[mudbug]

Have to check that one out Greg. For all you ginger ale lovers out there... besides those of you who make your own ... have any of you ever tried the Mexican or Jamacian versions?

They are MUCH more spicy and extremely gingery. I've drink Vernors as well and it definitely tastes "American" in terms of sugar and strength. I would highly recommend you seek out other versions of ginger ale usually found at ethnic groceries and health food stores.

[Isa]

Oh well what can I say Cchiu

[mudbug]

No problem Iza, what's your favorite Champagne?

[kokopuffs]

Usually it's rootbeer. Pepsi in second place.

However, as I recall, I really liked the Coca Cola served at Disneyland and in Europe. It seemed to "bite" more; it tasted "crisper" like back in the early 60's. Long about '69 or '70, coke's taste seemed to weaken, resembling barely carbonated brown water.

I understand that businesses can purchase customized formulations of Coca Cola. Correct me if I'm wrong, here.

[ June 29, 2001: Message edited by: kokopuffs ]

[SeattleDeb]

Bar none...anything from Thomas Kemper.

Root Beer, Cream Soda, Orange Cream Soda (tastes like a creamsicle), Black Cherry Soda.

When I want a calorie soda pop splurge...I have one of these sodas.

We had a houseful of guests last week and hubby brought home some real different ones. Can't remember the maker but they were green apple, and blue bubblegum. The kids loved them.

http://www.thomaskempersoda.com/

[thebighat]

Ever try making your own soda? What a drill. I've made root beer, Dragongas the label called it, and haven't had a lot of luck. Last year I tried again, and thinking that if some yeast was good, more was better, I put in a leeetle toooo much. 15 out of 16 bottles exploded. I tried drinking the last one, but it was really not wonderful. I may try some of the posts with the flavored syrup.

[Isa]

If I have to name only one it will be Perrier-Jouet.

[Mezzaluna]

Sprecher: a Milwaukee product, both the beer and the sodas (they make several flavors, including orange). I do like it as well, but A&W is cheaper. I also found that the French despise root beer; I'm told it tastes like a medicine of some type. At home I drink our filtered water mostly- we have a reverse osmosis system. The water tastes truly sweet and is very refreshing. We use it to make ice as well. In restaurants I drink sparkling water or club soda with several wedges of lime.

[momoreg]

15 bottles exploded, Thebighat?

That sounds messy !

Did the bottles shatter, or did the tops fly off?

[kokopuffs]

BigHat:

It's not the extra yeast that caused the explosion; it's additional sugar that was fermented into extra carbon dioxide. Increased pressure from the latter caused the explosion.

Making carbonated beverages is not something to be taken lightly, especially where pressure is concerned. Next time you undertake making pressurized beverages, get:

1) a specific gravity tester for determining initial and final sugar content;

2) the appropriate chemicals or devices for testing residual (unfermented) sugar.

That stuff can be procured at beer/winemaking supply shops.

[ July 02, 2001: Message edited by: kokopuffs ]

[thebighat]

That gets way too technical for me. The bottles actually detonated into shards. I was in a beermaking supply store the other day and they had all kinds of syrups to make soda.

[thebighat]

Oh yeah...the guy in the store said that when fermentation reaches it's peak, you have to refrigerate the stuff or it will blow up.

[kokopuffs]

BigHat:

You're treading thin ice when it comes to homemade carbonation. Fermentation in the fridge only slows the process and reduces pressure a minor amount. I approached my first batch of sparkling cider as you did. I was aware that final pressure would reach about 10 atmospheres (7 is usually max). The bottle exploded two hours after closely examining it without wearing eye protection. And if you know how thick a champagne bottle is...

The next batch I wanted the final pressure at 7 atmospheres. 0.4 % of sugar by weight (4 grams of sugar per 1000 grams of liquid) raises the pressure by 1 atm. Using, for simplicity's sake, 1 liter champagne bottles, I added 28 g sugar to each 1 liter bottle to achieve 7 atm of pressure.

A triple beam balance was used to measure the sugar. Results were satisfying and without any exploded bottles. My intact eyeballs are, indeed, a testimony to following procedure carefully.

As I say, pressurization is not to be taken haphazardly. I mean it.

[leo_ora]

Back in the 60's in Washington state, we used to get what I thought was a carbonated apple beverage in a green and black colored can. I was to little to recall the name. Anybody know?

[leo_ora]

Originally Posted by momoreg

15 bottles exploded, Thebighat?

That sounds messy !

Did the bottles shatter, or did the tops fly off?

When we made home beer in high school (come on it was the 70's) we put ballons over the tops of the bottles instead of the lids so the gases could expand no problems. Learned all this from my freind Craig's dad the town Pharmicist! He didn't know us teenages were using his system. I swear...