I want to make ginger ales so I was wondering what those soda maker machines are about if they are good products or just hype? anyone here ever used them? I think they go for about $80 but if anyone knows of a cheaper one let me know.
is sodastream soda maker any good?
- Thread starter foodgrade
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
I have a generic knock-off that I use for carbonated water and it works great. As far as carbonating soda or alcoholic beverages, never used it as such so I don't know. I know you're only supposed to carbonate water and add syrup to flavor, so for homemade soda it may not be ideal.
how does one carbonate water? is it through CO2 extraction machine? I've heard of what they used in those restaurant soda machines called something like carbonation? Not sure if that would be a machine, an ingredient or a process?
Mine basically takes something along the line of a paintball gun CO2 canister, and forces releases it all into solution in a few seconds. Not unlike force carbing a keg. My understanding is that the Soda Stream works much the same, but is a bigger canister good for repeat use (mine is one canister per use).
spectreoneone
Member
I have one at home. I used it quite a bit for a long while, but I found that the SodaStream branded syrups were hit or miss and expensive. I experimented with making some of my own syrups, but never really got a chance to play with it much. All in all, it works rather well, it just doesn't get used all that much in my house anymore. Also, you're supposed to discard the bottles after four years (and those can get somewhat pricy...$10-$15 a piece, I believe).
dyqik
Well-Known Member
No, it doesn't work like that.
You only put water in the machine itself to carbonate, which is done by bubbling CO2 from a cylinder in the machine through the water at high pressure. All adding of syrups/flavor is done after carbonation outside of the machine. Putting beer or ready-made flavored drinks in the machine will likely cause it to foam over and make a hideous mess.
They come with a CO2 cylinder that uses proprietary fittings. You have to exchange the cylinders at a Sodastream selling store, rather than get them refilled yourself, which works out incredibly expensive (A 300g Sodastream CO2 exchange typically costs more than a 5lb CO2 fill for a kegerator). There are some DIY hacking options out there so that you can connect up a 5lb CO2 tank to either the Sodastream cylinders or the machine itself.
You only put water in the machine itself to carbonate, which is done by bubbling CO2 from a cylinder in the machine through the water at high pressure. All adding of syrups/flavor is done after carbonation outside of the machine. Putting beer or ready-made flavored drinks in the machine will likely cause it to foam over and make a hideous mess.
They come with a CO2 cylinder that uses proprietary fittings. You have to exchange the cylinders at a Sodastream selling store, rather than get them refilled yourself, which works out incredibly expensive (A 300g Sodastream CO2 exchange typically costs more than a 5lb CO2 fill for a kegerator). There are some DIY hacking options out there so that you can connect up a 5lb CO2 tank to either the Sodastream cylinders or the machine itself.
Old_el_Paseo
Well-Known Member
If you search around. Some places will refill the co2 tanks for you. I refill mine at a wine making place. Cost 8$. It's still expensive but way cheaper than soda streasm filling station.
The new tanks in Canada are 35+ tax so 43$. Very expensive
The tanks have a 5 year life from date of manufacture.
The syrups are OK, not great but some are good. I add just 1/2 of the recommended syrup so its not to bad for my health.
Never carb anything with flavor in it ! Makes a huge mess. (Check out sodastream fail on YouTube).
You can always use the carbonated water to do something else. Like add lime and tequila !
You can also attach a small hose for your fermenter. When I put my beer in secondary fermenter, i use the co2 to removed the free space air from the carboy to avoid the oxygen oxidation.
I recommend buying a spare tank because filling takes 48hrs. They have to freeze it to refill it.
The new tanks in Canada are 35+ tax so 43$. Very expensive
The tanks have a 5 year life from date of manufacture.
The syrups are OK, not great but some are good. I add just 1/2 of the recommended syrup so its not to bad for my health.
Never carb anything with flavor in it ! Makes a huge mess. (Check out sodastream fail on YouTube).
You can always use the carbonated water to do something else. Like add lime and tequila !
You can also attach a small hose for your fermenter. When I put my beer in secondary fermenter, i use the co2 to removed the free space air from the carboy to avoid the oxygen oxidation.
I recommend buying a spare tank because filling takes 48hrs. They have to freeze it to refill it.
Mexibilly
Mexibilly
My wife loved hers. She hasn't used in a while but it always worked well.
I'm interested now to try and carb a bottle on bottling day this weekend, and ashamed of myself for not having thought of it...
I'm interested now to try and carb a bottle on bottling day this weekend, and ashamed of myself for not having thought of it...
bigdaddybrew
Well-Known Member
Soda Stream works well for carbonating water then you add the syrup. Their syrups are just okay. I never tried to make my own syrups.
You can carb other liquids but you must be very careful or it will make a huge mess and clog the valves in the unit voiding the warranty. If they do get clogged you can fill the bottle with warm soapy water and blast it with co2 over the sink allowing it to rinse through the valves. Repeat with clear warm water.
I have used mine to carb a beer sample on bottling day. You have to start with very cold beer. Fill the bottle about 60% full and add just a small burst at a time. 3 or 4 bursts is enough for beer. Carb the beer like the directions for carbing water and it will make a huge mess!!! Ask me how I know.
You can carb other liquids but you must be very careful or it will make a huge mess and clog the valves in the unit voiding the warranty. If they do get clogged you can fill the bottle with warm soapy water and blast it with co2 over the sink allowing it to rinse through the valves. Repeat with clear warm water.
I have used mine to carb a beer sample on bottling day. You have to start with very cold beer. Fill the bottle about 60% full and add just a small burst at a time. 3 or 4 bursts is enough for beer. Carb the beer like the directions for carbing water and it will make a huge mess!!! Ask me how I know.
Bellybuster
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2007
- Messages
- 905
- Reaction score
- 170
Spend the money that you'll put into that and start kegging. I always have carb'd water on tap that we add the syrups or juices to etc etc. I get a 20 lbs refill for less money than 1 lbs of soda stream CO2 refills
For what it's worth, we find the syrups affordable and mostly quite good.
For what it's worth, we find the syrups affordable and mostly quite good.
Paulthebrewer
Member
I'm going to have to try the hose to secondary idea you have there! My SodaStream has gone untouched for over a year, finally I have a use for it!
This thread has a lot of false concerns. Sodastream machine itself is a miracle worker. The taste or expense of their CO2 and syrups are ABSOLUTELY IRRELEVANT, because any sane person will easily source much better for much cheaper. You don't have go to the extreme of kegs when a tiny footprint on your counter with no tubes or cords will do the job fine.
You mailorder a brass adaptor to screw in paintball tanks for cheap co2 refills, like from co2doctor.com. You throw away sodastream syrup samples... well, their new "natural" line is perhaps tolerable if expensive. But it's the easiest thing in the world to simply buy healthier, cheap, wonderful syrups. Like thawed juice concentrate cans for instance. I posted many syrup ideas that you can simply buy, not have to make.
You mailorder a brass adaptor to screw in paintball tanks for cheap co2 refills, like from co2doctor.com. You throw away sodastream syrup samples... well, their new "natural" line is perhaps tolerable if expensive. But it's the easiest thing in the world to simply buy healthier, cheap, wonderful syrups. Like thawed juice concentrate cans for instance. I posted many syrup ideas that you can simply buy, not have to make.
