Homemade soda .... healthier versions

[miss_thenorth]

My grapefruit soda tastes good, but has an aftertaste. I juiced 4 grapefruits, added one cup of sugar, water to fill a two litre bottle, and a pinch of yeast. This batch was much fizzier than my vanilla/cream soda. Not sure if I will make it again due to the grapefruit aftertaste. When I go to the grocery store, I will be picking up some frozen real juic concentrates and try them. I have ginger sitting on my window ledge, but havne't tried the gingerale yet.

If I want to get several batches going, I need to drink more pop, as I only have the one empty 2 litre bottle.

 

[freemotion]

Naah, just ask any neighbor for their bottles. That's what I did. Everyone but me drinks soda, apparently!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

The cream soda started to work and then quit. I don't know what happened to it. I added a pinch more yeast to see if I could jump start it. We'll see...

I started a batch of cinnamon heavy chai (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamon & black tea) Seriously YUM! Added a pinch of yeast & sugar (1/2 cup to 2 liter bottle)

I've got unadulterated grape juice in the fridge for when we've drunk all the blackberry beer. There's one cup left. Might have a fight on my hands

 

[freemotion]

Noobie, are you keeping track of how warm it is where your bottle is sitting? I have a thermometer with mine and I'm amazed at the fluctuation in temp throughout the day, using the woodstove primarily for heat. And passive solar from the windows. And the dogs and cats in bed with me at night...

I move the thermometer around to monitor all my ferments, all my carboys and such. I don't worry so much about the wines and meads, as they will just slow down at 60 F and pick up at 80 F, but the sodas I want at 80 F so that they will be more consistent in the short time they spend fermenting. I've shuffled my three bottles several times already, as I am a day behind for tomorrow's party! Only one of the three is tight so far, the other two need some heat, so they are within inches from the stove now with their thermometer. Yikes. I hope it is ready for tomorrow late afternoon!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

No, I don't have a thermometer nearby, I'll have to move my kitchen one and see what's going on. I'm keeping them by my bedroom heater. Its an electric radiator type and stays pretty warm even after its off.

I might stick them IN the dehydrator this weekend, like I do my yogurt now. If I just baaarely turn on the dehydrator and crack the door, the air temp runs about 83*. I can dry some greens at the same time

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Sorry to remind Free of soda during her cut-down, but...

I gave up on the cream soda, DH likes flat drinks (he really does shake the fizz out of any carbonated drink) and he liked it, so its all his. The chai molded At least I was only working in 2 liter batches... But it was SO good!

Got some apple grape working Saturday, it only took about 10 hours to get firm, so I'm betting it was the amount of sugar in the cream soda. Not enough, that is. The apple grape turned out fantastic.

 

[freemotion]

Good to know about the sugar. What we need to do is figure out how little sugar we can get away with and have it still work, then add stevia to get the proper sweetness.

 

[freemotion]

Hey, are you sure it was mold and not little "rafts" of yeast?

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Yeah, it was mold.
I thought at first it was the yeasty bubbles so I let it keep going. I went grocery shopping and came back (couple hours later) and it was much bigger. I opened it and smelled and it smelled musty, not like something I would want to eat (or drink, as it were).

Oh well, that was actually the cheapest batch I've done

 

[freemotion]

Another experiment.....low-sugar soda success!!!!

It took a little doing, and the recipe needs some tweeking, but dh and I are enjoying a glass of low-carb healthy soda right now.

I started with about a 1:1 mix of water to my ginger-chai concentrate....maybe a little heavy on the water, as it was a strong batch of chai. I made two 2 liter bottles of this mix, and added 1/4 c raw wildflower honey to one with a 1/4 tsp of champagne yeast, and the other I made the exact same way except I used 1/4 c table sugar instead of the honey.

Here is where it got dicey. I left both bottles near the wood stove, where it is about 80 F most of the time, dropping down into the 60's in the wee hours, but not for long. I left them there for one day and they were both very tight. Into the fridge for two days, and then we opened them....FLAT and boring! So I thought it was a lost cause, but put them back behind the wood stove, where I forgot about them for three days. DH noticed them and put them in the fridge yesterday, and he opened one tonight. VERY fizzy but almost bitter, no detectable sweetness. I added two droppersful of stevia extract and it was just right for us! It would need much more stevia for someone who is working their way into a healthy lifestyle, but we LOVED it.

I am thinking that I can have quicker success with this recipe if I leave it by the stove for two full days AND use fresh champagne yeast. This is the same packet I opened at the start of this experiment, so it is likely loosing its oomph. Still....I am very pleased with the progress of this experiment so far.