Soda gets carbonated the same way beer can be carbonated.
Yeast eat sugar and release co2, and in a sealed container pressure will build up. Or, using a co2 tank, pressure is built up. Pressure equalizes into the liquid over the course of time aided by agitation. (For anyone who hasn't done beer or soda.)
The 1 gallon of water being heated is just to dissolve the sugar. (Why boil more if you have to cool it anyways.)
You then can mix with the remaining gallons of water, and then either carbonate with a co2 tank, or add yeast and bottle, letting it carbonate like beer.
Using yeast does mean that it takes time, perhaps not as long as beer, but people have mentioned anywhere from a few days to several weeks to carbonate to their liking.
I think different people have tried different yeasts... Actually, I'd like to see a comparison of yeasts used, since I know some people use different champagne yeasts, some use bread yeast, some use beer yeast. I don't think that there'd really be a flavor component from it, but I'd like to know for sure.
Personally, I just like making a syrup with the extract and force carbing a liter or two of water with a co2 tank whenever I feel like I want to make a glass.
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