than ours since we aren't able to use freshly harvested like you guys. Let us know how it goes. Happy fermenting! 😊
Even as a kid i would steal my moms favor baking bottles...Vanilla, peppermint etc etc ...She had Anise And with the right mix of Vanilla i could make the smell of rootbeer However the taste was not right Many years later I perfected a Rootbeer very light on the wintergreen I hit of Cassia cinnamon and ginger You get a stronger kick And a richer taste molassess does even it out And makes it a after taste ....Yes its a complex mix
Wow that sounds amazing! Those would definitely give a good flavor as a mix. It probably doesn't give the bitter aftertaste that the roots would give but I bet there would be something else that you could add to imitate that too. There really are so many different recipes we've seen. Thanks so much for sharing! 🍺😊
Thanks so much for the question! It's been a long time since we had bought that but I think it was on Amazon. Here's a link in case you like any of these! They should all work well: amzn.to/49DNJth
We haven't tried making soda with dry yeast just yet but I'm sure it would work! The flavor might be slightly different than with a ginger bug since it's a different kind of yeast. If you try it with a small amount (maybe a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per quart) and it works, let us know how it goes!
Thanks so much for the question! You should be able to store root beer in the same way you can store other sodas for a long time. We like to enjoy our sodas within 6 months though because the flavor is best right away. The longer it ferments, the more it turns to alcohol and we love our sodas with a bit more of a sugary flavor. Hope that helps and happy fermenting! 😊🍺
Yes, the vanilla extract has alcohol in it, but we used such a small amount that it does not affect the fermentation process. The ginger bug starter culture is extremely resilient!
Alcohol is literally the byproduct of yeast fermentation… alcohol does not affect yeast fermentation. Beer once bottled can be bottle fermented further by adding sugar which is how it becomes carbonated.
Do you keep any of the brewed ingredients after your 20 minute brew? I've heard that you can reuse Sassafras if big chunks up to 20 times. Do you have any Sassafras trees down there for you guys? I'm in OH, so plenty here and might send some to you! Ps. Make your own vanilla some time! Buys some great grade bean pods online, de-seed, Mortar pestle them, and crock pot on warm with good rum... and sugar, fill bottles and wait 6-9 months, nom.... and enough real vanilla paste for years!
You probably could make another batch after the first one since there's still flavor left the same way you can make another batch of tea. For our pineapple tepache when we use our homegrown pineapple we'll make up to five batches using the same pineapple! We have noticed any sassafras trees down here but I bet there are! Wow! That's awesome that you have it there in Ohio and we'll have to make our own vanilla some time. I bet it tastes so good! 😊💓
I was looking up where to buy sassafras, I found both the root and the bark were banned by the FDA in 1976 because it contains a chemical, safrole, which showed to be a carcinogen. Where, when did you purchase your sassafras?
Thanks so much for your question! We actually bought ours on Amazon amzn.to/41oRyPn The safety of sassafras is debatable so you'd have to decide that for yourself, but we don't drink it very often even though it is super tasty. We hope that helps! 🍺
You mentioned you tasted the wintergreen flavor at the end of the video. No Wintergreen was added in the recipe. Where did the wintergreen flavor come from? Is that a different recipe that you were tasting? If so, how much wintergreen and what form would be added to the decoction.
Thanks so much for your question! I think we meant since we used star anise we were thinking it had a hint of wintergreen flavor in it but that would actually be really good in this recipe if you could add wintergreen leaves. Yum! 🍺
We have many videos we would love to make but only so much time in life for everything. If you make a good recipe without sassafras, feel free to share!
You might be able to user a water kefir culture instead of ginger bug but it likely won't be as active as a ginger bug starter. Water kefir is a somewhat delicate culture and the spices might give it some problems but you never know! If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Yes! All ferments where bacteria and yeast consume sugar end up having some percent of alcohol. To get an idea we did a video on how much for ginger ale. It should be about the same for root beer: th-cam.com/video/86SwZyUbtF0/w-d-xo.html We hope that helps!
Hmm, yum! We love dandelion roots! This reminds us of one time when we had so many wonderful dandelions growing in our yard, that we picked them and made a nice side of roasted dandelion root with garlic!
Thanks so much for your suggestion! For most city water that works great! Some municipalities though like ours also add chloramine which can't get boiled off since it also has ammonia. We have to filter ours.
By boiling the root mix, there wouldn't be any chlorine if you used tap water. If you want to be safer, boil it ahead of time without a lid before adding the ingredients, or leaving the water on the countertop uncovered overnight will get rid of it all too. Even in a cold room. Chlorine is very volatile and will evaporate at 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Definitely! For municipalities that just use chlorine that works well. Some places use chloramine which also has ammonia that can't be boiled off. Just in case that's why we like to use a filter. Thanks for the suggestion! 😊
Fun fact sassafrass root bark is a precursive for mdma. So old school Coca-Cola and rootbeer is the reason our grandparents and great grandparents walked 20miles barefoot to school each day or so they claim
😂😂😂 Interesting! So that's what they were up to. It was probably down the street but the root beer made the walk more interesting.
🤣🤣🤣
pardon my ignorance but what is mdma
@@brendalucas15 extacy. Drugs that make you love everyone and dance like a star trooper from another planet
Coca-cola literally was made with coca leaves which is where we get cocaine. I think that was the main pick me up in that particular soda.
As an Englishman who loves the USA, Root Beer IS the flavour of the US. Every time I smell or drink it, I am transported back to my many visits. Can't wait to make this recipe. See how you guys tasted it way back. Thank you so much. Really enjoy the video's and always sit smiling like an idiot when I watch as your enthusiasm is so infective.
Thank you so much for the love Barrington!! Just thinking about this root beer makes our mouths water. We'll have to get some more of this brewing some time. Happy fermenting and cheers! 🍺
I've never been to England but apparently you use baked beans as a breakfast food..... This is as it should be! Thank you for showing me the light!!
An Englishman who loves America is an uncommon thing, me thinks.
@@sheldonberg125
😂
Too bad the us govt has poisoned everything good in our country
My college roommate’s grandmother made root beer in Idaho. Usually turned out well. But he told me that one time when he was visiting they heard explosions and breaking bottle sounds coming from the cellar. Should ‘a used a tester bottle! Cheers 🍻
add some marshmallow root to your decoction. It ads a creamy mouthfeel that you get when you drink root beer. There are other roots that do the same but marshmallow root is fairly easy to find.
Nice! Yes I bet that would a wonderful addition to this root beer.
Now what exactly is that marshmellow Stoff and where can I get it from (I'm from Europe)?
@@alfredfabulous3640 you can find it in Europe - it grows wild in some areas, but it could also be cultivated.
This is from Wikipedia:
"Althaea is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. It includes Althaea officinalis, also known as the marshmallow plant, whence the fluffy confection got its name. They are found on the banks of rivers and in salt marshes, preferring moist, sandy soils. The stems grow to 1-2 m tall, and flower in mid summer. The leaves are palmately lobed with 3-7 lobes. Althaea species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Bucculatrix quadrigemina.[citation needed]"
How much marshmallow root
Original root beer is made with sassafras root. That is the main flavor and why it's called root beer. Wintergreen, cloves and anise aren't roots. We used to make it in Mississippi where we had sassafras trees. It was Mississippi indians who invented root beer and the first commercially bottled root beer, Barq's, was first bottled in Mississippi.
Awesome! Maybe one day we'll have to see if we can harvest our own sassafras root. Or at least we'd love to see the sassafras tree in person. That would be very cool!
@@FermentationAdventure Sassafras trees are wonderful. Their leaves smell so amazing.
@@DaddyZeke4587 I saw something the other day that said the leaves have a lemony scent to it.
@@DanlowMusic They are kind of lemony but more root beery.
Burdock root is also in many old school recipes for root beer.
I was in the Sacramento Living History group for some time, and (especially) during the annual Gold Rush Days event, I would have sassparilla or birch beer. Just loved it!
Made my first ginger bug and found you guys trying to find videos on how to use it. Definitely looking forward to all of your content, the videos are awesome!
Thanks so much for the kind words Tyler! We hope your ginger bug turned out good. It can make some pretty tasty drinks. Happy fermenting!
I want to try their watermelon soda, like _yesterday!_
Just made my first Ginger Bug and I'm on day 3. I had seen many people make a giner bug, but you guys made it so easy to understand/process that I couldn't help but try it!
That's wonderful to hear you're going to give the ginger bug a try! If you have questions along the way, here's a video you may find helpful where we answer many of the top questions we get about ginger bugs and making homemade fermented ginger ale --> th-cam.com/video/Z0fnIcakwnM/w-d-xo.html
I LOVE root beer floats
Yay for root beer floats! Us too, if you can't tell 😄
once my bug is done I'm looking so forward to making this..thank you for an amazing video
Oh yeah! Root beer is one of our favs. Well, who are we kidding? Most of these recipes are our favs! 😂
When I first saw your Ginger Bug video a week ago, Root Beer was my immediate desire to make. So glad you came out with this video between then and now! Thanks!
Awesome!! Great timing! 😎
I don't have sarsaparilla, sassafras, birch, or the other stuff, but your heads up about being careful not to add too much cinnamon or it might taste more like a holiday drink actually gave me the idea to _make_ a holiday drink, especially since I'm a big fan of "Christmas in July"! I've got the cinnamon, clove, Star Anise, and even some cranberries in my freezer from Christmas and dried elderberries I bought from Amazon for when I was making Elderberry syrup. I guess there's no real wrong way to make a rootbeer if I like the outcome. I'm thinking maybe I'll cook up the spices and then add a cranberry or two at the end just to color it red. Don't know if it will work, but at the very least I'd be making something that's highly nutritious. 😊
And if it _does_ work, this would be a perfect test run for next Christmas! 😊🎄
commenting to be the first to read about your update
Please update. I would like to know how your holiday drink came out.
Wow! That sounds amazing! Did you make this and how did it turn out? We'd love to know if you got a good Christmas recipe. That would be perfect for right now! 😮🍺🎄
Gotta try this! I made a tepache that fermented in two days so I kept the culture alive and will use it for this
Nice! You should have success in starting your root beer using tepache. Just note that tepache tends to turn into vinegar if you keep fermenting it, so it's possible you'll get a slight vinegar flavor in your root beer, versus using something like a ginger bug. Sounds yummy though!
thank you for the recipe! I used it as a guideline for experimentation, swapping out both the sassafras and smilax ornata for equal parts Indian sarsaparilla root (Hemidesmus indicus) since it was available at my local herbal shop. the anise i swapped for cloves, molasses i swapped for sorghum, and i added a pinch of nutmeg and half of a vanilla bean. its similar to a very mild sarsaparilla soda, definitely needs further experimentation but considering this was my first ginger bug and fermenting experience it wasn't a total failure! i also followed your ginger ale recipe (without experimenting this time lol) and I'm looking forward to trying that in a few days!
Nutmeg!! Townsend would be proud!
i remember my grandma would serve my pancakes with molasses I hated it but now I am so peeked that the natural ways were the healthiest.
Aww wow! What a great memory. Every great once in a while we'll put molasses on our pancakes or even honey! There's so much knowledge from the past that our great grandparents knew. Always love hearing stories like these! Thanks for sharing! 💕
Thank you, one of my fondest memories was going to my uncle Larry's for his homemade root beer. Now thanks to you, I can make my own and share it with my family. Much love💕
That's amazing! Thank you so much for sharing Dawne! I bet there's so many other traditional recipes out there that's just waiting to be discovered. Cheers! 🍺
Love you guys! This recipe is almost identical to the one I found for sarsaparilla, except no vanilla bean.
FYI: there’s really no sarsaparilla plant: it’s really Smilax rotundofolia, more commonly called the bane of my existence in my yard, or GREENBRIER. I have been pulling up the roots and drying them out for my first fermentation adventure (& to keep the neighbors happy.)
I can send you some of this and, as a matter of fact, I have sassafras plants as well - they just popped up in my backyard, from nowhere! Weirdness…for real. I’m in the middle of older suburbia.
So if you can tell me how to get in touch with you, I will send you some of both.
Keep going !
Edit: I found out you have a patreon , so I’m going there to check you out.
Hello!! Oh my goodness you are so wonderful! Thank you so much for being one of our first Patreons! We really appreciate the support! It will encourage us to make more videos!! Please reach out to us on Facebook so that we can stay in touch there! (facebook.com/fermentationadventure/)
I want a&m root beer like I used to get at the a&w where they kept the mugs in ice water. Sooooo good on a hot summer day. I seem to recall them having a canister with some sort of concoction in it.
Yum!! Was it a fermented concoction? 😇
My husband and I ❤️ root beer. Thank you so much for the video!
You're so welcome! We've loved this recipe but it does seem a little harder today to get some of the ingredients. You can substitute ingredients if you have to though and get some unique flavors! 🍺
I really like your energy! Very interesting to watch. You seem to really enjoy creating these videos 😁.
Thank you so much for watching Pakos! Yeah we love sharing the interesting flavors we discover. There's so much to learn and enjoy!
Sarsaparilla is by far my favorite style of root beer and the heavier in sars it is the more I want it.
It does have an amazing flavor! That would have been so cool to have real root beer available all over back then. Yum! 🍺
This is what I've been waiting for!
Yay! It's been a long time coming! 😎
Awesome video and really cool recipe! Did you try experimenting without the ginger bug? Instead of boiling all of the ingredients, do you think there could be enough natural yeasts on all of the barks & roots just to let everything steep for a few days and see how much activity builds up? I might try this by foraging for my own dandelion root, burdock root, and birch bark. On the east coast I'd also forage for sassafras branches as well. This would make for a fantastic wild ferment!
Thanks so much Nick! 😊 I bet if you steeped everything for a few days it would make more of a "cold brew" tea that would probably taste great. Once you added the sugar it would most likely ferment just fine, especially if you added some fresh ingredients in there like fresh ginger or other roots. Let us know if you come up with another delicious recipe! Anything that improves on the flavor would be outstanding! 😁
Gazpaco?
I dig it, probably the only real recipe on here !
Thanks so much for the love alcyonecrucis! It's a bit of a challenging recipe because it can be hard to find some of the ingredients, but if you do it's delicious. We're so happy you enjoyed our video! 😊
Hi guys, Thank you for the awesome video! Just a question. Did you measure the alcohol on this recipe? Thanks and again great work
Thank you so much for your question! We actually hadn't measured the alcohol on this one but it should be very simple to ginger bug. We made a whole video on alcohol percentages after so many days. th-cam.com/video/86SwZyUbtF0/w-d-xo.html We hope that helps! 🍺
Nice video. One thing to be aware of is that it's possible to infect your Root beer if you're stirring with a spatula, setting it on the counter and then stirring it with the same spatula again. Also, you didn't sanitize the lids before you screwed them on. Once it comes off of the heat, you should only bring it in contact with sanitized stuff until it's ready to drink. Homebrewers often use Starsan in a spray bottle to keep things sanitized.
Thank you so much for your suggestions! Those are definitely good tips for sanitization. 👍
Good content! As a cool bit of info, when you boil the water, any chlorine that is in your water is off-gassed, so for those people that don't have to worry about the off flavors chlorine could potentially cause from the yeast interaction
Thanks! Glad you liked it! Yes, the boiling method works great if it's only chlorine in the water, but many cities go back and forth between using chlorine and chloramine. Unfortunately chloramine cannot be boiled out. Ugh. We're so very fond of our water filter these days!
So love these two. How refreshing they are 😻😻
Thank you so much Mauigio! 💓 We hope you get a chance to try this homemade root beer. It's delicious!
I started making my own vanilla extract. It’s so much better than store bought, you guys should try it! Yummmm!
Great idea! Someone else recently mentioned this as well. Now we might really have to try this!
@@FermentationAdventure
You can start using it after a month, but I know many people that keep it up to 18 months before using it. Also any time you use a vanilla bean in cooking you can add the left over pod after scraping to the vanilla you are steeping.
Yum! This really sounds amazing. Especially for all the baking we do. Sourdough baking with homemade vanilla??
@@FermentationAdventure
You can use it in anything you’d use any vanilla in I love baking! I have the worlds best challah recipe, it’s a brioche bread. So fantastic if you or anyone wants it.
My new vanilla I’m making is a Tahitian vanilla bean. It has marshmallow root tones to it. You can get 10 beans on Amazon for $31 and that will make 3 pints of extract so you’re saving money for a far superior product!
BTW I’m starting my ginger bug and dill pickles today. Thank you for the great videos!
Aww, thank you for watching and being a part of our community!
u can sqeez a plastic bottle a bit then pour beer in there, close
squeezed bottle - whent bottle retur to normal form -beer is ready ;) , I use this method for bread kvass, the recipe for root beer is great, once I find the ingredients I will prepare it
Thanks so much for the suggestion Kamil! We'll have to try that. It's a little hard to find some of the ingredients so we had to shop around online for them. Happy fermenting! 🍺
“That is so good you could cry” Made me laugh. Can’t wait to try. I don’t drink beer where do I find these beer bottles?
😂 Hope you enjoy! You can buy them online - we like these: amzn.to/321ZJCE. We also list all our other favorite fermenting gear here, in case you're interested: fermentationadventure.com/gear/. Thanks!
This was really awesome, thank you! Love all the roots and herbs!!! Will make mine using dates as sweetener and banana nice cream for the float!! Yayyy
OMG! That sounds amazing! We love nice cream too! We'd love to hear how it goes!
Oh man...That looks awesome! Now I want a root beer float! Yum!!! 😋
Right?! Every time we see this thumbnail we want another root beer float. 😂
Love ur content, have u ever tried Mavi / Mauby / Mabi ? It’s a fermented drink from the Caribbean. It contains mavi tree bark , ginger and cinnamon stick
We haven't had the pleasure of trying that yet, but that sounds super interesting! Thank you for the idea!
Have you ever tried making a turmeric bug?
Hi! Thanks for this video. Quick question: Is there a way to stop fermentation so the bottle won't continue building pressure if I won't be drinking it right away?
Sassafras root was what i thought was what you use.😮❤
Yes! That's what we used in this recipe. Some people aren't comfortable with using that and sarsaparilla root but the flavors are really incredible. Feels like you're going back in time having a traditional root beer the way it used to taste. 🍺
great, I will try this in Germany. Thank you 😃
Wonderful! Hope you enjoy! 😄
@@FermentationAdventure I love root beer, maybe I'm the only one in Germany. 🤣
Root beer isn't popular in Germany? We've never been. What are some popular drinks?
I just made my first batch following this approach. It does indeed produce a pleasant fizzy soda, but it does *not* taste much like root beer. The *syrup* (before fermentation) when added to club soda tastes *exactly* like root beer, but the ginger-bug based stuff tastes almost like cream soda, with a tiny hint of a medicinal taste that some people might not like (it's not overpowering, but it's there).
I would be interested in hearing other people's results. I know my ginger bug was good and healthy when I made it, and I know the root beer syrup was great (because it tasted great with club soda), but I wasn't expecting to get a cream soda-like taste. In fact, I would describe it as a kind of "cream soda kombucha" taste.
That's so awesome that you made the root beer! It's possible with more anise seed or star anise it might taste a bit cream soda-y since those give off more vanilla flavor. The sassafras and sarsaparilla should really make more of the root beer flavor you're expecting though. Did you try it with the sassafras root bark? The "root bark" is what has the most typical flavors that we were tasting. Hope this helps a bit to get you the flavor you're looking for!
@@FermentationAdventure
I think there may be a couple of different issues going on.
One is that I added some wild cherry bark to the roots, which doesn't change the taste much before fermentation, but after fermentation that cherry flavor comes forward (I described it as medicinal tasting, but after another glass I think it's more like cherry cough medicine, so that's probably the wild cherry bark). There was plenty of sassafras in the syrup, and it tastes exactly like root beer before fermentation, but something about the fermentation process (or perhaps the amount of syrup to water ratio was off, that might also explain the light carbonation I suppose).
I'm going to try again this week some time, and I'm literally going to follow your recipe exactly, and see what I get. I notice you don't separate it into a syrup stage and a fermentation stage, so I probably shouldn't either (though that does preclude me from using the syrup with club soda -- so it's sort of an all-or-nothing approach!)
That sounds interesting with the cherry bark! Good luck on your root beer!
@@Calphool222 did u do.it.again?
@@angelsuniverse6021
Yeah I've made it a couple times since the original. Definitely leave out the wild cherry bark. Also, increase the brown sugar, and use significantly more sassafras than you think you need. Fermentation seems to remove some of the sassafras taste, so you need to err on the side of having too much of it.
I've got it dialed in fairly well, but I think I need another batch or two to really get it just right.
Could you guys do a cream soda with the ginger bug as well? Or butter beer? TIA :)
Ooooo! Cream soda is one of Sarah's favorites and definitely on our list to find a good recipe. Butter beer would be funny for all of the Harry Potter fans out there. Ha! Thanks for the ideas!
Yes, please!
Hi! Thanks for sharing your recipes. So fond of root beer and would want to make my own. Glad to have found this. May I ask, white sugar was used in the recipe? Can brown sugar or coco sugar be used instead? Would also want to see the other alternative recipe. Keep safe.
Hi Cathie! Yes, you can use brown sugar as a replacement. It will give it a slightly bolder sweet flavor. 😃
Looks amazing!
Another video idea would be to make your own vanilla. It’s an infusion, not a fermentation, but I still think it would be a good fit for your channel. You can ferment it with different types of alcohol and can even speed up the long process with a sous vide. There are lots of vanilla bean co-ops where you can buy reasonably priced beans. I could totally see you two making a really great video (or even series of videos) about it!
We just love hearing great ideas like this! Sounds super interesting! There's just so much out there!
yeah, agreed. i've been making my own vanilla for a few years now. Recently discovered tahitian vanilla bean, which is a tad more flavorful than madagascar, and it's been my go to bean for making vanilla extract. There is a woman on youtube that shows you how to make it, and I use her video as a guide because she only uses a bean and a half, in each pint jar but she lets them mature for around two years. And I have to agree with her, the flavor from that vanilla extract is beyond amazing. I use half of whatever is called for. Look a video by suburbanhomesteaderWY. Her recipe is the best one I have found, but it does take a long time. I have gotten into the habit of making one to two batches of vanilla at a time using her recipe. Just make sure that the vodka, rum, or bourbon that you use is vegan. check barnivore to be safe.
@@markgailmor5954 We checked out the SuburbanHomesteaderWY and really enjoyed video on making vanilla, so thank you! Now to find the best vanilla beans to use...
@@FermentationAdventure I have been using tahitian vanilla beans lately and really like them. They impart a different flavor from madagascar vanilla beans but that's quite fascinating for me. I'm also making a new batch of vanilla right now using rum as opposed to vodka or bourbon. I can't wait to taste the rum based vanilla in a year or so.
Just wondering are there any pressure regulating stoppers for the bottles ? Where they release gas to keep the bottles from exploding but keep a good safe pressure for that nice fizz ?
I love root beer!
Woohoo! Us too! 😄
They still serve sasperella and dandelion & burdock in a few pubs in Lancashire England.
Oh wow!! When we make it over to England we'll definitely have to look for that. I bet it would be tasty! 🍺
@@FermentationAdventure their not exactly pubs like you would imagine, they only sell herbly stuff. I will try and find out their location. Its somewhere like Rawtenstall or Haslingden which is about 20 miles out of Manchester.
Will be eagerly awaiting for the alternate ingredients "roots" 🍺... I'm down here in Southeast Asia so sassafras and sasparilla is unavailable and crazy expensive imported...
We've done a lot of research on root beer and we've seen a lot of different types of roots being used alternatively. They all change the flavor and texture of your root beer so you'll have to experiment! For roots and main flavors we've so far seen:
sassafras root, sarsparilla root, ginger root, licorice, dandelion, burdock, birch bark, star anise, cinnamon, vanilla bean, cloves,
For spice flavorings we've seen: star anise, anise, cinnamon, vanilla bean, cloves, wintergreen leaf, coriander, allspice
There's so many others but this link might give you some ideas too: blog.mountainroseherbs.com/homemade-root-beer
Hope that helps!
Does anyone know where to buy sassafras in the uk? I grew up in Canada and LOVED root beer but haven’t had it for nearly 30 years. Would love to be able to make it here. TIA.
I hope you were able to find some! We're not sure about getting it in the UK. We had to order it online here in the States. They don't view it favorably here. We've heard of some who grow it on their farms and harvest the bark. That would be interesting to try!
awesome!!
Woohoo!! We're happy you loved it and hope you get to try some if you make it! 😊
The original root beer, that was made by A&W, had a variety of ingredients. Cherry bark, wintergreen, cloves, sassafras bark, sarsparilla, marshmallow root, vanilla, and I think a bit of ginger. However, they have always safe guarded their recipe so I'm just guessing based on what my palate has recognized.
A&W does make some good tasting root beer! That would be an amazing recipe. We'll definitely have to try adding a few of those ingredients that you mentioned. They can only improve on the flavor! Thanks so much Mark! 😊
@@FermentationAdventure drinking sum A&W right now lol
😂 next up, some homemade root beer??
Sassafras isn't used in beverages anymore
@@jackovhemling1831 That's because the FDA unfairly labeled sassafras as potentially dangerous, when it does no harm at all. Out in the Midwest you can still find sassafras tea and I've seen sassafras soda too but it's not common to see it.
I'm old enough to remember real root beer. And remember when coke & pepsi funded the studies that outlawed the use of Sassafras. That change in taste lossed a large percentage of market share. Guess who benefited?
Wow! We bet those are some good memories of real root beer from back then. It's sad how most people have never experienced the real flavor of root beer. It's such a complex flavor! Thanks for sharing Richard! 🍺
Now I know why root beer doesn't taste right anymore. What year was sassafras outlawed?
I’ve just started a ginger bug. Hope it works. I wonder if I can drink the tester in the plastic bottle 😊
Hello! We're excited for you! If you're using a plastic tester bottle, the drawback is that it's possible for the plastic to break down and leach into the drink, especially when it's as acidic as fermented drinks tent to be. So this ends up being a more personal decision on how you feel about plastics. If you do choose to drink the fermented drink that's in the tester bottle, we'd recommend the following: transferring the contents of the tester bottle to a glass bottle as soon as it's done fermenting, only using a tester bottle one time, and using a stronger grade plastic that's meant to store more acidic drinks (like those that were previously holding soda). Hope that helps and happy fermenting!
Can i use ground sassafras root bark?? It is all I've been able to get my hands on
It seems like it's been harder over the years to find either one! We've found them both in different amounts but normally in root beer recipes they call for both but you don't have to. You could technically use either one separately and then use other spices to fill in and round out the flavor. Try adding anise seed, fennel seed, vanilla, star anise, and different kinds of mint. Feel free to experiment and good luck! 🍻
@@FermentationAdventure what do you suggest the measurement be for powdered sassafras root bark if i want the same yield as you have in your video? The powder is fairly fine, but it sure smells potent. Thank you for the response btw
You might have to experiment on the amount to work out the flavor you like but normally when we're using dried herbs vs fresh herbs we go with a ratio of 1 part dried equals 3 parts fresh. So if it was 1 teaspoon dried it would be 3 teaspoons fresh. I hope that helps!
Can rootbeer root only be used in 2nd fermentation for Kombucha?
That sounds interesting Irene. If you used the root beer in the secondary fermentation it would be adding one culture to a completely different culture. You can definitely try it though on the secondary fermentation. Let us know how it goes!
When you say whey, would the clear yellow-ish liquid that often separates out of the top of yogurt work? Also, could a little bit of sourdough starter work? What about leftover brine from fermented sauerkraut?
All great ideas! You probably could use each one as its own starter. They would all taste a little different though since they're from different strains and concentrations of bacteria and yeast. Good observation!
How long can the soda last / store for ? Or do you need to drink it in a timely way? Will bottles explode from carbonation if not stored properly?
Thanks for the question Eleni! We've had soda in our fridge that has lasted for years but it doesn't taste as fresh after a while. As long as it looks, smells, and tastes good and doesn't have any mold it should be good. We like to have it not too long after though so it tastes the best. Watch out the longer you store it though! It can get pretty pressurized so make sure to burp your bottles every once in a while! Enjoy!
Thank you! Should I just burp them once per week? @@FermentationAdventure
Hi! Once they're done fermenting and are in the fridge, they still need to be burped to let out excess gases but since the fermentation process will be slowed down significantly, it may only need it every once in a while. For ours, if it was an active ferment to begin with, we might burp them monthly, or otherwise even up to once every few months. Hope that helps! 😄
Well, how long can you keep it in the bottles before they explode then? 🤔 I don't get it. Or can u stop the fermentation?
Hello! These naturally fermented drinks continue to ferment until they're basically run out of sugar, or until there is no more bacteria/yeast to consume the sugars. Heat/pasteurizing the drinks would stop the fermentation, but it would also kill off the healthy probiotics in fermented drinks. For active ferments that are still bubbling, the best way to ensure that there isn't too much pressure building in a closed glass bottle would be to also use a plastic tester bottle. We also show this on other videos and it has really helped us! Also burping (opening) bottles 1-2 times per day helps to release any excess gases, during the first week or so of secondary fermentation. Once the bottles are placed in the fridge, it slows the fermentation process down, and hence you wouldn't need as frequent burping. Hope that helps!!
This is Dope it would be more easy if you could use Concentrated Root beer Extract
It's easy to find on Every Single home brew Shop
Yeah true. It would definitely be a lot simpler using a root beer concentrate, but having the real roots tastes so good!
what of instead of star anice i use clover? and instead of sugar i used huny?
Absolutely! This should work just fine. We also recently did a video on how a bunch of different sugars do in the fermentation process: th-cam.com/video/TTHom2VY2R4/w-d-xo.html
@@FermentationAdventure cool!
Ok once it’s done can you put in fridge to stop the fermentation process ? And will it still remain bubbly?
Hello Avril! Once it's done, you can store it in the refrigerate in a pressure-safe bottle (like the glass flip-top beer bottles in this video). It will slow the fermentation process to nearly a halt, but it will continue at a very slow pace. So for best flavor, we recommend drinking your fermented beverage within 6 months. As long as it is stored in a closed pressure-safe bottle, it will remain bubbly because it will continue to build pressure as it ferments ever so slowly. Since the pressure is still going to build, it's a good idea to "burp" the bottles to let out some pressure every few weeks or so, depending on how active the ferment was and how quickly it continues to build pressure. Hope that helps!
@@FermentationAdventure
Ok. Thankyou!
How many days can you keep it without consuming? Is it get expired in few days or can keep it for months?
We've had bottles of our ginger ale in the refrigerator for months and it still tasted great to us. You'd have to decide for yourself and watch out for mold, but we like to move it to the refrigerator so it slows down the fermentation. Good luck!
My first Ginger Beer is coming along great! Took me a few poorly done tries.
I haven't seen anything online about making bugs with sweeteners that aren't sugar. What do you think about trying out this idea, since some can't consume sugar?
We get a lot of questions about this as well. The bacteria in fermented drinks really feed on sugar (fructose or sucrose) so mostly we like to say it's not a good idea to ferment with non-sugar sweeteners. However, it would be a good experiment to see if anything varieties of these sweeteners will work! Thank you!!
Bacterias are no dumb.....they want sugar...need sugar..
@@FermentationAdventure Allulose???
How would you do this with water kefir? Would you take the kefir liquid from an F1 fermentation (with grains) and add it to the root beer syrup in a half gallon container for an F2 (w/o grains) and then bottle it for an F3? Or would you just bottle a few Tbsp of syrup with F1 fermented kefir?
A little late to the show but can a scoby and or the scoby hotel liquid work as a starter culture?
Usually, we do use different starter cultures interchangeably, but in this case, I'm not sure a Kombucha culture would be ideal for the root beer. It should work in jump starting the fermentation process in this recipe, however it would be a different bacteria which tends to have a strong vinegar taste, which we think might be strange with the root beer flavor. But then again you may like it! If you try it with the root beer, let us know how it goes!
Sassafras root is banned in America 😭 they say it contributes to liver cancer? I don’t get it, but I can’t get any for my recipe 😢
My Grandmother used to make us the best sassafras tea. Store bought Root beers do not taste the same since they banned the sassafras for being a carcinogen.
That sounds yummy!
It was an unnecessary ban too. I'm playing with recipes for sassafras root beer too, which is slightly different from traditional root beer. But I remember being able to get sassafras roo beer as a child.
@@FermentationAdventure before My daddy died 😢 he made root beer with extract and dry ice to carbonate
Is "champagne" yeast (lalvin) OK to use to create the fermentation? I haven't read through the comments so I'm sorry if this is a repeat question...
Hi Mary! Thanks for the comment. Yes you can use a champagne yeast instead of a ginger bug as the starter culture for this root beer. However, it should carbonate a lot faster and vigorously so you'll want to be extra careful if you plan to bottle this.
Chaga Mushrooms are great to add.
Hmm, nice! Do you use the powder version?
@@FermentationAdventure No. I’ve only ever used the chunks. They simmer nicely and can be dried and used a few times. Great taste, too.
Instead of boiling, can you just use everything well cleaned and raw ? Like you did the ginger?
Thanks for the question! You are definitely welcome to try making this root beer without boiling it, although you would get a different flavor and result than this recipe. Part of the reason we boil it is to get the most flavor out of the spices. Boiling it also kills any other unwanted bacteria that may be present. That way, when your root beer syrup cools down and you add the ginger bug, the healthy bacteria and yeast will be more likely to thrive.
I would love to make this, I can see that the ginger root would make that root beer an alcoholic drink and I don't drink alcohol anymore.
Yeah that's the tough part when you don't want to consume any alcohol at all. All of these ferments end up making a tiny bit of alcohol. You can always use less sugar and shorten the time to make less alcohol. 👍
How would you use Yucca in rootbeer? Cut it and boil it?
From what we've heard it sounds like you can use it just like that with cutting it and boiling it to release some of the starches. We haven't tried it yet but let us know how it goes if you do!
Hey guys!! You guys are awesome! Thanks again for another amazing video! We've got so much fermented beverages I can't consume them fast enough! But we're trying! Looking forward to making your root beer recipe, but I've got a question...we've got tons of sassafras trees here on our 100 acre farm. Can I use the bark and roots from these trees? Is this sassafras bark really just back or does it include roots and tinder branches?
Thanks so much for the question Jay and Denisse! We know what you mean about having too many drinks. Many times we're out of jars and try to finish them so we can make others. Haha! As far as foraging sassafras, we haven't foraged for it ourselves but there are some really great posts when you Google sassafras foraging or harvesting. Definitely make sure you read up on it before foraging anything wild of course. Apparently though mid to late February or early March is a great time since the sassafras tree sends a lot of its sap to the roots and concentrates it there. The bark also has great flavor but the roots are where most of it is. Here's a great post that might help: discover.hubpages.com/health/Sassafras-How-to-harvest-Use-Sassafras
That would be amazing trying wild sassafras! It's expensive and hard to find at the moment online. Good luck! 😊🍺
@@FermentationAdventure Awesome! My father and grandfather would go to the treeline around our farm and dig young sassafras root in the Spring to made fresh sassafras tea. One of my mother and grandmothers favorites! We're excited to make your root beer!! We love foraging for our own roots and herbs! We've going to order birch bark and sarsaparilla root now! We've been making Kentucky Bourbon Vanilla for years! Excited to add that to our recipe! We got everything else. THANK YOU!! Heading over to review the post link you added!! We've got tons of these young sassafras trees here on our farm.
Wow! What a great family tradition to continue. I bet your root beer will taste even better than ours since we aren't able to use freshly harvested like you guys. Let us know how it goes. Happy fermenting! 😊
There are times where Floral Hops are added to compliment the little bitterness.
I bet that would add a nice aroma. Thanks so much for the suggestion Jay!
I have an antique hanging on my wall that from Ayers Sarsaparilla
Whoa! That's so awesome! 😃
Even as a kid i would steal my moms favor baking bottles...Vanilla, peppermint etc etc ...She had Anise And with the right mix of Vanilla i could make the smell of rootbeer However the taste was not right Many years later I perfected a Rootbeer very light on the wintergreen I hit of Cassia cinnamon and ginger You get a stronger kick And a richer taste molassess does even it out And makes it a after taste ....Yes its a complex mix
Wow that sounds amazing! Those would definitely give a good flavor as a mix. It probably doesn't give the bitter aftertaste that the roots would give but I bet there would be something else that you could add to imitate that too. There really are so many different recipes we've seen. Thanks so much for sharing! 🍺😊
Where did you get your wooden spoon?
Thanks so much for the question! It's been a long time since we had bought that but I think it was on Amazon. Here's a link in case you like any of these! They should all work well: amzn.to/49DNJth
@@FermentationAdventure awesome! Thank you!
Instead of a ginger bug how much yeast do i need?
We haven't tried making soda with dry yeast just yet but I'm sure it would work! The flavor might be slightly different than with a ginger bug since it's a different kind of yeast. If you try it with a small amount (maybe a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per quart) and it works, let us know how it goes!
May I know how long can the root beer store in the fridge? Thank you
Thanks so much for the question! You should be able to store root beer in the same way you can store other sodas for a long time. We like to enjoy our sodas within 6 months though because the flavor is best right away. The longer it ferments, the more it turns to alcohol and we love our sodas with a bit more of a sugary flavor. Hope that helps and happy fermenting! 😊🍺
Also don't forget to burp your bottles! It'll definitely keep carbonating so you don't want any explosions!
Does your vanilla extract have alcohol in it? I would think alcohol would harm the live bacteria & yeast, but yours clearly works!
Yes, the vanilla extract has alcohol in it, but we used such a small amount that it does not affect the fermentation process. The ginger bug starter culture is extremely resilient!
Alcohol is literally the byproduct of yeast fermentation… alcohol does not affect yeast fermentation. Beer once bottled can be bottle fermented further by adding sugar which is how it becomes carbonated.
Great channel! Nice recipe! I thought I was watching a Two And A Half Men spin off... Allan Harper and Judith together! Regards!
Haha! Thanks so much for the love Koubena! We're happy you're enjoying our channel! 💓
Do you keep any of the brewed ingredients after your 20 minute brew? I've heard that you can reuse Sassafras if big chunks up to 20 times. Do you have any Sassafras trees down there for you guys? I'm in OH, so plenty here and might send some to you! Ps. Make your own vanilla some time! Buys some great grade bean pods online, de-seed, Mortar pestle them, and crock pot on warm with good rum... and sugar, fill bottles and wait 6-9 months, nom.... and enough real vanilla paste for years!
You probably could make another batch after the first one since there's still flavor left the same way you can make another batch of tea. For our pineapple tepache when we use our homegrown pineapple we'll make up to five batches using the same pineapple! We have noticed any sassafras trees down here but I bet there are! Wow! That's awesome that you have it there in Ohio and we'll have to make our own vanilla some time. I bet it tastes so good! 😊💓
I was looking up where to buy sassafras, I found both the root and the bark were banned by the FDA in 1976 because it contains a chemical, safrole, which showed to be a carcinogen. Where, when did you purchase your sassafras?
Thanks so much for your question! We actually bought ours on Amazon amzn.to/41oRyPn The safety of sassafras is debatable so you'd have to decide that for yourself, but we don't drink it very often even though it is super tasty. We hope that helps! 🍺
If you take Rye toast, butter it and drizzle molasses on it. Oh so delicious
Hmm, does sound good!!
Cheers 🍻🍻🍻Munich Germany
Cheers!!
You mentioned you tasted the wintergreen flavor at the end of the video. No Wintergreen was added in the recipe. Where did the wintergreen flavor come from? Is that a different recipe that you were tasting? If so, how much wintergreen and what form would be added to the decoction.
Thanks so much for your question! I think we meant since we used star anise we were thinking it had a hint of wintergreen flavor in it but that would actually be really good in this recipe if you could add wintergreen leaves. Yum! 🍺
My Aunt use to make rootbeer for all the kids in the neighborhood but for fermentation she used hops
What a neat memory!! 😃
You two are so stinking cute! Thank you!!!
You're so sweet, thank you so much!! 😍😁
how much birch bark is used?
Did the "future root beer video" without sassafras (as mentioned around 7:50) actually ever make it to production?
We have many videos we would love to make but only so much time in life for everything. If you make a good recipe without sassafras, feel free to share!
I always wondered what the 'root' in root beer is
Mystery solved! 😄 Thanks for watching!
can you interchange a water kefir and ginger Bug?
You might be able to user a water kefir culture instead of ginger bug but it likely won't be as active as a ginger bug starter. Water kefir is a somewhat delicate culture and the spices might give it some problems but you never know! If you try it, let us know how it goes!
@@FermentationAdventure Thank you!
hi there you should make Birchbeer
So it is fermented. Does it contain alcohol?
Yes! All ferments where bacteria and yeast consume sugar end up having some percent of alcohol. To get an idea we did a video on how much for ginger ale. It should be about the same for root beer: th-cam.com/video/86SwZyUbtF0/w-d-xo.html We hope that helps!
what is the jar's volume size ?
Hi! We used a half gallon mason jar for this recipe.
can i use rootbeer extract
Yes you absolutely could!
rootbeer kombucha! How does the sound?
It sounds really interesting! We'd try it! 😅
Try a pinch of dandilion root, it balances out the sweetness with a bitter.
Hmm, yum! We love dandelion roots! This reminds us of one time when we had so many wonderful dandelions growing in our yard, that we picked them and made a nice side of roasted dandelion root with garlic!
How many grams is one fourth cup of sarsaparilla and sassafras?
in the video the notes at the bottom of the screen @ 3:01 and @ 3:26 it says 12 grams for Sassafras and 16 grams for Sarsaparilla.
how much wintergreen is used
@1:48 If you are boiling the water the heat will neutralize the chlorine so if you have good city water use it.
Thanks so much for your suggestion! For most city water that works great! Some municipalities though like ours also add chloramine which can't get boiled off since it also has ammonia. We have to filter ours.
By boiling the root mix, there wouldn't be any chlorine if you used tap water. If you want to be safer, boil it ahead of time without a lid before adding the ingredients, or leaving the water on the countertop uncovered overnight will get rid of it all too. Even in a cold room. Chlorine is very volatile and will evaporate at 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Definitely! For municipalities that just use chlorine that works well. Some places use chloramine which also has ammonia that can't be boiled off. Just in case that's why we like to use a filter. Thanks for the suggestion! 😊
Yessss
Ha! Yes :) Love it.