Coke/Pepsi kit clones?

I've got a friend looking to make soda after seeing my homebrew setup this weekend. He is a big time diet coke drinker and wants to know if there are kits like the root beer and cream soda, that will taste like diet coke.

Or better yet, can you just buy diet coke syrup without a business license? I did some google searches but didn't come up with anything definitive.

Thanks!

I've never found a place that will sell me Coke or Pepsi concentrates, although several restaurant supply places I shop at carry them.

I buy a diet cola concentrate from sodaclub.com that is fairly good.

Sams club will sell the 5 gallon syrup boxes to consumers (they sold one to me) but you need to have a soda system to use it right, they are meant for post-mix so you'd need a soda machine or soda wand (and carbonated water). I have this set up at my house and really enjoy it. I need to find some more soda syrup though, I don't have a sams club membership anymore.

Btw 5 gallons of syrup makes 30 or so gallons of soda at about $60 for the case, you need to figure in Co2 prices though.

conpewter said:

Sams club will sell the 5 gallon syrup boxes to consumers (they sold one to me) but you need to have a soda system to use it right, they are meant for post-mix so you'd need a soda machine or soda wand (and carbonated water). I have this set up at my house and really enjoy it. I need to find some more soda syrup though, I don't have a sams club membership anymore.

Btw 5 gallons of syrup makes 30 or so gallons of soda at about $60 for the case, you need to figure in Co2 prices though.

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Yeah that's what I've read for the most part. You can't just take 3/4 of a gallon of syrup and mix with 5 gallons of water and then carbonate?

Are the syrup in a bag/box kits from coke/pepsi really different from the sugar water/concentrate we get in the rainbow kits?

-Matt

I haven't tried the rainbow kits. That may be the best way for the OP to go though, not any investment in equipment he doesn't already have for beer (Bottling soda is tricky but not undoable). Kegging those rainbow concentrates would probably be fine, i tried a rootbeer concentrate and ended up not really enjoying it.

My girlfriend and I own a restaurant so I am a member of all of those restaurant supply stores. Most require a proof of a business.

But if you can find a GFS Market Place near your house they are open to the public. If they do not have it on the shelf they can order it. I like them so much we try to buy all of our products from them. ( gfs.com )

If I remember right you mix 1 part pre-mix and 5 parts water. You would have to cut open the bag inside the box.

Also you can buy this product:
Cola Soda :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies
Just use Splenda to sweeten it instead of sugar. My LHBS has these for $5.

You should force carb these. Keg is probably best but they make an adapter that screws onto your 2 liter bottle. It has a ball lock connection like on a Pepsi corny keg.

Searched all over Sam's Club and the website, can't find coke products anywhere....do you think they discontinued them?

I've seen the Coke syrup products at Smart & Final

I picked up 5 gallons of diet coke syrup at GFS marketplace, they'll also order you any syrup made by coke that you'd like.

RoseG said:

Searched all over Sam's Club and the website, can't find coke products anywhere....do you think they discontinued them?

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They have them. I saw them yesterday in the store. Try calling a store.

FWIW...The local Grocery store sells 2 ltr bottles for $0.89 every other week. I pour them into a keg, and tap! SWMBO loves it....Could use more carb for me, but not for the cost of an extra regulator.

BigKahuna said:

FWIW...The local Grocery store sells 2 ltr bottles for $0.89 every other week. I pour them into a keg, and tap! SWMBO loves it....Could use more carb for me, but not for the cost of an extra regulator.

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Wow that is very simple! And if you happen to work at a gas station or restaurant with a pop machine (or know someone) you could totally fill a corny that way.

BigK if you have an extra empty corny around the house you can pressurize it to the higher pressure you want. Then connect the inlet on that to the inlet on the keg with pop.

It is not a perfect science. Obviously as the soda adsorbs the co2 and as you dispense it the pressure drops. But if you are just trying to up the carbonation a little it should work. Plus you can always give it an extra hit of co2.