OT - DIY Carbonated Water

WeberWho

I've gone from a couple pop's a day down to just a couple in the last 6 months. Largely due to switching over to flavored carbonated water. 

I shouldn't complain as I was probably spending $3 to $4 a day on pop compared to $1.20 on a couple bottles of carbonated water from Aldi. The last couple days I've looked into carbonating water and it looks interesting. Other than the cost upfront it looks like it's pennies on the dollar to carbonate your own. 

I'm curious if anyone carbonates their own water? Do they have any particular brand they use for their bitters? I'd be looking for something that is all natural for flavor. I have a spring a few miles down the road that I plan to use for filtering water.

I know people use the Sodastream but the replacement cartridges seem expensive for what it is. I was thinking of using something similar to the video below:

https://youtu.be/6-yqkSSz9Dc?si=EvP8yJhPdA44XM0U

kl8ton

We tried sodaStream and I believe one other brand in the last 10 years.  I might still have one if I didn't have kids.  At the time we had six kids and they were using it non-stop.  They also liked their water extremely fizzy which uses more CO2.

GrateEggspectations

We bought a Sodastream several years back. Very nice to have the ability to carbonate at a moment’s notice. Have even had fun carbonating white wine to make sparkling.  

If you get a carbonation unit, I recommend you always keep bottles of still water in the fridge, allowing you to carbonate on demand at perfect temps. 

Agree that the Sodastream cartridges seem expensive, particularly because the bottle size is awkward to me. Also annoying to have to go to designated locations to swap the cartridges. You often have to do so at service counters, potentially facing long lines for returns. 

We buy lots of canned, flavoured, unsweetened sparkling water while also running the Sodastream. 

Unfortunately, I have no experience with other such offerings, so can’t comment. 

Good luck with your search. 

alaskanassasin

For anyone outside the Midwest, when he says “pop” he is talking about soda 

lkapigian

alaskanassasin said:

For anyone outside the Midwest, when he says “pop” he is talking about soda 

Lol

DoubleEgger

GrateEggspectations said:

We bought a Sodastream several years back. Very nice to have the ability to carbonate at a moment’s notice. Have even had fun carbonating white wine to make sparkling.  

If you get a carbonation unit, I recommend you always keep bottles of still water in the fridge, allowing you to carbonate on demand at perfect temps. 

Agree that the Sodastream cartridges seem expensive, particularly because the bottle size is awkward to me. Also annoying to have to go to designated locations to swap the cartridges. You often have to do so at service counters, potentially facing long lines for returns. 

We buy lots of canned, flavoured, unsweetened sparkling water while also running the Sodastream. 

Unfortunately, I have no experience with other such offerings, so can’t comment. 

Good luck with your search. 

This review is “Clearly Canadian”. 

WeberWho

alaskanassasin said:

For anyone outside the Midwest, when he says “pop” he is talking about soda 

Haha! I can't get myself to say, "Soda" but I could have said, "Coke" which really means Mt. Dew, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, 7up, for our Southern folk. 

fishlessman

we have coke, fresca, rootbeer, orange tonic. and soda water. if someone says soda pop, its just assumed they are from ptown, not that theirs anything wrong with that

had a soda stream, they kept raising prices til it made no sense

MaskedMarvel

We use soda stream at the house. We’ll pour 80% fizzy water over ice and top off with pineapple juice with a light splash of cherry or blueberry juice. It’s really been great. 

When Bed Bath Beyond was around, we had 20% coupons with their trade in bonus and cartridges weren’t too bad. 

Now - we just eat the increase. 

Where I work used to have a SS and an adapter for aftermarket charging through the same company we use for the kegs and soda guns. I could taste the difference, which was weird. But next level cheaper to keep us in the gas…

alaskanassasin

MaskedMarvel said:

We use soda stream at the house. We’ll pour 80% fizzy water over ice and top off with pineapple juice with a light splash of cherry or blueberry juice. It’s really been great. 

When Bed Bath Beyond was around, we had 20% coupons with their trade in bonus and cartridges weren’t too bad. 

Now - we just eat the increase. 

Where I work used to have a SS and an adapter for aftermarket charging through the same company we use for the kegs and soda guns. I could taste the difference, which was weird. But next level cheaper to keep us in the gas…

I get a 5# tank filled for $15

WeberWho

MaskedMarvel said:

We use soda stream at the house. We’ll pour 80% fizzy water over ice and top off with pineapple juice with a light splash of cherry or blueberry juice. It’s really been great. 

When Bed Bath Beyond was around, we had 20% coupons with their trade in bonus and cartridges weren’t too bad. 

Now - we just eat the increase. 

Where I work used to have a SS and an adapter for aftermarket charging through the same company we use for the kegs and soda guns. I could taste the difference, which was weird. But next level cheaper to keep us in the gas…

I had no idea there was such thing as, "food grade" CO2 before jumping into the deep end. 

lkapigian

WeberWho said:

alaskanassasin said:

For anyone outside the Midwest, when he says “pop” he is talking about soda 

Haha! I can't get myself to say, "Soda" but I could have said, "Coke" which really means Mt. Dew, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, 7up, for our Southern folk. 

Coke in California has nothing to do with Pop or Soda 

kl8ton

DoubleEgger said:

 “Clearly Canadian”. 

I have two of those in my fridge right now!

fishlessman

WeberWho said:

MaskedMarvel said:

We use soda stream at the house. We’ll pour 80% fizzy water over ice and top off with pineapple juice with a light splash of cherry or blueberry juice. It’s really been great. 

When Bed Bath Beyond was around, we had 20% coupons with their trade in bonus and cartridges weren’t too bad. 

Now - we just eat the increase. 

Where I work used to have a SS and an adapter for aftermarket charging through the same company we use for the kegs and soda guns. I could taste the difference, which was weird. But next level cheaper to keep us in the gas…

I had no idea there was such thing as, "food grade" CO2 before jumping into the deep end. 

what would the difference be. straight co2 for bud and mic, beer gas for the guinness line is all ive used from the welding supply. beer gas is a mixture of co2 and nitrogen.

WeberWho

fishlessman said:

WeberWho said:

MaskedMarvel said:

We use soda stream at the house. We’ll pour 80% fizzy water over ice and top off with pineapple juice with a light splash of cherry or blueberry juice. It’s really been great. 

When Bed Bath Beyond was around, we had 20% coupons with their trade in bonus and cartridges weren’t too bad. 

Now - we just eat the increase. 

Where I work used to have a SS and an adapter for aftermarket charging through the same company we use for the kegs and soda guns. I could taste the difference, which was weird. But next level cheaper to keep us in the gas…

I had no idea there was such thing as, "food grade" CO2 before jumping into the deep end. 

what would the difference be. straight co2 for bud and mic, beer gas for the guinness line is all ive used from the welding supply. beer gas is a mixture of co2 and nitrogen.

It apparently has a higher purity level and the way it's handled. Who knows how accurate that is. 

poster

fishlessman said:

WeberWho said:

MaskedMarvel said:

We use soda stream at the house. We’ll pour 80% fizzy water over ice and top off with pineapple juice with a light splash of cherry or blueberry juice. It’s really been great. 

When Bed Bath Beyond was around, we had 20% coupons with their trade in bonus and cartridges weren’t too bad. 

Now - we just eat the increase. 

Where I work used to have a SS and an adapter for aftermarket charging through the same company we use for the kegs and soda guns. I could taste the difference, which was weird. But next level cheaper to keep us in the gas…

I had no idea there was such thing as, "food grade" CO2 before jumping into the deep end. 

what would the difference be. straight co2 for bud and mic, beer gas for the guinness line is all ive used from the welding supply. beer gas is a mixture of co2 and nitrogen.

You ever see the junk in the bottom of a cylinder? I think it has to do with that. Also I think the bottles are handled and stored different too.

poster

poster said:

fishlessman said:

WeberWho said:

MaskedMarvel said:

We use soda stream at the house. We’ll pour 80% fizzy water over ice and top off with pineapple juice with a light splash of cherry or blueberry juice. It’s really been great. 

When Bed Bath Beyond was around, we had 20% coupons with their trade in bonus and cartridges weren’t too bad. 

Now - we just eat the increase. 

Where I work used to have a SS and an adapter for aftermarket charging through the same company we use for the kegs and soda guns. I could taste the difference, which was weird. But next level cheaper to keep us in the gas…

I had no idea there was such thing as, "food grade" CO2 before jumping into the deep end. 

what would the difference be. straight co2 for bud and mic, beer gas for the guinness line is all ive used from the welding supply. beer gas is a mixture of co2 and nitrogen.

You ever see the junk in the bottom of a cylinder? I think it has to do with that. Also I think the bottles are handled and stored different too.

Then again if you've ever been in  a malting plant and seen all the mice, rats, and other things it would likely turn anyone off from beer far more than dirty c02

kl8ton

I heard that Boars Head had CO2 canisters in their factory that were not food grade. FWIW

Botch

WeberWho said:

MaskedMarvel said:

We use soda stream at the house. We’ll pour 80% fizzy water over ice and top off with pineapple juice with a light splash of cherry or blueberry juice. It’s really been great. 

When Bed Bath Beyond was around, we had 20% coupons with their trade in bonus and cartridges weren’t too bad. 

Now - we just eat the increase. 

Where I work used to have a SS and an adapter for aftermarket charging through the same company we use for the kegs and soda guns. I could taste the difference, which was weird. But next level cheaper to keep us in the gas…

I had no idea there was such thing as, "food grade" CO2 before jumping into the deep end. 

That's why I've refrained from posting about farting in the bath tub.  

fishlessman

WeberWho said:

fishlessman said:

WeberWho said:

MaskedMarvel said:

We use soda stream at the house. We’ll pour 80% fizzy water over ice and top off with pineapple juice with a light splash of cherry or blueberry juice. It’s really been great. 

When Bed Bath Beyond was around, we had 20% coupons with their trade in bonus and cartridges weren’t too bad. 

Now - we just eat the increase. 

Where I work used to have a SS and an adapter for aftermarket charging through the same company we use for the kegs and soda guns. I could taste the difference, which was weird. But next level cheaper to keep us in the gas…

I had no idea there was such thing as, "food grade" CO2 before jumping into the deep end. 

what would the difference be. straight co2 for bud and mic, beer gas for the guinness line is all ive used from the welding supply. beer gas is a mixture of co2 and nitrogen.

It apparently has a higher purity level and the way it's handled. Who knows how accurate that is. 

The weld supplies cater to the bars, maybe soda does differently 😆

GrateEggspectations

DoubleEgger said:

GrateEggspectations said:

We bought a Sodastream several years back. Very nice to have the ability to carbonate at a moment’s notice. Have even had fun carbonating white wine to make sparkling.  

If you get a carbonation unit, I recommend you always keep bottles of still water in the fridge, allowing you to carbonate on demand at perfect temps. 

Agree that the Sodastream cartridges seem expensive, particularly because the bottle size is awkward to me. Also annoying to have to go to designated locations to swap the cartridges. You often have to do so at service counters, potentially facing long lines for returns. 

We buy lots of canned, flavoured, unsweetened sparkling water while also running the Sodastream. 

Unfortunately, I have no experience with other such offerings, so can’t comment. 

Good luck with your search. 

This review is “Clearly Canadian”. 

Believe it or not, I had to look up the reference. Never tried, or even seen, this reportedly premium soda. 

Ozzie_Isaac

I take shots of the liquid from my ferments.  When aged properly it is fizzy.  I really like it.

poster

GrateEggspectations said:

DoubleEgger said:

GrateEggspectations said:

We bought a Sodastream several years back. Very nice to have the ability to carbonate at a moment’s notice. Have even had fun carbonating white wine to make sparkling.  

If you get a carbonation unit, I recommend you always keep bottles of still water in the fridge, allowing you to carbonate on demand at perfect temps. 

Agree that the Sodastream cartridges seem expensive, particularly because the bottle size is awkward to me. Also annoying to have to go to designated locations to swap the cartridges. You often have to do so at service counters, potentially facing long lines for returns. 

We buy lots of canned, flavoured, unsweetened sparkling water while also running the Sodastream. 

Unfortunately, I have no experience with other such offerings, so can’t comment. 

Good luck with your search. 

This review is “Clearly Canadian”. 

Believe it or not, I had to look up the reference. Never tried, or even seen, this reportedly premium soda. 

It is good stuff. Limited to maybe 3 flavors here in Canada where I am. Was in Chicago last month and there was dozens. Go figure.

DoubleEgger

GrateEggspectations said:

DoubleEgger said:. 

This review is “Clearly Canadian”. 

Believe it or not, I had to look up the reference. Never tried, or even seen, this reportedly premium soda. 

It was THE non alcoholic drink of the ‘90s. 

lkapigian

Ozzie_Isaac said:

I take shots of the liquid from my ferments.  When aged properly it is fizzy.  I really like it.

Best stuff ever

kl8ton

DoubleEgger said:

GrateEggspectations said:

DoubleEgger said:. 

This review is “Clearly Canadian”. 

Believe it or not, I had to look up the reference. Never tried, or even seen, this reportedly premium soda. 

It was THE non alcoholic drink of the ‘90s. 

Yes it was! Not many places around me sell it. I saw some at a liquor store and picked up a couple to surprise my wife for nostalgic purposes.

GrateEggspectations

Was curious as to why Parmesan always evokes the scent of vomit, to my nose. Love the stuff, btw, so no shade intended. Decided to read up about it. For those who are curious. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/moh6uk/am_i_the_only_one_that_think_real_fresh_parmesan/

The mention of Hershey’s chocolate was pretty interesting. I always thought it had a very unique flavour and the above, if true, explains why. 

GrateEggspectations

GrateEggspectations said:

Was curious as to why Parmesan always evokes the scent of vomit, to my nose. Love the stuff, btw, so no shade intended. Decided to read up about it. For those who are curious. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/moh6uk/am_i_the_only_one_that_think_real_fresh_parmesan/

The mention of Hershey’s chocolate was pretty interesting. I always thought it had a very unique flavour and the above, if true, explains why. 

JIC helped me discern that I posted this in the wrong thread. 🙃

WeberWho

GrateEggspectations said:

GrateEggspectations said:

Was curious as to why Parmesan always evokes the scent of vomit, to my nose. Love the stuff, btw, so no shade intended. Decided to read up about it. For those who are curious. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/moh6uk/am_i_the_only_one_that_think_real_fresh_parmesan/

The mention of Hershey’s chocolate was pretty interesting. I always thought it had a very unique flavour and the above, if true, explains why. 

JIC helped me discern that I posted this in the wrong thread. 🙃

I just assumed you were going to be the first person to bottle flavored Parmesan cheese. 

CP92

alaskanassasin said:
when he says “pop” he is talking about soda 

Or for those in the south, when he says soda, he's talking about Coke. 


Edit:
Sorry, saw OP beat me to the punch. 

MaskedMarvel

WeberWho said:

MaskedMarvel said:

We use soda stream at the house. We’ll pour 80% fizzy water over ice and top off with pineapple juice with a light splash of cherry or blueberry juice. It’s really been great. 

When Bed Bath Beyond was around, we had 20% coupons with their trade in bonus and cartridges weren’t too bad. 

Now - we just eat the increase. 

Where I work used to have a SS and an adapter for aftermarket charging through the same company we use for the kegs and soda guns. I could taste the difference, which was weird. But next level cheaper to keep us in the gas…

I had no idea there was such thing as, "food grade" CO2 before jumping into the deep end. 

Yep. Exactly what we discovered.