Proust!

[stuckintraffik]

So, I started my new hobby today, many supplies for which were thoughtfully provided by my loving wife for the holiday. Home-brewing!

Now, I hear you out there crying, but Traffik, you're an avowed non-drinker!

To which, I can only reply, Home-brewing Soda!

Ah, you all reply, sadly shake your heads, and walk away.

I just finished bottling my first

Comments

[wombat_socho]

And here I thought soda making was a simple matter of mixing carbonated water with artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners. One learns something every day!

[stuckintraffik]

Nowadays, it is. The traditional styles of root beer and ginger ale were fermented originally, though, just slightly to make CO2. It's an interesting science experiment, really - unlike beer, where you ferment all the way and convert the sugars to alcohol, here you just let it happen a little, then try and slow the fermenting so you can get a fizzy, sweet drink. Get the process wrong, bottles go 'splodey. Hence the 'no sunlight' rule.

[wombat_socho]

So, to paraphrase Lord Whorfin, "Great deeds are done in the dark!", eh? Good luck with the brewing, and hope the product turns out well.

[materia_indigo]

M has made home-brewed root beer that turned out pretty good. Let me know if you'd like the recipe.

[stuckintraffik]

Please - I'm looking forward to experimenting.

[stuckintraffik]

That's please do, not 'Honey, please!', in case there were doubts. ;)

[ristance]

How did you get into home brewing soda?

[stuckintraffik]

Back in October we ran into a guy at a party who did - he has a blog called 'Itty Bitty Rants' where he lists some tips (I think it's his, but might be wrong, as I found it recently). It sounded interesting, so I started looking around, and then Lauren got me a bunch of equipment for Christmas.