The ingredients that create the CO2 are citric acid and sodium bicarbonate. When mixed in water, they create the gas. For the purpose of bottle carbing, theoretically, could one simply pop a pill of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate into a bottle, cap immediately, and have a carbonated beer? This would be useful for people trying to make carbonated sweet beverages like ciders and sparkling wines and meads.
Alka-Seltzer
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remilard
Well-Known Member
The problem is that the by product, sodium citrate, is not flavorless.
Pop Rocks!
Or dry ice or vinegar & baking soda....
I'm surprised, we've had threads about those two but I think this is the first of alka seltser and or poprocks.
I guess if you liked salty beer it might work. If anyone has actually taken alka seltzer they would know just how goddam salty it is. I guess if you were making a miller chill clone it might be good...especially if you got the flavored alkaseltzer plus cold medicine version. But a shot of alkaseltzer taste like how you used to gargle with salt water to flush a blood clot out after you went to the dentist...not particualarly a flavor I would like in my carbed bee.
I was in a cooking supply shop yesterday and came upon the SodaStream Home Soda maker/dispenser and wondered if that would work.
Though it sounds like you'd use a ton of refillable co2 bottles or whatever they use to carb up. Plus it would take hours to carb up 48-62 individual bottles. It's better to just fill them and let nature take it's course, or ked...
IIRC that is the stuff that is salty. It basically is like a fizzy bicarbinate of soad to make you burp and calm an upset stomach.
I read that a packet of pop rocks contains same C02 as half can of soda. Soda (I believe) is more highly carbed than beer, so one pack would be perfect. I'd still recommend protective eyewear the first try.
remilard
Well-Known Member
Thats pretty easy to figure out. Just find a chart comparing volumes of c02 to grams per liter, use wikipedia to find the reaction and the molecular weights of the inputs and outputs and then some arithmetic.
I would suggest you taste this plain alka seltzer (or alternately, club soda which contains sodium citrate) before you proceed though. It's not a great idea.
Pop rocks sounds better to me. I may start adding those to berliner weisse at serving time.
Good luck finding them.
