SodaStream for force carbonation?

I saw this on sale for $80 bucks...It looks intriguing.

Whatcha think? SodaStream Carbonator

How much does that compare to kegging?

I read about that after hearing about it on the radio a few weeks ago. I don't remember exactly what turned me off, but it was a thumbs down.

cscala said:

I saw this on sale for $80 bucks...It looks intriguing.

Whatcha think? SodaStream Carbonator

How much does that compare to kegging?

Click to expand...

It's an interesting concept since it literally carbs within seconds, but it's no substitute for kegging. What, would you keep your fermented beer in a bottling bucket and pour/carbonate one glass at a time? That'd be a no.

My wife has something similar for making soda water on the cheap and I had one as a child a good 25 years ago. A fair bit of leakage when carbonating water is OK, it's much less acceptable when it is beer leaking everywhere....

My SWMBO desperately wants one of these. I was going to get her one for christmas, but reviews changed my mind. Apparently the CO2 cartridges have a proprietary connector, and they are very expensive, and the company is very bad about replacing them (they have a recycling program).

I haven't ordered from this site, but their products make the proprietary fitting less of an issue.

http://www.co2doctor.com/ordering.htm

I like the Soda Stream system we have had it for about 3 months and it works great. We only carb soda with it. The one thing i wit you coud do with it is wash the bottles in the dishwasher. instead i use starsan to wash them

So to those who have the Soda Stream - would it be good for mead/wine? What about leakage issues as mentioned previously? Would I be better off investing in a more beer-oriented setup despite my rather alarming lack of space? (In addition to my new home-vinting fascination, I have a full glass-blowing (torch work) studio in my garage, and SWMBO is crafting-obsessed to the point of lunacy as well)

Sea said:

would you keep your fermented beer in a bottling bucket and pour/carbonate one glass at a time? That'd be a no.

Click to expand...

I agree, it's not suitable for BEER... however, it might be appropriate for wine products, carbonating one liter at a time just before serving...although figuring out a way to force carb directly in the bottle would be pretty neat too. Adapter time?

I would not force carb into glass. it is some high pressurs to get it to carb if youdo carb your wine/mead use the bottles provided the poor out of them...

This has been a consideration of mine this year. Prior to getting into beer, I was considering getting a soda stream. (I think I still will) and my reasoning is this:
For a full keg/CO2 tank setup, that would be great, but I would want my carbonated items chilled, requiring the addition of a kegerator/fridge. This puts me upwards of $500 just for the kegerator (premade or self made), co2 tank and co2, lines, used corny kegs(x3).
While it's still my aim, I'll be getting the soda stream because I can carbonate small bottles and chill them for personal use. Mostly carbonated water, but I think it would be good for a co2 test as well.

I bottle carb my beer, cider and soon mead, and plan to continue this process since if I'm aging them anyways, I might as well. But, there are times when I have about 28 ounces left which I plan to toss into one of these bottles, carb and have a taste test that resembles the final product that day. (Usually beer, maybe a sweet cider. Unlikely mead since that does better aged.)

(Plus, I have an espresso machine so I have a few dozen syrup flavors so I go through carbonated water pretty quickly.)

Other options include building your own carbonator using a co2 tank, lines gague and modifying a cap to be able to pressurize a standard 2 litre pop bottle. There's instructions online, but I don't feel confident enough to do that yet. (That would probably cost $130 or so).

As for Sodastream, depending on your location, you can often find stores that will do the replacements. Williams-Sonoma does this.

Btw, you may have wanted this in the soda making forum, or the kegging forum as opposed to the mead forum.

Wines and meads in small quantities? Should be okay. I can't see using it for beer or cider though.

http://www.fizzgiz.com/ for $30 but he also has DIY instructions on the site as well for around $10. I mostly use it to sodafy Kool Aid and such, but it's nice to pour off a liter or 20oz bottle while kegging and carb it up and enjoy. Gives you some a bit of a comparison point to see how it matures.

Check out this sale at Keg Connection.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f41/kegconnections-black-friday-cyber-monday-sale-207840/

"Homebrew Keg Kits (these include EVERYTHING needed to start dispensing your homebrew beer, sans fridge! regulator, air line/s, beer line/s, disconnects, CO2 Cylinder and keg/s!) starting @ $89.95!"

If you don't currently have room/budget for a keggerator, save the keg for later and buy yourself a carbonation cap for $15. With it you can carb up anything you want as long as it has the same closure as a 2L bottle (2L, 1L, 20oz, 16oz, 12oz, and you might even be able to find 8oz or less).
http://www.northernbrewer.com/default/the-carbonator.html

Small quantities of anything for a sodastream carbonator test. Wine, mead, beer, cider. Just for short range testing for a day of bottling sample. Or when I haven't sanitized enough bottles and have just a little bit left that I don't want to throw away or sanitize more than one more bottle.

As for the links, that definately helps. And I didn't even know they sold the cap commercially and I was looking at the site for kegs, may be more expensive than making one, but a lot easier. Looks like I'll be checking out kegconnections site on Thursday.

I hear you on all the negatives. But for a guy who still bottle conditions all his batches (because of cost in keging) and regularly bottles at least two plastic 2 litters and several 1 litters per batch, (they are awesome for taking to parties to share. Once conditioned and opened the brew is good for a day or two before going flat and the plastic is great for bottling and taking to those no glass state parks.) I think the soda stream might be cool. Not for all your bottling mind you, but it would be great to siphon off a 2 liter or two and carb them up for an immediate taste test of your new recipe. Just to get you through those painful weeks of waiting on the bottle conditioning.

If I have $80 in the old change jar I'll let you know how it goes.

I use my SodaStream all the time to carb up any wine/mead/cider that I choose. Carbed Skeeter Pee is one of my favorites as is my Rasbperry Melomel---bubbly style. I also use it to make my own sparkling water, sodas, etc. I have been known to fill several of the 1L bottles with chilled wine of choice, carb it up and toss them in the refrig---a week later they were still bubbly and wine was fine! (had an emergent trip out of town and wine was left behind due to interrupted plans that day)

I think SodaStream does make a higher-end glass bottle, I may be wrong, but I think they are available with a different model.

It is quite a functional and multi-purpose unit in our home...though of course using it to carb anything other than water is "off label" and warranty void, but I have been doing it for a year with no issues.

If you shop at Kohl's you can get them CHEAP when you snag a 30% OFF coupon.

Ive done it, and its a bad idea. I ended up putting a beer clone i made from Dogfish head in there and after one press of the button the carbonation shot it everywhere. You'll end up with a huge mess on your hands, but hey.......it works!

I think the older (1+ years) soda streams were less regulated and you could get by carbing up liquids with a gravity above 1.000
Everyone I know with a newer model from 2011 or 2012 has the same issues as Paininmyale...you hit the button and it pops the bottle off and you get sprayed. Its like if it detects any backpressure, it blows the safety.
Their instructions flat out say DO NOT CARB ANYTHING BUT PLAIN WATER! over and over.

You're better off with a tap-a-draft and one of the little CO2 Chargers or carbonator cap setups for small mead/wine/beer carbing.

It works. You just have to leave the bottle in the carbonator for like an hour or more. Helps to put the whole thing in the refrigerator to make the beer colder and keep it absorbing more CO2 than warm beer would (basic physics). Really carbonates the hell out of it, so you don't want to overdo it...getting it right is an experiment in how much you want to pump it.

I have a SodaStream, and for water, it works great. You add the flavor after you carb it. If you do it backwards, it foams and fizzes and goes everywhere in a blaze of sticky mess. My mum tried carbing her wine one time in hers (we both have them because we love them). She spent the next hour scrubbing every kitchen surface.

https://www.midwestsupplies.com/the...184_a_7c5205&gclid=CIjOq4DnvLYCFQvnnAodU1IAxw

If you are serious about brewing beer i suggest just getting a kegging setup. you can start off with 1-2 keg setup for not too much money. then get the cap in the link above. i buy the soda stream syrups and mix in the 2 liter bottle carb it up. also if i bottle I put about a beer's worth in a bottle and carbonate it to give it a try

Another option would be to buy a carbonator cap and a 5 gallon C02 tank with regulator. You could avoid the cost of kegs and kegerator, but still putting cash toward brewing equipment. You can carbonate entire 2 liter bottles that way and I have heard of people pouring straight from 2 liter to glass 12 oz bottles.

Another option would be to buy a carbonator cap and a 5 gallon C02 tank with regulator. You could avoid the cost of kegs and kegerator, but still putting cash toward brewing equipment. You can carbonate entire 2 liter bottles that way and I have heard of people pouring straight from 2 liter to glass 12 oz bottles