FERMENTATI ON - MAKING ROOT BEER

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Introduction:
Fermentation has been used by mankind for thousands of years for raising bread, fermenting wine and brewing beer. The products of the fermentation of sugar by baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae a fungus! are ethy" a"coho" and carbon dio#ide. $arbon dio#ide causes bread to rise and gives effervescent drinks their bubb"es. This action of yeast on sugar is used to 'carbonate' beverages, as in the addition of bubb"es to champagne!. %e wi"" set up a fermentation in a c"osed system and capture the generated carbon dio#ide to carbonate root beer. &ou may of course ad'ust the (uantities of sugar and)or e#tract *atarain's! to taste. EQUIPMENT SUPPLIES

c"ean + "iter p"astic soft drink bott"e with cap funne" , cup measuring cup ,)- tsp measuring spoon , Tb" measuring spoon

$ane tab"e! sugar .sucrose/ , cup! *atarain's 0oot 1eer 2#tract , tab"espoon! %hen 3 cou"d not find it "oca""y, 3 ordered a case of ,+ bott"es for 4,5 from *atarain's, 6ew 7r"eans, 89 :;,,powdered baker's yeast ,)- teaspoon! &east for brewing wou"d certain"y work at "east as we"" as baking yeast.! co"d fresh water

INSTRUCTIONS:

,! 9ssemb"e the necessary e(uipment and supp"ies

+! %ith a dry funne", add in se(uence< 1 l ! l cu" o# t$%l &u'$r (c$n &u'$r) &ou can ad'ust the amount to achieve the desired sweetness.!

*) Add: 1+, t $&"oon "o-d r d %$. r/& 0 $&t ( #r &1 $nd $cti! ) F"eischmann's or other brand!

-! &ou can see the yeast granu"es on top of the sugar.

=! Shake to distribute the yeast grains into the sugar.

>! Swir" the sugar)yeast mi#ture in the bottom to make it concave to catch the e#tract!. :! 9dd with funne"< 1 T%l o# root % r 2tr$ct 3 prefer *atarain's, but ?ires, etc. wi"" work.! on top of the dry sugar

5! The e#tract sticks to the sugar which wi"" he"p disso"ve the e#tract in the ne#t steps.

@! ?a"f fi"" the bott"e with fresh coo" tap water the "ess ch"orine, the better!. 0inse in the e#tract which sticks to the tab"espoon and funne". Swir" to disso"ve the ingredients.

13) Q4&4 5#ill u"6 to t1 n c. o# t1 %ottl -it1 #r &1 cool t$" -$t r, "eaving about an inch of head space, secure"y screw cap down to sea". 3nvert repeated"y to thorough"y disso"ve.

I# 0ou l $! it in $ -$r7 t 7" r$tur lon' r t1$n t-o - .&8 0ou ri&. $n 2"lo&ion444
,,! P"ace at room temperature about three to four days unti" the bott"e fee"s hard to a forcefu" s(ueeAe. Move to a coo" p"ace be"ow >= F!. refrigerate overnight to thorough"y chi"" before serving. $rack the "id of the thorough"y chi""ed root beer 'ust a "itt"e to re"ease the pressure s"ow"y. NOTE: Do not "eave the finished root beer in a warm p"ace once the bott"e fee"s hard. 9fter a coup"e weeks or so at room temperature, especia""y in the summer when the temperature is high, enough pressure may

bui"d up to e#p"ode the bott"eB There is no danger of this if the finished root beer is refrigerated. ,+! Move to a refrigerator overnight before opening. NOTE: There wi"" be a sediment of yeast at the bottom of the bott"e, so that the "ast bit of root beer wi"" be turbid. Decant carefu""y if you wish to avoid this sediment. A 9OR: ABOUT T;E ALCO;OL IN ;OME MA:E ROOT BEER: The a"coho"ic content which resu"ts from the fermentation of this root beer and found it to be between ;.C= and ;.= D. $omparing this to the >D in many beers, it wou"d re(uire a person to drink about a ga""on and a ha"f of this root beer to be e(uiva"ent to one ,+ ounce beer. 3 wou"d ca"" this amount of a"coho" neg"igib"e, but for persons with metabo"ic prob"ems who cannot metabo"iAe a"coho" proper"y, or re"igious prohibition against any a"coho", consumption shou"d be "imited or avoided.