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Author Topic: Need recipe for non-alcoholic root beer with no sugar (artificial sweetener)  (Read 1603 times)

Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

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My lady friend who doesn't consume alcohol both due to medication issues and also personal choice (LIKES ME, BUT DOESN'T LIKE BEER) prefers root beer sweetened with artificial sweeteners.

Root beer concentrate recipes add sugar to feed the yeast.  If I were to carbonate it in the keg with CO2, I  could add artificial sweetener. But, how much sweetener and what level of carbonation?

Please advise if you have experience with this.  Thanks
It's easier to read brewing books and get information from the forum than to sacrifice virgins to appease the brewing gods when bad beer happens!

Offline denny

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My lady friend who doesn't consume alcohol both due to medication issues and also personal choice (LIKES ME, BUT DOESN'T LIKE BEER) prefers root beer sweetened with artificial sweeteners.

Root beer concentrate recipes add sugar to feed the yeast.  If I were to carbonate it in the keg with CO2, I  could add artificial sweetener. But, how much sweetener and what level of carbonation?

Please advise if you have experience with this.  Thanks

Why not add to taste? And based on keeping kegs of carbed water around, I'd guess you'd want to carb at least 40 psi. and maybe more like 60.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

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First, I appreciate your advice. Thanks for trying to help.

According to an online calculator, 40 psi will produce 5.3 volumes at 38 F and 60 psi will produce 7.3 vols. at 38 F. Unfortunately, these pressures will exceed the regular brown beer bottles I had planned to store the root beer in which I understand are good only to about 3.5 vols.

I spend the majority of my time at my lady friend's place, and she doesn't have room for a refrigerated keg.  So, it's not a simple matter of dispensing from a picnic tap.  I do have a few very old mostly-clear-glass swing-top bottles that were dirty and crusty when they were given to me. I could clean these, get new rubber gaskets, and try them. 

One other concern I have is cleaning and sanitation.  The ales I brew are always dosed with a new packet of dry yeast and presumably if a few bacteria survive my cleaning and sanitation efforts, they get outcompeted by the rapidly multiplying yeast that I pitched.   Since my kegs are not equipped with spunding valves, I won't be adding yeast.  I would appreciate any additional advice or suggestions.  Thanks
It's easier to read brewing books and get information from the forum than to sacrifice virgins to appease the brewing gods when bad beer happens!

Offline erockrph

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First, I appreciate your advice. Thanks for trying to help.

According to an online calculator, 40 psi will produce 5.3 volumes at 38 F and 60 psi will produce 7.3 vols. at 38 F. Unfortunately, these pressures will exceed the regular brown beer bottles I had planned to store the root beer in which I understand are good only to about 3.5 vols.

I spend the majority of my time at my lady friend's place, and she doesn't have room for a refrigerated keg.  So, it's not a simple matter of dispensing from a picnic tap.  I do have a few very old mostly-clear-glass swing-top bottles that were dirty and crusty when they were given to me. I could clean these, get new rubber gaskets, and try them. 

One other concern I have is cleaning and sanitation.  The ales I brew are always dosed with a new packet of dry yeast and presumably if a few bacteria survive my cleaning and sanitation efforts, they get outcompeted by the rapidly multiplying yeast that I pitched.   Since my kegs are not equipped with spunding valves, I won't be adding yeast.  I would appreciate any additional advice or suggestions.  Thanks

FWIW, when I bottle soda I force carb to about 30 PSI in a plastic soda bottle with a carbonation cap. I would suggest you do this rather than use glass bottles so you can hit the carbonation level you want. That said, I've had root beer that is much lower carbonation and quite enjoyable (i.e., what they serve at my local A&W, which is carbonated low like an English ale). That certainly won't taste like a traditional fizzy soda, but it's still nice with a coop of ice cream on top.

I am still dialing in my choice of artificial sweeter and amounts for my homemade diet soda, so I don't have a recommendation for quantity. I think you might want to just start making small batches and adjust to taste. Maybe get some splenda and nutrasweet packets to start with before you scale up. I will say that I didn't really like erythritol in this application. I plan to get some acesulfame and aspartame and try something along the lines of the "Zero" sodas that are out there since those are the ones I enjoy the most commercially.
Eric B.

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Offline ynotbrusum

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My experience with bottling sodas off of a keg, is that the typical 2 liter soda bottle will easily handle 40 psi.  Using those work great, because the plastic carbonator caps screw right on.  Whether the carbonation caps used will hold above that level, I can't say.  How much sweetener to use is definitely based on personal preference.  Start low and add small amount until you hit your sweet spot.
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Offline denny

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My experience with bottling sodas off of a keg, is that the typical 2 liter soda bottle will easily handle 40 psi.  Using those work great, because the plastic carbonator caps screw right on.  Whether the carbonation caps used will hold above that level, I can't say.  How much sweetener to use is definitely based on personal preference.  Start low and add small amount until you hit your sweet spot.

I'm using PET bottles and carb caps at 60 right now
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline ynotbrusum

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Good to know, Denny.  I bet the 2 liter bottles might handle even higher psi, given the soda on the shelf at the market is routinely hard as a rock and its only after chilling that they contain the foam when opened.
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

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Thanks to all above for your suggestions.
It's easier to read brewing books and get information from the forum than to sacrifice virgins to appease the brewing gods when bad beer happens!

Offline David

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I have a suggestion for your artificial sweetener, Monk Fruit. Yes, I had never heard about it either until earlier this year. Splenda to me leaves a slightly bad aftertaste, and NutraSweet was always a bit too sweet to me. Monk Fruit has zero aftertaste and the closest thing to sugar I have ever found. My wife and I now use it for almost everything now. It is fairly expensive, but worth it in my opinion.
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” -- Henry Ford

Offline fredthecat

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one note, i tried making a small amount, less than 2 litres i cant remember, of some pop that would be carbonated with yeast just just enough to hit ~2.5 volumes of CO2, then id sweeten it with i believe erithrytol.

the yeast didnt work, at all. i figured maybe the artificial sweetener inhibited it or killed the yeast.