Has anyone made their own root beer?

[barleychown]

I came across intructions to make your own root beer at home today. Has anyone done this before?  If so, how does it turn out? I'm rather picky about my root beer, and would love to be able to make my own.

[Patty S]

Gosh, we used to make our own root beer when I was a kid, & when our kids were little, we still did it all the time! We loved it, & tried some of the "off" brands, but thought that Hires® was the best extract to use. (Make sure that your yeast is fresh.)

When the kids started sharing it with their friends, I became paranoid about a gang of little kids running around the neighborhood with beer bottles that originated at our house, so we stopped trading in our Pop Shop bottles for a while (Remember "Pop Shop"?) & started bottling up the root beer in those, before someone's parents called the cops on us! *By the late 70's, things had changed from when we were kids... home-made soda pop was always put up in beer bottles back then (just like home-made beer) & nobody thought anything about it!
 
When we had to let the bottles sit on their sides for a while, to "brew" (I can't remember how long that was for... 2 weeks, maybe?), we learned quickly to always lay down a leak-proof plastic tarp under (and over) them, cuz once in a while a cap wouldn't be sealed right & would blow off when the yeast & sugar started interacting! (WHAT A MESS!)

What are you bottling them in, Sarah? I still have cases of Pop Shop bottles in the attic, along with the bottle cappers & bottle caps, cuz I had intended to do a rainy day project with BG one day & show her how to make homemade root beer... and I completely forgot about that, till you mentioned it here!

[barleychown]

I found this link today while poking around : http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Root-Beer

Makes it sound rather easy. I think I'll give it a try! WHat's the worst that could happen?

[patches]

it sound rather easy. I think I'll give it a try! WHat's the worst that could happen? 

Hmmm, I'm really not sure what's the worse that could happen, Sarah, but I'll be very anxious to hear what kind of stories you'll have to tell us, - then we'll all know why we shouldn't try this!!!         

we stopped trading in our Pop Shop bottles for a while (Remember "Pop Shop"?)

No, I don't, Patty!  What is "Pop Shop"?   

[Penny]

Root beer, gosh my great Gran used to make it for me when i was little, i havent had it homemade since she passed.
Great link Sarah!

[Pharmerphil]

here's a link, to a Legend of sorts here in Minnesota.
Up in the backwoods boundry waters, just a step from Canada, lived an old woman....
Good read, check out the links at top
Root Beer Lady

[Penny]

Thanks Phil..........geeee.....Rootbeer soap........i'd never want to get out of the shower with that stuff!!!!

[patches]

Thanks, Phil, that's a very interesting site and some enjoyable reading.    I think I'm going to pass on making my own root beer because I lost my taste for it many years from drinking too many root beer floats in a single day!!!   

[barleychown]

I went to both stores here in town yesterday looking for the root beer extract, but neither carry it anymore, becuase no one really uses it these days.

The next time I'm in Eugene, I'm sure I'll be able to find it.

[barleychown]

I found the extract while in Eugene today. I have the first batch brewing on the counter right now...it should be ready in 3 to 4 days.

[Triss]

That is not a long time to have to wait at all. 

So did you decide on the wiki recipe?  And did you follow the directions exactly for the first try and will tweak it if your results are not what you are looking for?

[patches]

Geesh, Sarah, you're a much braver person than I am, but I'm anxious to see how it turns out.  Are you going to take some pictures of your experiment?   

[duh]

Way to go Sarah.  I'm so glad someone tried this.