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Using a Soda Stream for Carbonation


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About 6 months ago a made a Coopers Stout, I used 2 carb drops in half the batch and only 1 in the other half. The batch with 2 carb drops turned out OK' ish, but the batch with only 1 carb turned out really flat, I expected it to at least be slightly carbonated. So I was wondering what if I used a Soda Stream to carbonate the beer or will I just get a big fizzy mess.

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Your dilemma brings to mind the old Confucian proverb “What could possibly go wrong”.

I personally would give it a go and see what happens.

Worst case scenario is you will still have flat stout.

The other 2 scenario’s I can think of are you will end up with a carbonated drinkable stout (a win)😀 or a fizzy mess and some awesome photos of what not to do to share on the forum (a win for forum readers 😀).

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2 minutes ago, thebeerpig said:

Your dilemma brings to mind the old Confucian proverb “What could possibly go wrong”.

I personally would give it a go and see what happens.

Worst case scenario is you will still have flat stout.

The other 2 scenario’s I can think of are you will end up with a carbonated drinkable stout (a win)😀 or a fizzy mess and some awesome photos of what not to do to share on the forum (a win for forum readers 😀). 

Love the idea, I will also have to worry about the wife going off if its is a fail. Mind you I was thinking of buying a Soda Stream for Christmas so who knows. Not ever having used one, I decided to check out how they worked and I think Titan may be right.

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I've often thought about giving it a go, however I decided against it as I don't think the wife would be impressed if it made the soda stream bottles taste like beer, instead of soda water.

I know from experience that the liquid you're carbonating needs to be room temp. I tried carbonating pre-chilled water before and it went bloody everywhere.

I rkn if u tried it with beer, it'd be best if it hadn't just been cold crashed...

Edited by karlos_1984
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3 hours ago, Scooby 1525229719 said:

I had this exact problem with an ale earlier this year and I just put another carb drop in each bottle, it worked quite well. Just have to let it sit for another couple weeks

Hey it might be worth a try, what have I got to lose. Thanks

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  • 1 year later...

Hi all, I tried this!! 

And I highly recommend you don't 😄

I popped a coldie and it was flat - must have forgot to put the priming sugar in the bottle before capping. 

So I decided to try the soda stream. Poured the beer into the Sodastream bottle and twisted it on, but when the gas starting going into the water the whole inside of the bottle just turned to foam. Then when I went to take it off it sprayed foam started spraying 1m in all directions all over the kitchen... missus was really happy 😄 

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Cheers Muzzy,

I made an ESB brew and tried an experimental bulk prime that didn't work.  Rather than pitch 30 bottles of flat beer I forced carbonated them (as required)  with the SodaKing (same as a sodastream but Chinese rather than Isreali) .  Here is one... the last one ... that I just poured.

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and it is delicious.   Held its head all the way to bottom of the glass too.  The ESB shouldn't be over carbed and it this one isn't.    I suspect the impressive head has something to do with the bulk prime having some effect when excited by the injection of CO2 but there is just the right amount of spritz on the tongue.  

The SodaKing is also useful when testing new brews from the FV, although I must admit there was one 10 litre brew that I drank straight from the FV in the fridge.  I just kept going back to the fridge with the sodastream bottle and gave it a couple of squirts of gas... and down the hatch.  It was new, but it couldn't have been half bad because I drained the FV in no time. 

PS :  I like ales or the dark and real persuasion that shouldn't be over carbed.  Whether this method is suitable for those froth and bubble pale ales and lagers I have no idea.  But I'll let you know as Summer approaches.   

Edited by Thirsty Jim
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I bulk primed with Golden Syrup and just didn't work as a prime.  No idea why.  I used the syrup in the brew and it fermented out beautifully.  The first bottles I opened were flat and the last (12 weeks old) showed a wisp of CO2 on opening but it didn't generate a head no matter which why I poured it.  I have bulk primed successfully using the same method with sugar and with honey.

Being an old bloke the task of doing something and photographing at the same time it is beyond me but there is nothing to show really.  You just decant a chilled flat 740ml bottle of beer into the Sodastream (they are fully compatible) bottle, screw it onto the unit and push the button - but only just push it.  You'll see the CO2 go into the beer and rise back to the surface. Leave for a minute or two and repeat as required.  It will take a little trial and error to get the dosage right but the important thing is do not push the button until the relief valve opens like you do when you are making pop, then wrench the bottle off the machine while it is fully pressurized.  It makes an awful mess and gives our entire gender a bad name.   🤓
 

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