/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Hey there /diy/

I'm looking to get into some home brewing. I'd like my first batch to be an alcoholic root beer, preferably in the 5-8% range. However, I'm having a hard time understanding a few things:

>1) How do I keep the sweetness of the recipe? If I want to make 3 gallons of root beer, how much sugar do I need to keep it good and sweet?

>2) I can't seem to find a reliable recipe. My tastes: I like sarsaparilla and licorice candy, so heavy amounts of either are welcome.

Cheers!