Saturday, January 22, 2011

Chemistry Experiment or Cooking?


I am very excited to introduce my very first batch of root beer ever! I admit I did not come up with this concoction all by myself. I have a kit that came with all the ingredients (except sugar) and bottles. Actually I wanted to try this out to see if we could do this as part of the 4-H Summer Fun Program (Bio-tech Day Camp) next year. You see making root beer is more than following a recipe (which I am told is the only way I can cook) you have to watch temperatures and timing and then be patient.

After mixing all the ingredients and filling the bottles it was time for carbonation. This is different then the process that soda usually takes in factories. There is wine yeast in this recipe and the yeast eats the sugar in the soda to carbonate. This process takes place in a warm dark place. When the bottles are firm they go into the fridge for 24 hours and they are ready to be opened. Turning the lid the pressure lets off like any soda. When you pour it it does not foam up like mass production root beer. You can see some bubbles but it is not quite as fizzy. When you drink it you can feel the natural carbonation. Overall the root beer has a smooth and creamy taste. Whether you think this is chemistry or cooking the end result is the same, mmm mmmm good.

No comments: