Expert: Matt Dick - 6/23/2008

Question
QUESTION: hy, i make my own wine, beer, and root beer (from concentrate) at home.  when making beer or rootbeer i use a plastic bottle so i can tell when it is pressurized.  well, thats easy enuff but i have a bunch of IBC root beer glass bottles laying around.  they are 12 oz. and i would like to make some real root beer and then put it in those bottles.  my question is, if i use a second fermentation method, how much sugar do i need to add to each bottle to keep it from blowing up? also, if you know any tips, tricks, or easyer (safer) methods then please share.  if you need more info then just ask.  

P.S. i ferment my rootbeer in a 5 gallon batch so its alcoholic as opposed to just mixing it in the bottle and letting it ferment and carbonate all at once.  thankyou, corn likker carson

ANSWER: I have only ever kegged root beer when I've made it at home, so I'm not the best person to ask.  The small bit of wisdom I have is that if you're going to bottle any drink that you want to ferment, add your fermenting sugar to the 5 gal batch in full, not just a little to each bottle--that's a recipe to blow up your bottles as you'll inevitably add a bit too much in a few bottles.

So go look up the amount you need and add it at once to the whole 5 gallons before you bottle.

Your root beer is alcoholic?  What kind of yeast are you using?  How strong does it end up being?


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QUESTION: thankyou,  yes it is alcoholic.  i use about 2 1/2 tbsps of distillers yeast per 5 gallon batch.  i stop fermentation with a few campden tablets when the alcohol gets to 18%.  the taste is pretty strong as far as rootbeer flavor goes.  i use the (i think) McCormick rootbeer extract.  its suppose to make 5 gallons per bottle but i use 1 1/2 bottles and about 1/4 cup more sugar.  about 3/4 of a cup of sugar gets metabolized by the yeast.  after adding my fermenting sugar to the whole batch do i immediately bottle it or let it carbonate in the carboy?   CLC

ANSWER: Assuming you've chosen the correct amount of sugar, you should bottle right away or you'll lose the carbonation.

Sounds great!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ok, is it safe to assume that the amount of sugar left in the fermented rootbeer subtracted from the amount that is recommended by the manufacture will tell me how much sugar to add?

Answer
You've definitely run up against my ignorance--I just don't know enough about root beer to answer your question.  

I have done a little research since you asked the question and most brewers are very particular about the yeast they are using, because ale yeasts get inactive once they've pressurized the bottles they're in.  I would stick with ale yeast if you're going to go this route.  It'll likely change the taste from what you're used to, but it will be safer once you get it into bottles.

I only use beer yeasts in my brewing, so I'm unfamiliar with distiller's yeast and whether, like champagne yeast, it will live long enough to blow up your bottles.  You mentioned getting this to 18% alcohol, so I'd be careful with it.  Stick with ale yeast or use plastic bottles.

Good luck!