Old Fashioned Root Beer
 

Interested in making my own Root Beer/Soda, mainly from sassafras, juniper berries, wild cherry etc... Locally harvested from within 50 miles of here. One ingredient is Star Anise, and I'm not familiar with it, can I grow it here? Anybody have seeds or experience growing it?

Star Anise is a seed pod from an Asian tree. Not something you'll want to grow. Too much space, time, and it's not Hardy.

Burdock root adds a nice smoothness to root beer and you can grow it yourself. Wintergreen is another ingredient that I like in root beer. A few drops of wintergreen oil in a 5 gallon batch is plenty so it's easier to just buy it. Although you can probably grow it if you want.

Very informative! Thank you!
Looks like a few ingredients need imported...
Appreciate the suggestions!

Safrole contained in sassafras root is a carcinogen, and has i think been banned.
Wouldn't stop me from having one here and there, but wouldn't make a habit of it.

We used to dig the roots.
No trees to be had in this area too far west.

Worth

The FDA requires safrole to be removed from commercial foodstuff and has since the 60s. This is the same FDA that was allowing tobacco to be sold as beneficial to a smoker's health at the time. There's no medical evidence linking safrole from sassafras root to cancer.

Since A&W was cutting into colas' business at the time I am inclined to believe the restriction was politically motivated, not a health concern. A&W declined in taste and popularity. Big Cola bought them out and the products sold as root beer by the soda companies today are largely artificially flavored water sweetened with corn syrup. Not terribly healthy, but not a concern if the FDA.

With cost cutting to satisfy the stock holders, most colas have suffered a similar fate. Modern Coke would be unrecognizable, and possibly undrinkable, by people who were used to the same product from 40 years ago. If you have the space and the time making your own sodas is probably a healthier option than drinking commercial soda, especially if you carbonate with yeast. And even a moderately successful attempt will taste better than the major brands of soda.

I made cherry soda and root beer but I used flavorings from a local brew supply store. It was pretty good but I'm not a soda drinker.

I won't say I'm a big soda drinker myself. But I prefer soda made with sugar to those sweetened with corn syrup. It's the same principle as people who don't like beer but only have experience with big batch brews from companies like Budweiser.

Most brew stores sell soda flavors that are made with natural ingredients. If you're going to brew your own you won't be interested in anything artificial. They're a fair alternative to cooking up you own. But making soda from natural ingredients isn't much more difficult than making soup. If you aren't willing to risk sassafras root there's a safrole free sassafras tea you can buy on Amazon if you don't have a local store that will order it for you. It may not be an authentic craft soda, but it's still good experience..

let us know how it works for you. I love oldfashioned real home made root beer but it is impossible to find. nor have I tried making it. we do have sassafras trees here so I have no excuse other than just not trying it. commercially made is just disgusting now a days. just nothing. brown carbonated treacly sweet nothing drink. If I can find it without caramel coloring I can drink it. otherwise the caramel coloring keeps it outta my hand too.

Some of the recipes I'm looking at call for Sassafrass and Sasparilla root, I never realized the two roots are different. Looks like I'm going to need to order a few of the ingredients.

The Arbor Day Foundation sells sassafras, but you propably have it growing near you already since you're east of the Mississippi. You might check them for sasparilla too. Although the last recipe I made didn't use sasparilla.

I'd research birch beer as well, I've had some that tasted almost identical to a natural root beer. Not the commercial syrupy stuff.

Looks like the easiest "soda" I've seen so far is ginger ale. I planted some old ginger and got a better harvest than expected and was wondering what to do with it. I'm going to start a "ginger bug" tonight to get it going.

[QUOTE=oldman;720859]The Arbor Day Foundation sells sassafras, but you propably have it growing near you already since you're east of the Mississippi. You might check them for sasparilla too. Although the last recipe I made didn't use sasparilla.[/QUOTE]

My garden is pretty much surrounded by woods, Sassafrass everywhere even volunteers in the garden. Here's a new proverb I just came up with...
"When life gives you Sassafrass... Make Root Beer!"

Be aware that homemade root beer is actually beer, and has alcohol content.

[QUOTE=slugworth;720884]Be aware that homemade root beer is actually beer, and has alcohol content.[/QUOTE]

Now you tell me. :dizzy::dizzy::dizzy::dizzy::lol:

Worth

[QUOTE=pmcgrady;720883] Here's a new proverb I just came up with...
"When life gives you Sassafrass... Make Root Beer!"[/QUOTE]

Let em help you with that.
"When life gives you Sassafrass... Make File' to use in gumbo!"

I was out shopping today and thought of you when I saw this on the shelf.

[url]https://www.sassafrastea.com/sassafras-teas/[/url]

[QUOTE=slugworth;720884]Be aware that homemade root beer is actually beer, and has alcohol content.[/QUOTE]

1-2% not more than a good cough syrup. Cough cough!

depends on the yeast you use.

Got a 6 day "ginger bug" going... Smells great!
Decided to make ginger beer/ale, while I'm waiting for ingredients to come in for root beer.
Got a dozen Grolsh bottles ready to go. Pics soon.

[QUOTE=slugworth;720933]depends on the yeast you use.[/QUOTE]

I'm doing a wild ferment on the batch, and am debating on a wine,bread,beer or champagne yeast to prime the bottles...

For lords sake no bread yeast.
Whisky yeast.

[QUOTE=oldman;720798]Star Anise is a seed pod from an Asian tree. Not something you'll want to grow. Too much space, time, and it's not Hardy.

Burdock root adds a nice smoothness to root beer and you can grow it yourself. Wintergreen is another ingredient that I like in root beer. A few drops of wintergreen oil in a 5 gallon batch is plenty so it's easier to just buy it. Although you can probably grow it if you want.[/QUOTE]

Never really heard of burdock till you mentioned it, wintergreen will grow here also I guess.
Out of luck growing Star Anise, Liqurice, Vanilla beans or sassaparilla around here...

[QUOTE=Worth1;721557]For lords sake no bread yeast.
Whisky yeast.[/QUOTE]

I'm leaning towards champagne, to test the integrity of the bottles I'm putting it in.

[QUOTE=pmcgrady;721559]I'm leaning towards champagne, to test the integrity of the bottles I'm putting it in.[/QUOTE]

I've been having great success with [URL="https://winemakermag.com/resource/yeast-strains-chart"]Lalvin EC-1118 Prise de Mousse[/URL].

Check out the chart and find a brew store.

I dont know anything about yeast or making any of this stuff I was just fooling around.:)

I went foraging today, and found some of the ingredients for root beer here...

[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181227/0766370323ae5e2c0ba6eebf677dd1d6.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181227/c6737d41d5ed596544f2e7b206b1cebb.jpg[/IMG]



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Is that distilled water? I read something about it giving wine an off flavor, you might want to read up on that.

I'll be waiting on the results too!!!

[QUOTE=Rajun Gardener;722269]Is that distilled water? I read something about it giving wine an off flavor, you might want to read up on that.

I'll be waiting on the results too!!![/QUOTE]

I've read somewhere that chlorinated water is worse than than distilled, if you are wanting to add a yeast culture to it, you don't want chlorine in it...

That's true too but you can let the water sit for a while and the chlorine will dissipate. Spring water would be best if you don't have well water.