Forced carbonation question

[Pickettj]

A friend and I were talking yesterday and an idea dawned on me. It may be a horrible idea but I still thought I'd run it by all of you and see what you thought. They have those soda stream units for force carbonating water and soda. Could someone, if they were so inclined, use a soda stream unit to force carb their beer?

 

[SIXFOOTER]

It will probably work, but there does not appear to be any control over the carbonation level.
Be interesting to soo how it works out, maybe from across the room.

 

[Pickettj]

It will probably work, but there does not appear to be any control over the carbonation level.
Be interesting to soo how it works out, maybe from across the room.

That's what I'm afraid of...

 

[Kaz]

When compared to beer, soda is usually more highly carbonated. That being said, I'd give a try on a Belgian or pale and see what happens.

 

[ludomonster]

You would have to brew a high gravity beer that's also big in every other aspect. Soda comes concentrated. Those machines dilute the soda to the apprpriate drinking concentration. Similarly, you would need to design a beer that would dilute to your desired beer.

 

[gcdowd]

I've actually had this idea before with my soda stream but never tried it. The soda stream specifically says to only carbonate water so I didn't want to chance ruining it. If you try it though, let us know how it goes.

 

[Pickettj]

I've actually had this idea before with my soda stream but never tried it. The soda stream specifically says to only carbonate water so I didn't want to chance ruining it. If you try it though, let us know how it goes.

I don't have a soda stream but figured it was worth the cash if it would work. Guess I didn't realize the wAter was carbonated before the drink mix was added. I doubt I spend. $100 to try it though.

 

[CRZ]

I used a paintball tank, regulator, and a carbonating cap for a couple of years now. You can carb almost anything with it. Just fill a pop/soda bottle up 3/4 full, squeeze bottle till liquid is at top put carbonating cap on and carbonate. Cost was around $100

 

[helibrewer]

I think I read somebody tried it and it was a foaming mess. Water has no protein in it so there's no head retention at all, the gas bubbles quickly dissipate....with beer it is going to foam up like crazy.

 

[Oldskooler]

I just used my soda stream to taste my beer with carbonation before kegging. I put a lttle beer in the bottle and gave it a couple of quick bursts and got a nicely carbonated taste of my soon to be beer. Not scientific but it gave me a taste post carbonation.

 

[Frankiesurf]

There was a thread on here somewhere about it. Let's just say the poster had quite a mess to clean up.

 

[Bobby_M]

You would have to brew a high gravity beer that's also big in every other aspect. Soda comes concentrated. Those machines dilute the soda to the apprpriate drinking concentration. Similarly, you would need to design a beer that would dilute to your desired beer.

That's not how a soda stream works. I think you're thinking of a soda fountain machine. Soda stream is a user friendly device for carbonating water with very expensive proprietary CO2 cylinders.

I think for a homebrewer, just going for the standard CO2 tank and regulator is an investment that will grow with the hobby. Even for starters, you can get a carbonator cap for a 2 liter soda bottle and it's an instant soda stream with potential growth to support a full blown kegerator.