I love this idea. However, I found the article difficult to read because the images are far too large in terms of file size.
DIY Soft Drinks
181–190 of 253 posts
Re: DIY Soft Drinks
#182Can you make chinotto?
Re: DIY Soft Drinks
#183Earlier quoted context omitted.
> aspartame (yeah yeah not proven to cause cancer, but still not a great sweetener) Compared to what? Aspartame is almost certainly the most studied artificial sweetener in existence, and the safety profile looks very good.
I presume the comment was referring to the lack of greatness in the flavor. Sucralose tastes much better, for one.
Aspartame tastes fine to me. I think it's one of those things that some people can taste and others cannot.
Re: DIY Soft Drinks
#184Re: DIY Soft Drinks
#185I enjoy the flavor of kvass - a Russian / eastern European malt flavored soda - but it's hard to find where I live. The process involves really aggressively toasting some rye bread, boiling it with eaisans and sugar, straining it, and then brewing it with ordinary baking yeast in 2-liter bottles until it reaches your desired carbonation level. The end result is really refreshing.
If you can get it where you are, have you considered trying malta[0][1]? [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta_(soft_drink) [1] https://www.findmeabrewery.com/blog/malta/
I have tried malta, and I like it. But it's a bit sweeter. I think it's a worthwhile substitute if you don't want the fun of trying to make something that might go wrong.
Re: DIY Soft Drinks
#186Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you mind my asking which ones you use? The only ones I've been able to find (Canada) don't work with the standard soda stream
I use SodaStream Crystal. There is the older Crystal 2.0 that uses the old generic screw-type CO2 cylinders, and the newer Crystal 3.0 which uses the patented quick-connect cylinders. Looking at the Canadian website, neither is sold in Canada (1 for a link on the German website). There is the SodaStream Duo which supports a different type of glas bottle. Might be easier to source locally, but exists only with the qui…
How's the durability of the Crystal? I had two of the original Penguin systems, and the seals broke down and the frame stretched. I'd prefer to go back to the glass bottles.
Re: DIY Soft Drinks
#187It's almost impossible to get root beer syrup or extract in the Netherlands, but I found the solution (ha ha) in Darcy O'Neil's "Art of Drink" videos. He wrote a book about soda fountain history, "Fix the Pumps: The History of the American Soda Fountain" (which malfist recommended in the sibling comment), and he gets into the science and history and culture behind drink flavoring. https://www.youtube.com/@Artofdrink…
The Stepan company in New Jersey is the only entity legally allowed to import coca leaves (aside from the DEA, ICE, the FBI and a few others that buy and sell all the time) and extract the illegal methyl benzoyl ecgonine (C17H21NO4) leaving the flavor compounds. Query whether they would sell the de-cocainized product to a soft drink hobbyist.
Friends in Colombia report that Sek Cola sold there has the ecgonine ingredient. Not sure how close the recipe replicates the original Atlanta beverage.
Re: DIY Soft Drinks
#188Earlier quoted context omitted.
How does this not become alcoholic?
I understand that Kvass is around 1% alcohol. By Russian standards, this is "non-alcoholic".
I once got a Root Beer brewing kit as a gift. It noted that a trivial amount of alcohol would be produced by the process (no included or added yeast either!) and it wasn't a big deal.
Re: DIY Soft Drinks
#189Earlier quoted context omitted.
What's the use in ice cream? My ice cream is just ... ice cream. Cream, milk, sugar.
As an emulsifier, allowing the fats and the water to mix better. I _think_ it also might help to trap air bubbles. It helps you turn on the creaminess-knob
Egg yolk is the usual emulsifier, in the UK at least - ice cream is essentially a frozen whipped custard.
Re: DIY Soft Drinks
#190I love the saccharin/cyclamate combo, but it's actually illegal in the USA. I use ZeroCal from Brazil. If you ever see it in a market in the USA, enjoy the tiny act of civil disobedience.
Saccharin was almost made illegal in the USA, until Teddy Roosevelt stepped in. He liked it in his tea.
The soda industry generally prefers aspartame/acesulfame potassium, as it has the right aftertaste profile to replace sugar.