Root beer is near and dear to my heart. This North American soft drink is traditionally flavored with sassafras or sarsaparilla, and other roots and barks known for their tonic qualities. While sassafras is considered dangerous in vast quantities and is not legally permitted for commercially produced products in the United States, sassafras herb is legal to purchase and use on your own.
The brown ale base takes on the flavors and aroma of root beer without the prevailing sweetness. Feel free to add wintergreen, spruce, vanilla, anise, nutmeg or fenugreek—the list of useful tonic roots and herbs used in root beer is long.
1½ gal (5.7 L) water
3 oz (85 g) caramel 120L malt
3 oz (85 g) brown malt
20 oz (570 g) light dried malt extract
6 g El Dorado hops pellets, divided
3 g Nugget hops pellets
¼ cup (20 g) sarsaparilla
1 tbsp (3 g) sassafras
3 tsp (3 g) birch bark
2 tsp (2 g) chicory root
1 whole star anise
1 tsp (2.5 g) Safale S-04 dry ale yeast
1. Gather your ingredients and sanitize your equipment. You’ll need a 2-gallon (7.5-L) stockpot, a thermometer, a grain bag, a long spoon, a racking cane or siphon tube, a 2-gallon (7.5-L) brew bucket, a gallon (3.8-L) carboy and a bung and airlock.
2. Heat the water in the stockpot until it reaches 150 to 160°F (65 to 71°C). Pour the caramel and brown malt into the grain bag, tie a loose knot at the top and steep them in the pot for about 20 minutes, while keeping the water temperature between 150 and 160°F (65 to 71°C). Remove the grain bag and let it drain back into the pot while you prepare for the next steps.
3. Bring your wort to a gentle, rolling boil. Add the dried malt extract and stir until the wort returns to a gentle boil. Add half of the El Dorado hops and let those boil for 40 minutes. Add the Nugget hops and boil for 10 minutes. Add the remaining El Dorado hops, the sarsaparilla, sassafras, birch bark, chicory root and star anise. Simmer for a final 5 minutes. While the wort is simmering, fill a sink with ice water. Remove the pot from the heat and place it in the ice water in the sink. Let the wort cool until it is near 70°F (21°C).
4. Use the racking cane to siphon your wort into the bucket. Sprinkle the yeast into the wort and stir it. Put on the bucket lid, add the airlock, label your brew and store it in an area around 64 to 72°F (18 to 22°C) out of direct sunlight for 3 to 4 days.
5. Carefully transfer the beer into the carboy, avoiding the lees at the bottom of the bucket. Let it work for another 2 weeks. Bottle when ready.