Huh. I didn't even know that making root beer the regular way is dangerous, due to the risk of explosions.
DIY non-explosive root beer
When I asked them about the yeast, the man behind the counter gave me a dreadful warning that making root beer with yeast is like making bombs. He said it was too dangerous as the bottles have a high likelihood of exploding. He also said that they had a high likelihood of fermenting the root beer and so it was a very poor way to make root beer. The method he suggested instead was carbon dioxide infusion. This required a carbon dioxide tank and regulator (I borrowed this from Dave) and a cornelious keg, which I purchased from Main Street Homebrew.
Eh, honestly, the dude at the beer store was either selling more expensive equipment or trolling for newbs. Every bottle-conditioned brew, be it beer, mead, root beer, ginger, or champagne, brings with it a certain number of bottle bombs eventually.
That's "bomb" as in "sudden loud noise from the basement", not as in "homeland security has you on their list".
Yeah, I was wondering. Because
beer
uses yeast, right?
I was gonna say. Yeasty brews gone awry is just part of the gig. And you get more complex interesting flavors that way.
At Yum you used to be able to get some sodas which were partly fermented and that was part of their appeal.
Tom says there is actually some truth to that, because the fact that the sugar stays and is not converted to alcohol. And when the concentrated sugar solution meets the yeast, it can be 'splodey.
Tom also mentioned carbon dioxide and a kegging method, without knowing the whole story (I just called out to him and asked if it was a possibility.)
Also, we have never had an exploding beer and we've bottle conditioned more than 20 batches.
So, do root beer purists insist on yeast fermentation? All popular root beer carbonically infused, right?
Oh, it's absolutely a possibility -- I'm just @@ at the brew shop guy playing the noobs by saying, "Oh, no, that's totally dangerous! You must buy all this extra equipment instead!" Because, yes, I've seen those who would do just that (in addition to the nice if somewhat freaky ones who will talk your ear off for hours about exactly which flavor notes you get with what strain of yeast.)
That's "bomb" as in "sudden loud noise from the basement", not as in "homeland security has you on their list".
I've had homemade liqueur bottles explode. It was a bitch to clean up, but no more dangerous than dropping a wine glass.
