It just seems a bit expensive. I was also concerned about the logistics of refills / what is cheaper long-term with those in mind.
Low volume since these will be martinis. I'm just making it for myself.
Does SodaStream have a min volume? Because is not for soda, but for alcoholic cocktails.
You can always add a length of 1/4 inch tubing to carbonate smaller volumes.
A CO2 tank is probably going to cost as much as a SodaStream all by itself. And being halfway to a kegging system isn't very useful if you're not intending to keg anything.CO2 tank, regulator, some hosing, fittings and a carb cap? Could be used to carb up anything... Probably cost less than a soda stream system....and you're halfway to a kegging system
Fair enough, I'm not in USA. Those things are much cheaper where I live... Maybe you could find them used on the cheap?You can always add a length of 1/4 inch tubing to carbonate smaller volumes.
A CO2 tank is probably going to cost as much as a SodaStream all by itself. And being halfway to a kegging system isn't very useful if you're not intending to keg anything.
Maybe. I can get a 5 lb CO2 tank that needs hydro testing for $20 on Craigslist and then spend another $50 or $60 to get it certified and filled. Or I can get a "like new still in box" SodaStream system for $40.
It's really going to depend on how many cocktails you plan to carbonate. $22 for 5 lb of CO2 is obviously a much better deal than $17 for 0.5 lb, but a 60 liter SodaStream cylinder will last you quite a while if you're just doing a couple of drinks a couple of times a week. If you make a lot of carbonated cocktails or want to keep a gallon or more on hand pre-mixed and pre-carbed, then it's probably worth the upfront cost of a real CO2 tank and a minikeg or pressure-capable growler.
But people say SodaStream will go bad if you carbonate alcohol in it. Isn't it only for water?
Never heard that. What's supposed to "go bad"? The drink? I know that you're not supposed to add the flavored syrups until after you carbonate the water, so I suppose that you wouldn't want to carbonate a sweet or syrupy cocktail. Not sure about a martini. The bottles? There are stainless steel bottles that are compatible. Of course, then you'd be spending more money...
There are places where you can swap tanks that don't check hydro-test dates. You swap out the empty tank and a few dollars for a full tank.
There are no such places where I live, and the best swap price is $22. As I said, that's a much better deal than $17 for a SodaStream refill.
Not so useful if you aren't using corney kegs.
I tried to carbonate beer in a SodaStream once. Learned my lesson really quick after cleaning that mess up.
Except it's also the most expensive way to buy Co2. I would argue that store bought seltzer by the liter is probably the same price as a cartridge.
Assuming that the OP wants to water down his cocktails. I don't know too many people who add seltzer to martinis.
Could you elaborate on this? What is a carbonation cap and how will the whole system work? I just hook up a CO2 can to the system and stick it into a container with my cocktail?
I missed that post when he wrote "martinis" but that renders everything moot. You can't carbonate a martini as the alcohol content is too high.
Yeah, so I guess the best one could do is to make VERY highly carbonated water and add just a splash to your drink. Like maybe 8 volumes?
I'm not sure how many volumes will actually stay in water once the head pressure is released. The closer to freezing you can get it the better.
i think carbonation cap + PET soda bottle + Co2 tank and regulator is the easiest option for very small volume cocktail,recipes. can do 1L or 2L sizes in soda bottles. After carbonation can be kept in refrigerator and pour as needed.
I'm still not completely sure that I understand exactly what the OP is trying to do. The thread title says hard seltzer but post #7 says martinis.
I've read that PET soda bottles can handle 10 volumes at 68F, and that a 2 liter bottle of Coke has around 50 psi at room temp (supposedly at 4.5 volumes). They don't rupture until well over 100 psi (again, if you can believe what you read on the internet).
Getting the volumes and keeping the volumes are very different. Once the cap is removed and the first bubble forms, you've got a nucleation point chain reaction.
Second option sounds like a not-bad idea given that it's Friday afternoon.
