Root Beer served through Soda carbonator/box type system

[brewbum]

I am looking to make Root Beer for our tasting room. We have a Coke soda gun machine and was thinking, as we have an open spot on the gun, to just run a keg of root beer through it. My question is, how do I mix the extract to work in that kind of system. I have made it in corny kegs and forced carbed but thought this would speed up the process as well as keep a line separate from the beer lines so we don't have to worry about tainting it.

I assume it is just concentrated but basically am looking for the concentration level. Is that just trial and error?

[cpelz]

I'm considering doing the same and would love to hear other's experiences with this approach.

I believe the standard ratio is 5:1, and would start with that.

[brewbum]

I have found that ratio also. So would you mix the concentration instead of at 5gl levels to 1gl levels? I am terrible with ratios sometimes.

[beerguy1]

I did quite bit of soda in box but, it was quite a few years ago. We used Virgina Dare concentrate then added sugar,sodium benzoate and citric acid was I believe that we put in. As I recall it made about 10-5gal bag in a box concentrate. The concentrate company should be able to provide a "brix" (the technical term to start out with.

We gave the coke guy a case of beer and he ran new lines and adjusted the brix level on how we wanted it to taste. Sorry I cant remember the exact ratio. You also need to check and see if your soda supplier will allow another flavor on their gun. Some companies give the guns and carbonator machine to a company but will only allow there product lines on it.

You can also try Northwest Extract hey have some nice rootbeer flavors and will custom blend for you

[brewbum]

I will talk with the coke guys then. We told them we were going to run one line on their gun and they were fine with it.

Whenever I had made root beer at home I just used the extract and sugar, is the other items added for health code/stability or for taste and consistency?

Getting the brix makes sense I guess I can take a sample out of the coke box to get that on my own.

[beerguy1]

I will talk with the coke guys then. We told them we were going to run one line on their gun and they were fine with it.

Whenever I had made root beer at home I just used the extract and sugar, is the other items added for health code/stability or for taste and consistency?

Getting the brix makes sense I guess I can take a sample out of the coke box to get that on my own.

The sodium benzoate is a preservative and the citric acid is used as a bitter Agent. The brix is taken at the gun itself. The cone comes off and a nozzle is put on that separates the syrup and the carbonated water. It pours into a cup that has graduated lines so you can see the ratio

[Starcat]

Some Companies

If the soda man told me I could not run whatever I wanted to on the extra line, his product would be out the door the next day without any delay whatsoever.

[brewmaster 2011]

If the soda man told me I could not run whatever I wanted to on the extra line, his product would be out the door the next day without any delay whatsoever.

I think it come down to who owns the equipment.

[beerguy1]

I think it come down to who owns the equipment.

Thats exactly it. A 6 head gun and carbonation system can cost well over 2k and some pubs will opt to "borrow" it but since the soda company ownes it they can say what runs thru it. Most wont have an issue with running say 1 of your private made sodas but, the more of your private soda takes away from their products they could say we want our equipment back and you will be stuck with no soda service

[SeattleBrewer]

From what I remember working at a brewpub that ran two homemade soda concentrates, the Brix reading was around 18 for Ginger Ale and 20 for Root beer measured at the gun. We'd just fill a keg with the syrup and push it through the lines with Co2. It'd mix at the gun and create awesome sodas.


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[brewbum]

Measured at the gun meaning after mixed with the carbonated water or no? It sounds like some simple trial and error will work too.

[SeattleBrewer]

Yep just fill a small cup up and take your sample from there. Taste and record your Brix. Probably good to do trial and error to find your optimal mix.


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