Most recipes for root beer kombucha are overly complicated with hard to find ingredients. Since my husband loves the flavor of root beer, and I often buy High Country wild root kombucha for him. I figured it was time to devise my own. The only special ingredient you will need to buy is sassafras bark. It is inexpensive and you will get enough to make a lot of root beer kombucha. You can’t really get by without it because there is no other way to get that taste of root beer without it. At least that I know of. The rest of the ingredients are easy to find and you will make a syrup concentrate which you can store and add to the kombucha to flavor it. This makes a concentrate and you will add it to second ferment your kombucha. You are going to love the flavor of this root beer kombucha. Super fizzy just like root beer should be. Here is how to make it.
You will need a kombucha that is just about done from the first ferment. Make sure it is not to vinegary. When you kombucha reaches this stage it is hard to second ferment and become bubbly. There needs to be a little sugar left so that the bacteria and yeast have something to consume to make the kombucha bubbly. This is true for any second fermented kombucha. Not to sweet but not to sour either.
You will need:
Kombucha (here is how to make it), that has been brewed and ready to drink.
Root Beer Extract that you will be making see below.
Bottles that are for brewing If you are using glass bottles you must beware because there may be flaws in the glass or the yeast might just go crazy and blow up your glass bottle.
You can use old synergy bottles but my favorite is clamp down bottles by Grolsch. (these are beer bottles ) You can also find bottles at home brew stores . The clamp down lids are safer and are thick glass for brewing.
Take you brewed kombucha and place in clean sterilized bottles about 14 ounces.
You can strain the kombucha through a coffee filter and it will help you to not form another kombucha baby on top of your bottle, but it is not necessary.
Add 2 ounces of root beer extract to your bottle and clamp shut. Leave a little room in the bottle but not much. I use a scale to measure the amount of juice I put in. Label your bottles so you know when it started its second ferment. You can use more extract or less adjust according to the flavor you like.
Let your kombucha sit in a dark place for 1 to 3 weeks Check after each week to see if you Kombucha is bubbly enough. If not let it ferment longer. Then place your bottles in the fridge to enjoy. Be careful when opening bottles. The warmer it is in your home the faster it ferments.
This may seem like a lot of sugar but it is an extract and you only use a small amount which the yeast and bacterias will eat to convert to co2.
Root Beer Extract
Makes 4 quarts of extract
1/3 cup raisins
3/4 cup boiling water ( for raisins)
1/2 gallon of water
1/2 ounce dried sassafras bark * (Mountain Rose herbs is the best place to get this)
3 3/4 cups sucanat (you can substitute regular sugar )
1. Place raisins into a bowl. Pour 3/4 cup water of boiling water over raisins and allow them to steep while you make the rest of the extract.
2. Place half-gallon of water into pot over medium heat. Place the sassafras root bark into tea bags or closely woven cheesecloth and tie with cooking string. Add it to the boiling water. You can add it loosely into the pot but then you have to strain it several times through a fine mesh strainer. As the water heats stir in the sugar slowly don’t dump it all at once. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and remove sassafras, and strain raisin water into the brew pot. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. When it is cooled you can use your extract, storing extra in the fridge to use again. Try to use within 2 months.
* There are warnings on sassafras bark and much controversy. Lab rats were fed huge amounts of sassafras and caused the FDA to label this product not safe, but in small amounts it is actually has protective qualities. Nourished Kitchen posted a blog on this, along with her own root beer kombucha recipe. Read and decide for yourself. http://
I have a cellar/basement. Would it be okay to ferment the bottles there instead of in my kitchen? My kitchen is very hot in the summer and I’m afraid I won’t get the same product!
Thank you.
The temperature that kombucha likes the best to ferment at is about 80 degrees. It ferments great at that temperature and is the temperature on my brew belt.
I LOVE THIS RECIPE! i HAVE TRIED MANY ROOTBEER KOMBUCHA RECIPES, BUT THIS IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST TASTING AND EASIEST TO MAKE. i DO ADD A HALF OF AN ORGANIC VANILLA BEAN WITH THE SASSAFRASS ROOT. i USE THIS IN MY WATER KEFIR AND IN MY KOMBUCHA. iN FACT, i LIKE TO ADD A COUPLE OF THE SOAKED RAISINS TO THE BOTTOM OF EACH BOTTLE OF SECOND BREW. tHEY REALLY MAKE IT FIZZY. jUST BE CAREFUL, THE ONLY BOTTLE OF WATER kEFIR i HAD EXPLODE WHEN OPENING WAS A 2 DAY SECOND FERMENT WITH RAISINS IN THE BOTTOM!
thanks for posting this! have you ever tried putting the extract in with the kombucha during the initial ferment, prior to bottleing?
I would not do this because it wouldn’t culture right. The sugars would be off and it would take longer to culture and also mess up your starter for your next batch. It is best to just second ferment with the extract.
Okay, I’m going to make this to use with water kefir. How much would I use in 1 quart of water kefir and how long would I ferment? Thanks! This is going to make my hubbies day! He’s been on a root beer kick.
I would use 1 cup extract to three cups of water and ferment for a day or two till bubbly.
Okay, thanks. Also, if you do it without raisins, do you add just plain water instead of the raisin water or just leave that water out?
I haven’t made it without it. I would just add the water.
Do you think it would be possible to make the root beer extract with less sugar? Using that much sugar kinda scares me! Thanks:) I love love love this site by the way.
It is an extract so you don’t use very much in the soda. I would keep the recipe the same for the soda base and if you want you can use less extract, n the actual soda. The bacteria does it most of it out of the soda. You can tell if it doesn’t, it will taste sweet and then you can let it ferment longer to eat the sugar or add less extract.
You made the extract but I happen to have a bottle from the store. Have you tried it with store bought? If I made it a lot I am sure that it is more cost effective to make it.
Thanks Susan
I am sure it would work.Let me know how it turns out.
I happened to have some store-bought root beer concentrate that I tried with kombucha, and it didn’t taste right to me. Maybe it was the extra chemicals in the concentrate, but I won’t be trying it again. I’m trying Donna’s recipe with a few extra barks and roots from Nourished Kitchen’s recipe.
I have read mixed information about the length of time for second fermenting your kombucha. Many sources I’ve read mention only 1-4 days. You have mentioned 1-4 weeks. I’ve never waited that long. Won’t it turn to vinegar after weeks of second-fermenting?
It just depends on the temperature of your kitchen and how fizzy you like it and how strong your brew is and how much juice you used. More juice equals more fizz. It can turn to vinegar but it really needs air to do this. Vinegar is aerobic and you are capping off the air and this ferments differently and slower.
Oh, heck yeah i’m trying this… you just made my day!
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My husband is allergic to grapes. Do you think I could get away with home dried plumbs or store bought prunes?
I think that would work. You could even leave the raisins out of the recipe.
Could this same Roor beer extract be used in a second fermentation of water kifer and in the same quantities?
Yes, you could but you would have to use more extract and then dilute it with water.
With the extra sugar and such a long second ferment, is this alcoholic in the end, or is it family friendly?
It is very family friendly. Kombucha eventually turns to vinegar the longer it sits.
This sounds Brilliant! My guys love root beer but won’t try my kombucha. maybe I can sneak it into them like this.
Oh my! I must give this a try. Thanks for sharing!