You have to really like molasses to get the most out of this recipe. Also if you use glass bottle make sure you use sparkling wine bottles or else you will be scrubbing walls.
Homemade Root Beer
Complex and delicious, old-fashioned, home-brewed root beer has deep, intermingling notes of roots, bark, and spices, set against a background of molasses. Our formula is based on 19th-century recipes culled from The Saturday Evening Post, Scientific American, and Prairie Farmer, with guidance from Homemade Root Beer, Soda & Pop by Stephen Cresswell (Storey, 1998).
1⁄4 oz. dried sassafras root bark
1⁄4 oz. dried birch bark
1⁄4 oz. dried sarsaparilla root
1⁄8 oz. dried licorice root
1 1" piece fresh ginger, unpeeled
and thinly sliced
1 vanilla bean, split
2 cups molasses
1⁄8 tsp. active dry yeast
1. Put sassafras root bark, birch bark, sarsaparilla root, licorice root, ginger, 1vanilla bean, and 2 qts. water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 2 hours.
2. Strain root-infused liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a plastic container that has been washed well with hot, soapy water. (Discard solids.) Add 2 qts. filtered water, stir well, and let cool to 75°.
3. Meanwhile, wash four 1-liter plastic soda bottles with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and air-dry. Stir molasses and dry yeast into the root-infused liquid; cover and set aside to let ferment for 15 minutes. Using a funnel, pour into bottles, filling to within 2" of top but no higher. Screw lids on tightly; set aside at room temperature to let ferment for 12 hours.
4. Chill for 2–5 days. The root beer's character will slowly change: after 2 days, it will taste strongly of molasses; at the end of 5 days the yeast will have eaten up more of the sugary molasses, creating a milder and slightly alcoholic beverage. When it's ready to drink, open bottles very slowly, easing the caps open little by little, to let any excess gas escape gradually. (Yeast produces a high level of natural carbonation that makes for a very fizzy drink.) Serve over ice.
MAKES 4 LITERS
