15 Minute Homemade Dry Ice Root Beer

Root Beer has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. Growing up it was either a can of Barq's, a bottle of IBC, or a frosted mug of A&W. Of all those tasty commercially available options for root beer, nothing can quite measure up to the wonderful taste of a freshly brewed batch of Homemade Dry Ice Root Beer.

Step 1: Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 5 Gallons Water
• 2 fl oz Bottle Root Beer Extract
• 5 lbs Granulated Sugar
• About 8 lbs Dry Ice

If 5 gallons of root beer is too much, you can scale down the recipe:

• 1 Gallon Water
• 2 1/2 tsp Root Beer Extract
• 1 lb Granulated Sugar
• 3-4 lbs Dry Ice

Materials:

• 5 Gallon Bucket/Beverage Cooler
• Cake pan that fits the bottom of the beverage cooler (place upside down to keep the dry ice from freezing and breaking the bottom of the cooler)
• 1 inch diameter dowel to stir root beer

Step 2: Combine

Place the cake pan in the bottom of the cooler. Leaving about 3 to 4 inches at the top, fill with water (the dry ice will cause it to spill over the edge a little). Pour in 5 lbs sugar and the whole bottle of root beer extract. Stir mixture.

Step 3: Mix and Wait

Break up the dry ice into smaller pieces with a hammer. Using gloves to handle the dry ice, stir it into the mixture. After 15 to 20 minutes (stirring occasionally) the root beer will be carbonated just right!

The more dry ice you add will cause more slush to form. The slush is very tasty however be careful to make sure that there isn't any dry ice in the middle. Consuming dry ice will cause severe internal frostbite!

I hope that this simple and quick recipe will bring as much joy into your life as it has mine!

Comments

[Leathaldose]

YOU are my new best friend. This seems to be somewhat inexpensive to to make at home. im sure initial cost can be expensive, but for me, i drink a 2 liter of root beer every 2 days. so this is my new quest, for the ultimate home made root beer.

[mattcintosh]

Another option is to rig a sodastream up to a 20lb CO2 cylinder. A 20lb cylinder would cost less than $20 to fill at a local supplier and would make about 1,324 liters of root beer. Good Luck ;) http://www.geek.com/news/modding-your-sodastream-with-a-larger-co2-tank-1501061/

[Leathaldose]

You are also my new best friend.

[Leathaldose]

5 gallons too much, i think not, can we scale up to some where like 50 gallons? I love root beer.

[Tspherix]

Perhaps then, not a lethal dose, of rootbeer. XD

[jerbear1978]

Would this be okay to bottle. Will it hold its carbonation?

[tomatoskins]

I've never tried to bottle it. I know that the carbonation holds well when stored in a gallon milk jug for about a week.

[GaryS70]

Nice! What brand of root beer concentrate did you use? Thanks.

[tomatoskins]

I've always used McCormick.

[mrsnone]

would you be able to put the dry ice in a mesh bag or something so that it wouldn't cause an issue to accidentally get some in your glass?

[tomatoskins]

You could, but the carbonation process is quickest when you can break up the dry ice as you go.

[thesnowtheriver]

this isn't poisonous , is it ?

[michael.j.feierstein]

Not Really. The Dry ice just adds CO2 to the drink... a lot of it.

Speaking from experience (Embarrassing...) Don't inhale the Gas, or drink while furiously bubbling. The CO2 dissolves in water to make Carbonic Acid. Which really burns when its potent. Breathing it in won't kill you, but it will HURT

[BevR2014]

I love root beer and can't wait to try this. Thank you for the recipe.

[kcraske]

Just wish we could get the ingredients in the UK as easily as it is in US. Dry ice is impossibly expensive as it is not available retail only mail order by courier.

[rafununu]

I remember the amazing taste of Hires. My father's sister married an american sailor from the Navy. When they visited us in the center of France, they brought Hires and ginger ale cans, and lots of US stuff as well. I was 7 years old in 1961 and I still have this taste in mind.

[spthorn]

I grew up watching over homemade Hires root beer fermenting in the garage in 1gal glass jars. This looks super-easy! Thanks for the 'able!