Summer Time Frugal Goal

[mom2three]

Can you tell us how you make root beer?

Thanks

[peanut]

Sure Mom2three. The key ingredient is root beer extract. Ours is made by Royal. We found it at a beer and wine store. You also need a wine yeast. Then you need 5 lbs. of sugar, a container that holds 5 gallons of water (or make a half batch like we did).

You let the yeast rise for a few minutes (instructions are on the side of the root beer extract bottle)...I believe it was 5-10 minutes. You put warm water in a large pot/container (DH's parents used to use a baby bathtub!). Add the sugar and extract and stir till the sugar dissolves. Add the yeast and stir. Then bottle...leaving a good 2" at the top of each bottle for 'expansion'....ie. gasses. Gotta do this or gas will build up in the bottle it will explode.

You need a bottle capper and caps...also available at the wine and beer store. You cap the bottles and lay them on their sides to ripen. Takes a week or two in a warm place...maybe three weeks in a cooler place (basement). I recommend the basement. That way if anything explodes it's not over anything precious!

Ours took two weeks in the dining room to ripen, and we had six bottles explode during supper one evening...with guests. Not a pleasant experience. But we all had a good laugh about it...after we ascertained everyone was OK!