# how to brew soft drink?



## vittorio (29/10/13)

ey everyone, i was wondering if anyone know anything about how to brew soft drinks? I wouldnt mind making a cola or two


----------



## citizensnips (29/10/13)

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+make+soft+drink+&oq=make+soft+dr&gs_l=youtube.3.0.0i5l2.77.2160.0.3258.8.7.0.1.1.0.197.1091.1j6.7.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.lTy4SiUw1cc

or buy one of these


----------



## vittorio (29/10/13)

sweet bro, if anyone else has a few recipes i wouldn't mind reading them


----------



## Hyper.Intelligent.Fish (31/10/13)

The difference between a soft drink and a hard drink is the fermentation time.

With a soft drink you're essentially starting the fermentation process in the bottle, then cutting it short with refrigeration or pasteurisation when the level of carbonation is correct. 

With a hard drink you're allowing the fermentation process to complete which increases the alcohol content, then bottling with a small amount of additional sugar to create carbonation.

I'm guessing any of the recipes on here or anywhere on the net for ginger beer, lemonade or root beer/sars would work, but bear in mind that people add sugar into their brews to provide food for the yeast, so if you're only planning a short fermentation for a non-alcoholic soft drink you won't need nearly as much sugar added.


----------



## vittorio (31/10/13)

sweet, you wouldnt know a basic soft drink brew recipe which could point me in the right direction on learning how to make them?


----------



## krausenhaus (31/10/13)

vittorio said:


> sweet, you wouldnt know a basic soft drink brew recipe which could point me in the right direction on learning how to make them?


This article has a lot of information, including a basic recipe to point you in the right direction on learning how to make them:

[URL="http://byo.com/smoked-beer/it...beer/item/1255-pop-art-brewing-excellent-soda[/url]


----------



## vittorio (31/10/13)

thank you, this is awesome!


----------



## Rocker1986 (31/10/13)

That's pretty interesting actually, might even give it a go myself sometime.


----------



## Not For Horses (31/10/13)

Was a little worried about the "real sassafras is carcinogenic" as I've made home made sarsaparilla using sassafras bark. Then I realised that american sassafras is different to Tasmanian sassafras. 

I'll have a look at home for the recipe I used for the sarsaparilla and I'll post it. It was quite interesting.


----------



## bum (31/10/13)

Not For Horses said:


> Was a little worried about the "real sassafras is carcinogenic" as I've made home made sarsaparilla using sassafras bark. Then I realised that american sassafras is different to Tasmanian sassafras.


Let's quietly ignore the fact that alcohol is a known human carcinogen.

Everything is okay.


----------



## wbosher (31/10/13)

bum said:


> Let's quietly ignore the fact that alcohol is a known human carcinogen.
> 
> Everything is okay.


If you believe all of the recent "studies", what isn't these days?


----------



## bum (31/10/13)

By "studies" do you mean "lalalalalalaI'mnotlisteninglalalala"?


----------



## wbosher (31/10/13)

"A recent study has shown that _<substance A>_ has been shown to cause cancer in moderate amounts."

...1 year later...

"A recent study has shown that _<substance A>_ has been shown to be beneficial to your health in moderate amounts."


----------



## bum (31/10/13)

Instead of generalising, show me one instance of that having ever happened outside of TV current affairs programs. You know, cite some actual "studies".

Alcohol is undeniably, irrefutably carcinogenic.


----------



## wbosher (31/10/13)

bum said:


> Alcohol is undeniably, irrefutably carcinogenic.


Not denying that for a minute, although "studies have shown alcohol to be beneficial to your health in moderate amounts."

No real studies mate, just shit in the papers/news. Just winding you up.


----------



## spaced (31/10/13)

I'd recommend contacting your local library and asking them to order this in. I got it via the Brisbane City Council library and it was a good little read.

http://www.amazon.com/True-Brews-Craft-Fermented-Kombucha/dp/1607743388


----------



## Amber Fluid (2/11/13)

Have a talk to Mark at MHB. He may guide you in the right direction....

http://www.ubrew.com.au/web/showproductlist.asp?catid=10&subcatid=14


----------



## punkin (2/11/13)

bum said:


> Instead of generalising, show me one instance of that having ever happened outside of TV current affairs programs. You know, cite some actual "studies".
> 
> Alcohol is undeniably, irrefutably carcinogenic.



Not carcinogenic, but damaging cholesterol on the same principle....

The Egg.

Hazardous one day, healthy the next.


----------



## bum (2/11/13)

I strongly suspect that also falls into the "popular" science category rather than the actual.

Like the whole aluminium/Alzheimer's thing. Started with "science" from a kitchenware manufacturer (didn't make ali stuff, funnily enough) some time in the late 70s (as I recall). Was debunked by actual science almost immediately but for some reason it is still accepted as fact by many. I don't think any reputable source ever said to stop eating eggs but, yeah, it was a widely held belief. Probably still is.


----------



## punkin (2/11/13)

Plenty of doctors, heart foundation, diabetes australia ect is where i got the info from a few years ago. Now they are saying the opposite.


----------



## brewtas (2/11/13)

I've been working on a couple of soft drinks lately, just in 1.25L bottles, fermented with US-05. Both turned out very well.

*Ginger Beer*
-50ml ginger juice
-140ml lemon juice
-200ml simple syrup
-topped up with water
-pinch (~1g) of US-05

*Bitter Lemon*
-3 whole lemons, run through the juicer
-100ml simple syrup
-topped up with water
-pinch (~1g) of US-05

Simple syrup is just 1:1 water:sugar by weight.

Let them ferment until the bottle is hard and then refrigerate.


----------



## Dunkelbrau (3/11/13)

punkin said:


> Plenty of doctors, heart foundation, diabetes australia ect is where i got the info from a few years ago. Now they are saying the opposite.


There is a lot of media about now saying cholesterol is nothing to worry about, and that the studies were only partially published..

As for soft drink - google for open cola or open source cola.. There is some coke recipes out there.

I would prefer a good old root beer.. Definitely keen on that habanero soda!


----------

