Making Cascara Cola

[:M :B.]

I am contemplating making cascara cola. Heating distilled water, adding cascara and sugar then cooling it and carbonating it. Maybe adding a little salt. I need cola and don't trust mexican coke.

I like the taste of cascara made into a sugary hot tea so this cola idea could be good...for me.

Any thoughts on this? I'm not smart enough to know how co2 reacts with chemicals in Cascara or if that's something to be concerned about.

 

[Risingfire]

Very interesting @:M :B. let me know how it goes if you get this off the ground

 

[:M :B.]

Very interesting @:M :B. let me know how it goes if you get this off the ground

I will get it going at some point and share everything needed to DIY it. Adding caffeine to the mix would be nice I think.

 

[Risingfire]

I will get it going at some point and share everything needed to DIY it. Adding caffeine to the mix would be nice I think.

The caffeine will probably potentiate the effects of the cascara

 

[supercoolguy]

and don't trust mexican coke.

Good call, For about a year now, Randomly noticed a change for the worse. Varies based on manufacturing source.

 

[:M :B.]

Good call, For about a year now, Randomly noticed a change for the worse. Varies based on manufacturing source.

yea, something has to be wrong with it. A year ago I would randomly see labels on some of them saying it has a bioengineered ingredient. I haven't seen that at all lately. Haidut mentioning the FDA made it so companies can put things in products that aren't on the label makes everything suspect.

Drinking mexi coke while trying to be hard to kill seems dumb, I'm going to have to give it up.

 

[:M :B.]

The caffeine will probably potentiate the effects of the cascara

That sounds good! Well I got my co2 tanked filled up. Going to work on the beverage in the next few days.

 

[:M :B.]

 

[:M :B.]

mexican coke says it has:
2.84mg of caffeine per oz.
3.25g of sugar per oz.
7.08mg of sodium per oz.


Pickling/canning salt has:
590mg of sodium per 1500mg of salt.
It takes 2.542mg of this salt to have 1mg of sodium.

Cascara cola 1st try:
2 liters of water
192mg of caffeine
220g of sugar
1219mg of salt (479mg sodium)
2252mg of cascara from Lifegivingstore (about 400mg of cascara per 12oz)
Heat water, stir in ingredients. Make it cold and put it on co2 under pressure 30-40psi. When you shake it under pressure you can hear the co2 go into the liquid and can carbonate faster.

Now this thing could quickly turn into a redbull on my future attempts if I bust out the B vitamins and stuff.

Any ideas are welcome. thanks.

 

[Old Irenaeus]

Cheers! Looking forward to hearing about your results.

 

[:M :B.]

 

[:M :B.]

Now that it's cold and carbonated it sorta tasted like a super hoppy IPA that I remember from my beer days. Super bitter. Doesn't quench my thirst like a Coke. Maybe it needs another flavor in it to balance it out.

 

[Risingfire]

View attachment 48882

VERY COOL! Can you add more cane sugar?

 

[Old Irenaeus]

Does it look that awesome or you got that red light going on?

 

[:M :B.]

VERY COOL! Can you add more cane sugar?

Yea I can try. good idea. Maybe it needs a little coffee or some ingredients like redbull to brighten it up a little

 

[:M :B.]

Does it look that awesome or you got that red light going on?

Ray bulbs going on

 

[:M :B.]

Coffee added to the cascara thing rounded it out and it was pretty good.

What is definitely great is carbonating concord grape juice. That stuff is pretty thick so I added equal parts water and it is real tasty.