Root Beer Ale

[Dave Savoie]

6.25Lbs Maris Otter
2.2 Lbs Flaked Barley
2 Lbs Wheat
US-05


    * 1 vanilla bean
    * 1 (5-inch) licorice root, broken into pieces
    * 3/4 cup chopped dried sarsaparilla root
    * 2 tablespoons dried sassafras root bark
    * 1 tablespoon chopped dried burdock root
    * 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
    * 3 heads star anise
    * 3 quarts distilled water (12 cups)
    * 2 cups lightly packed dark brown sugar
    * 1 tablespoon molasses
    * 2 (1/8-inch-wide) strips of orange zest
    * 1/8 teaspoon ale yeast (also called brewer's yeast)

Based on my calculations one would have to multiply the ingredients by 9 to make 23L
But multiplying by 9 seems a bit High for some of the spices any input would be cool !!

My thoughts are to add all the Spices and such to a food processor then cold steep them for a few days or would it be better to use Vodka to extract the spices ?

[Shawn]

I'm a little confused.... multiply everything by 9 for a 5-gallon batch... you mean 9 vanilla beans? I've never used these in brewing before, but from what I've read I understand that usually 1 bean in a 5-gallon batch is "enough".

Seems like a lot of spices to me... I'd be worried it would just result in a muddled mess.

[Dave Savoie]

This recipe is based on 4 22oz bottles

* 1 vanilla bean
* 1 (5-inch) licorice root, broken into pieces
* 3/4 cup chopped dried sarsaparilla root
* 2 tablespoons dried sassafras root bark
* 1 tablespoon chopped dried burdock root
* 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
* 3 heads star anise
* 3 quarts distilled water (12 cups)
* 2 cups lightly packed dark brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon molasses
* 2 (1/8-inch-wide) strips of orange zest
* 1/8 teaspoon ale yeast (also called brewer's yeast)

[Shawn]

Is this originally a recipe for beer, or is it for homemade root beer, and you're thinking of altering it to make rootbeer beer?

[Richard]

Assuming a US gallon & quart, 5 (US) gallons would be 5 * 4/3 = 6 2/3, not 9. A 6-gallon US (5gal IMP) batch would be 6 * 4/3 = 8.

Also 4 * 22oz is 88oz, whereas 3 quarts is 96oz...

I'm not really confident either way on the spice issue, although it stands to reason that if the baseline calls for an amount a scaled up version would call for an equal scaling... the various ingredients in this aren't what comes to mind when I think of "spices". Although now I think about it, I'm not sure what else you'd call something like vanilla.

[Dave Savoie]

This is a Root beer recipe  not Ale but was thinking of making an Ale out of it kind of a session beer 4% ABV would end up being similar in color to a brown Ale almost no hop bitterness just creamy root beer goodness.

[Dave Savoie]

88 oz = 2.6024706125 L

2.6024706125 X 9 = 23.42 L

[Shawn]

88 oz = 2.6024706125 L

2.6024706125 X 9 = 23.42 L

Richard is assuming 5 U.S. gallon, which is 19 L (roughly)... Dave is assuming 5 Imperial gallons, roughly 23 L, hence the discrepancy.

Right?

[Shawn]

This is a Root beer recipe  not Ale but was thinking of making an Ale out of it kind of a session beer 4% ABV would end up being similar in color to a brown Ale almost no hop bitterness just creamy root beer goodness.

I have no experience with anything like this, but in my opinion, dumping all those spices into a beer, much less 9 times that amount... I just can't see that being too tasty.

But, if you do it, I'm sure we'd be interested to hear about the results.

[Dave Savoie]

Yup id call this some form of Malt Liquor

I do think it would be possible to get a really tasty beer with those spices and additives  

MMMM BBQ ribs and a large frothy glass of alcoholic root beer mmmmm good


This recipe came from 2006 BYO article

[Shawn]

Yup id call this some form of Malt Liquor

I do think it would be possible to get a really tasty beer with those spices and additives  

MMMM BBQ ribs and a large frothy glass of alcoholic root beer mmmmm good


This recipe came from 2006 BYO article

I figured it was from BYO... reminded me of their Jolly Rancher beer recipe.

Vodka + Root Beer = Alcoholic root beer  

[Dave Savoie]

but not as fun

[Shawn]

Ha, true.

But, 6 cups of chopped dried sarsaparilla root? Does it have to be grown under a full moon, and washed with the blood of a virgin goat?  

[Richard]

Assuming a US gallon & quart, [...] 6-gallon US (5gal IMP) batch would be 6 * 4/3 = 8.

Also 4 * 22oz is 88oz, whereas 3 quarts is 96oz...

Dave was going off post-boil, whereas I was going off pre-boil. My numbers were using the 3 quarts given in the recipe, not the 88oz resulting after the boil. The recipe assumes about 8% boil-off... the difference between 96oz and 88oz.

(dave's right with the 9x -- my bad)

[Shawn]

Assuming a US gallon & quart, [...] 6-gallon US (5gal IMP) batch would be 6 * 4/3 = 8.

Also 4 * 22oz is 88oz, whereas 3 quarts is 96oz...

Dave was going off post-boil, whereas I was going off pre-boil. My numbers were using the 3 quarts given in the recipe, not the 88oz resulting after the boil. The recipe assumes about 8% boil-off... the difference between 96oz and 88oz.

(dave's right with the 9x -- my bad)

My cat's breath smells like cat food.