Kegging Red Bull at $0.14 per 12 oz can

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businesstime

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Hear me out, not a typical beer thread...

I'm a Red Bull addict, but I simply cannot afford to buy 12 oz cans of Red Bull for $2.49 every day. So, I looked around for cheaper alternatives and discovered SodaStream:

http://www.sodastreamusa.com/store.aspx?gclid=CPjcuvi-iaoCFUFx4Aod5QLyzg

They have all sorts of soda syrups, including an "energy" syrup, comparable to red bull for $6.99, that will create up to 12 liters of the stuff. So, I thought, hey I have a corney keg system and don't need their carbonator, just the syrup.

So, I mixed 11.5 liters of water with 1 red bull syrup bottle and hooked it to my CO2 system. Voila! Tastes almost identical, and is a twentieth of the price.

Just thought I'd put this out there for any other homebrewers who also love red bull :ban:
 
Thats great maybe the way to talk the wife into letting me get a keg set up lol.
 
some of their sodas are okay. The Pete's choice (aka Dr Pepper) is actually quite good. Other stuff tastes REALLY grocery-store-cheap-soda flavored.

B
 
Interested....

What was your carbonation pressure?


Set at 12 psi, just like my beers. Red Bull is "lightly carbonated", so I think it works well. Other soda syrups may need higher carbonation. I'm curious to try the coke zero rip off as well, but at least those I can normally get for 25 cents a can anyway.
 
Post mix kegs used for post mix, classic :D
I think we need to keep this thread alive to get feedback on different flavours and where to get them. The biggest issue I have is not knowing if the "coke" will taste like Coke or even similar, etc.
Looking at upgrading to from 3 to 5 kegs so my worst one will be relegated to soda/seltzer for the wife and kids.
 
Ordering this as i type! Cant wait to try it. I'm more of a monster drinker but red bull is pretty good.
 
Might just have to give this a try. They sell it at the Bed Bath and Beyond about 3 miles from my house.
 
"Contains Vitamins B6 and B12, Niacin, Folate, Riboflavin, Vitamin C, Caffeine and Biotin."

Apon further reading it seems most studies have concluded that the amounts of "extras" in energy drinks contribute realatively insignificant to the energy, so ignore my questions.
Also Red Bull is always going on about its taurine, I found out that it is an sulfonos (sp?) acid which is also found in stomuch bile, yum!
 
This is pretty awesome. I'm going out to BBB at lunch to see if they have it. I'll just put some in a 2 liter bottle with carbonator cap. A guy that does my drafting/design at work might love this, he puts down about 4-6 per day.
 
How easy is it to split up the servings? It it simple to measure out a couple teaspoon or such for 20 oz bottles or 2 liters?
 
OP and I think alike...I have always wondered why red bull doesn't provide kegs of their product to bars. Even if you don't like energy drinks or mixing them with alcohol, Red Bull Vodkas, Jager Bombs, etc are HUGEEEEEEE sellers in the bars around my college. But they are so damn expensive. I have always wondered why they don't distribute kegs of red bull to bars to keep prices down!
 
cause the money is in the packaging. I have seen Jager chill taps with like three bottles lined up. I've also seen the generic energy drink soda gun used before too. People pay more for the name and the label.
 
Hear me out, not a typical beer thread...

I'm a Red Bull addict, but I simply cannot afford to buy 12 oz cans of Red Bull for $2.49 every day. So, I looked around for cheaper alternatives and discovered SodaStream:

http://www.sodastreamusa.com/store.aspx?gclid=CPjcuvi-iaoCFUFx4Aod5QLyzg

They have all sorts of soda syrups, including an "energy" syrup, comparable to red bull for $6.99, that will create up to 12 liters of the stuff. So, I thought, hey I have a corney keg system and don't need their carbonator, just the syrup.

So, I mixed 11.5 liters of water with 1 red bull syrup bottle and hooked it to my CO2 system. Voila! Tastes almost identical, and is a twentieth of the price.

Just thought I'd put this out there for any other homebrewers who also love red bull :ban:

Awesome!
 
My BBB didnt have the Energy syrup in store, I would have had to order it. I picked up one of the Diet Fountain Mist (Mountain Dew), and will give it a shot on a 20 oz bottle and carbonator cap tonight.

Am I looking at similar oxygenation issues as I would with beer? Should I purge the bottle of O2 prior to filling?
 
My BBB didnt have the Energy syrup in store, I would have had to order it. I picked up one of the Diet Fountain Mist (Mountain Dew), and will give it a shot on a 20 oz bottle and carbonator cap tonight.

Am I looking at similar oxygenation issues as I would with beer? Should I purge the bottle of O2 prior to filling?

when i use a carbonation cap i fill to just above the where the curve starts and squeeze the bottle til the liquid reaches the top. This both purges the o2 and gives room for the co2 to enter and have some headspace.
 
when i use a carbonation cap i fill to just above the where the curve starts and squeeze the bottle til the liquid reaches the top. This both purges the o2 and gives room for the co2 to enter and have some headspace.

Duh, thats an incredibly simple solution! Thanks, I feel dumb for not thinking of that before. :drunk:
 
OP and I think alike...I have always wondered why red bull doesn't provide kegs of their product to bars. Even if you don't like energy drinks or mixing them with alcohol, Red Bull Vodkas, Jager Bombs, etc are HUGEEEEEEE sellers in the bars around my college. But they are so damn expensive. I have always wondered why they don't distribute kegs of red bull to bars to keep prices down!

Why would Red Bull fix something that isn't broken? If they are already HUGE sellers, why make them cheaper?

Cost has a lot to do with branding and I don't see them making their product cheaper to sell a little more. They are already killing the market.

Just my 2 cents!
 
I might need to try this out. My roommate filled a keg with 2-liters of Dr. Pepper. This might be easier and cheaper. Hoping the taste is up to par.
 
Am I looking at similar oxygenation issues as I would with beer? Should I purge the bottle of O2 prior to filling?


Kinda wondered that myself, so I purged my keg with CO2 to be in the safe side. I also sanitized it beforehand, just as with a beer, though I don't know that bacteria would even like fake sugar, lol.
 
Some one please report back and let us know if the syrup rots teeth out like the original :p
 
i contacted sodastream last year, it contains less than half the caffeine as real redbull.


Red Bull®
110 Calories
28g Carbs
27g Sugar
200mg Sodium
80mg Caffeine

Monster®
110 Calories
26g Carbs
26g Sugar
140mg Sodium
80mg Caffeine

SodaStream Energy Drink
34 Calories
8g Carbs
8g Sugar
37mg Sodium
30mg Caffeine
 
i contacted sodastream last year, it contains less than half the caffeine as real redbull.


Red Bull®
110 Calories
28g Carbs
27g Sugar
200mg Sodium
80mg Caffeine

Monster®
110 Calories
26g Carbs
26g Sugar
140mg Sodium
80mg Caffeine

SodaStream Energy Drink
34 Calories
8g Carbs
8g Sugar
37mg Sodium
30mg Caffeine

What size servings were they, the sodastream seams to be 30% of the other to so I would think that would be a smaller serving (i.e. the Red Bull and Monster are for 1 can and the sodastream is for 100ml)
Or was this per 100ml (or whatever amount it is)
Edit: Was at the supermarket tonight and checked, Red Bull is 32 mg of caffeine per 100 ml.
 
Easy solution go to roaring lion's webpage and buy a virtually identical box of syrup and keg it
 
Get a coke syrup, dilute as specified, add whiskey to taste and viola!! You've got Jack and coke on tap!!! My SWMBO will hate you for all eternity for establishing this thread!!!:rockin:
 
What size servings were they, the sodastream seams to be 30% of the other to so I would think that would be a smaller serving (i.e. the Red Bull and Monster are for 1 can and the sodastream is for 100ml)
Or was this per 100ml (or whatever amount it is)
Edit: Was at the supermarket tonight and checked, Red Bull is 32 mg of caffeine per 100 ml.

I think the poster is correct:

http://www.sodastreamusa.com/TasteNutritionInfo.aspx

Oh well, guess I'll just have to drink twice as much now that it's economically viable. Could also concentrate the mix to bump it, but I don't know how that will effect flavor.
 
I think I am going to need to install that third tap now. Premixed Red Bull and Vodka from the tap just sounds too amazing (and dangerous).
 
Very interesting. The 'regular flavors' and Sparkling Naturals look better for you than your store-bought soda. I wonder if these will work the same. Just add to the keg and fill with water?
 
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