Why Does Soda Fizz? Why Does Soda Fizz? February 13, 2013 04:15pm ET MORE Credit: George Frederick The fizz that bubbles up when you crack open a can of soda is carbon dioxide gas (CO2). Soft drink manufacturers add this tingling froth by forcing carbon dioxide and water into your soda at high pressures—up to 1,200 pounds per square inch. The "fssst" you hear is millions of carbon dioxide molecules bursting out of their sweet, watery prisons, where they have been held against their will. An unopened soda can is virtually bubble-free because the pressure inside the can keeps the carbon dioxide dissolved in the liquid. When you crack open the can, you release the pressure and allow the gas bubbles to wiggle free from the liquid and rise to the surface. This requires energy because in order for the gas to break free from the liquid it has to overcome the force holding the liquid together. One way to input energy is to shake the beverage. This adds the zing needed to unleash more tiny bubbles and add real splash to a celebration. Follow Life's Little Mysteries on Twitter @ llmysteries . We're also on Facebook & Google+ .

Editor's Recommendations How soft drink is made - production process, making, history, used, product, industry, machine Soft Drink Background Soft drinks are enormously popular beverages consisting primarily of carbonated water, sugar, and flavorings. Nearly 200 nations enjoy the sweet, sparkling soda with an annual consumption of more than 34 billion gallons. Soft drinks rank as America's favorite beverage segment, representing 25% of the total beverage market. In the early 1990s per capita consumption of soft drinks in the U.S. was 49 gallons, 15 gallons more than the next most popular beverage, water. The roots of soft drinks extend to ancient times. Two thousand years ago Greeks and Romans recognized the medicinal value of mineral water and bathed in it for relaxation, a practice that continues to the present. In the late 1700s Europeans and Americans began drinking the sparkling mineral water for its reputed therapeutic benefits. The first imitation mineral water in the U.S. was patented in 1809. It was called "soda water" and consisted of water and sodium bicarbonate mixed with acid to add effervescence.

Pharmacists in America and Europe experimented with myriad ingredients in the hope of finding new remedies for various ailments. Already the flavored soda waters were hailed as brain tonics for curing headaches, hangovers, and nervous afflictions. Pharmacies equipped with "soda fountains" featuring the medicinal soda water soon developed into regular meeting places for local populations. Flavored soda water gained popularity not only for medicinal benefits but for the refreshing taste as well. The market expanded in the 1830s when soda water was first sold in glass bottles. Filling and capping the gaseous liquid in containers was a difficult process until 1850, when a manual filling and corking machine was successfully designed. The term "soda pop" originated in the 1860s from the popping sound of escaping gas as a soda bottle was opened. New soda flavors constantly appeared on the market. Some of the more popular flavors were ginger ale, sarsaparilla, root beer, lemon, and other fruit flavors. In the early 1880s pharmacists experimented with powerful stimulants to add to soda water, including cola nuts and coca leaves.

They were inspired by Bolivian Indian workers who chewed coca leaves to ward off fatigue and by West African workers who chewed cola nuts as a stimulant. In 1886 an Atlanta pharmacist, John Pemberton, took the fateful step of combining coca with cola, thus creating what would become the world's most famous drink, "Coca-Cola". The beverage was advertised as refreshing as well as therapeutic: "French Wine Cola—Ideal Nerve and Tonic Stimulant." A few years later another pharmacist, Caleb Bradham, created "Pepsi-Cola" in North Carolina. Although the name was a derivation of pepsin, an acid that aids digestion, Pepsi did not advertise the beverage as having therapeutic benefits. By the early 20th century, most cola companies focused their advertising on the refreshing aspects of their drinks. As flavored carbonated beverages gained popularity, manufacturers struggled to find an appropriate name for the drinks. Some suggested "marble water," "syrup water," and "aerated water." The most appealing name, however, was "soft drink," adapted in the hopes that soft drinks would ultimately supplant the "hard liquor" market.

Although the idea never stuck, the term soft drink did. Until the 1890s soft drinks were produced manually, from blowing bottles individually to filling and packaging. During the following two decades automated machinery greatly increased the productivity of soft drink plants. Probably the most important development in bottling technology occurred with the invention of the "crown cap" in 1892, which successfully contained the carbon dioxide gas in glass bottles. The crown cap design endured for 70 years. The advent of motor vehicles spawned further growth in the soft drink industry. Vending machines, serving soft drinks in cups, became regular fixtures at service stations across the country. In the late 1950s aluminum beverage cans were introduced, equipped with convenient pull-ring tabs and later with stay-on tabs. Light-weight and break-resistant plastic bottles came into use in the 1970s, though it was not until 1991 that the soft drink industry used plastic PET (polyethylene terephthalate) on a wide scale. Soft drink manufacturers have been quick to respond to consumer preferences. In 1962 diet colas were introduced in response to the fashion of thinness for women.

In the 1980s the growing health consciousness of the country led to the creation of caffeine-free and low-sodium soft drinks. The 1990s ushered in clear colas that were colorless, caffeine-free, and preservative-free. Raw Materials Carbonated water constitutes up to 94% of a soft drink. Carbon dioxide adds that special sparkle and bite to the beverage and also acts as a mild preservative. Carbon dioxide is an uniquely suitable gas for soft drinks because it is inert, non-toxic, and relatively inexpensive and easy to liquefy. The second main ingredient is sugar, which makes up 7-12% of a soft drink. Used in either dry or liquid form, sugar adds sweetness and body to the beverage, enhancing the "mouth-feel," an important component for consumer enjoyment of a soft drink. Sugar also balances flavors and acids. Sugar-free soft drinks stemmed from a sugar scarcity during World War II. Soft drink manufacturers turned to high-intensity sweeteners, mainly saccharin, which was phased out in the 1970s when it was declared a potential carcinogen.

Other sugar substitutes were introduced more successfully, notably aspartame, or Nutra-Sweet, which was widely used throughout the 1980s and 1990s for diet soft drinks. Because some high-intensity sweeteners do not provide the desired mouth-feel and aftertaste of sugar, they often are combined with sugar and other sweeteners and flavors to improve the beverage. The overall flavor of a soft drink depends on an intricate balance of sweetness, tartness, and acidity (pH). Acids add a sharpness to the background taste and enhance the thirst-quenching experience by stimulating saliva flow. The most common acid in soft drinks is citric acid, which has a lemony flavor. Acids also reduce pH levels, mildly preserving the beverage. Very small quantities of other additives enhance taste, mouth-feel, aroma, and appearance of the beverage. There is an endless range of flavorings; they may be natural, natural identical (chemically synthesized imitations), or artificial (chemically unrelated to natural flavors). Emulsions are added to soft drinks primarily to enhance "eye appeal" by serving as clouding agents. Emulsions are mixtures of liquids that are generally incompatible.

They consist of water-based elements, such as gums, pectins, and preservatives; and oil-based liquids, such as flavors, colors, and weighing agents. Saponins enhance the foamy head of certain soft drinks, like cream soda and ginger beer. To impede the growth of microorganisms and prevent deterioration, preservatives are added to soft drinks. Anti-oxidants, such as BHA and ascorbic acid, maintain color and flavor. Beginning in the 1980s, soft drink manufacturers opted for natural additives in response to increasing health concerns of the public. Impurities in the water are removed through a process of coagulation, filtration, and chlorination. Coagulation involves mixing floc into the water to absorb suspended particles. The water is then poured through a sand filter to remove fine particles of Roc. To sterilize the water, small amounts of chlorine are added to the water and filtered out. The Manufacturing Process Most soft drinks are made at local bottling and canning companies. Brand name franchise companies grant licenses to bottlers to mix the soft drinks in strict accordance to their secret formulas and their required manufacturing procedures. Clarifying the water 1 The quality of water is crucial to the success of a soft drink.

Impurities, such as suspended particles, organic matter, and bacteria, may degrade taste and color. They are generally removed through the traditional process of a series of coagulation, filtration, and chlorination. Coagulation involves mixing a gelatinous precipitate, or floc (ferric sulphate or aluminum sulphate), into the water. The floc absorbs suspended particles, making them larger and more easily trapped by filters. During the clarification process, alkalinity must be adjusted with an addition of lime to reach the desired pH level. Filtering, sterilizing, and dechlorinating the water 2 The clarified water is poured through a sand filter to remove fine particles of floc. The water passes through a layer of sand and courser beds of gravel to capture the particles. 3 Sterilization is necessary to destroy bacteria and organic compounds that might spoil the water's taste or color. The water is pumped into a storage tank and is dosed with a small amount of free chlorine. The chlorinated water remains in the storage tank for about two hours until the reaction is complete. 4 Next, an activated carbon filter dechlorinates the water and removes residual organic matter, much like the sand filter.

A vacuum pump de-aerates the water before it passes into a dosing station. Mixing the ingredients 5 The dissolved sugar and flavor concentrates are pumped into the dosing station in a predetermined sequence according to their compatibility. The ingredients are conveyed into batch tanks where they are carefully mixed; too much agitation can cause unwanted aeration. The syrup may be sterilized while in the tanks, using ultraviolet radiation or flash pasteurization, which involves quickly heating and cooling the mixture. Fruit based syrups generally must be pasteurized. 6 The water and syrup are carefully combined by sophisticated machines, called proportioners, which regulate the flow rates and ratios of the liquids. The vessels are pressurized with carbon dioxide to prevent aeration of the mixture. Carbonating the beverage 7 Carbonation is generally added to the finished product, though it may be mixed into the water at an earlier stage. The temperature of the liquid must be carefully controlled since carbon dioxide solubility increases as the liquid temperature decreases. Many carbonators are equipped with their own cooling systems. The amount of carbon dioxide pressure used depends on the type of soft drink.

For instance, fruit drinks require far less carbonation than mixer drinks, such as tonics, which are meant to be diluted with other liquids. The beverage is slightly over-pressured with carbon dioxide to facilitate the movement into storage tanks and ultimately to the filler machine. Filling and packaging 8 The finished product is transferred into bottles or cans at extremely high flow rates. The containers are immediately sealed with pressure-resistant closures, either tinplate or steel crowns with corrugated edges, twist offs, or pull tabs. 9 Because soft drinks are generally cooled during the manufacturing process, they must be brought to room temperature before labeling to prevent condensation from ruining the labels. This is usually achieved by spraying the containers with warm water and drying them. Labels are then affixed to bottles to provide information about the brand, ingredients, shelf life, and safe use of the product. Most labels are made of paper though some are made of a plastic film. Cans are generally pre-printed with product information before the filling stage. 10 Finally, containers are packed into cartons or trays which are then shipped in larger pallets or crates to distributors.

Quality Control Soft drink manufacturers adhere to strict water quality standards for allowable dissolved solids, alkalinity, chlorides, sulfates, iron, and aluminum. Not only is it in the interest of public health, but clean water also facilitates the production process and maintains consistency in flavor, color, and body. Microbiological and other testing occur regularly. The National Soft Drink Association and other agencies set standards for regulating the quality of sugar and other ingredients. If soft drinks are produced with low-quality sugar, particles in the beverage will spoil it, creating floc. To prevent such spoilage, sugar must be carefully handled in dry, sanitized environments. It is crucial for soft drink manufacturers to inspect raw materials before they are mixed with other ingredients, because preservatives may not kill all bacteria. All tanks, pumps, and containers are thoroughly sterilized and continuously monitored. Cans, made of aluminum alloy or tin-coated low-carbon steel, are lacquered internally to seal the metal and prevent corrosion from contact with the beverage. Soft drink manufacturers also recommend specific storage conditions to retailers to insure that the beverages do not spoil. The shelf life of soft drinks is generally at least one year.

Recycling The $27 billion dollar soft drink industry generated about 110 billion containers each year in the early 1990s. About half of soft drink containers were aluminum cans and the other half, about 35 billion, were PET plastic bottles. Nearly 60% of all soft drink containers were recycled, the highest rate for any packaging in the United States. Environmental concerns continued to lead to improvements and innovations in packaging technology, including the development of refillable and reusable containers. The Future In the 1990s there were more than 450 types of soft drinks on the market and new flavors and sweeteners are developed all the time to meet market demands. In the future, advanced technology will lead to greater efficiency of soft drink production at all stages. New methods of water clarification, sterilization, and pasteurization will improve production and minimize the need for preservatives in soft drinks. Concerns with consumer health, safety, and the environment will continue to have a positive impact on trends in the soft drink industry. Where To Learn More Slideshow: Life of a Soda -- How Cola Is Made -- How Much Sugar Is in Pop The Life of … a Soda How Is Soda Made?

Do you drink soft drinks? Maybe where you live you call them "soda." Or you say "pop" or "cola." While they may taste good, sodas are not good for you. Why? Let’s see how they are made. A soda starts out as water. Sounds healthy, right? After all, water is a healthy drink. A Lot of Sugar Is Added Here’s where healthy water begins to turn into an unhealthy soda. Sugar is added to the water. Sodas have lots of sugar. One can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar. That's more sugar than in two scoops of chocolate ice cream! All that sugar isn’t healthy. Eating too much sugar can make you gain unhealthy weight. Flavor and Fizz Are Mixed In Next, vanilla or cinnamon can be added as flavors -- or lime, lemon, or orange. Sometimes color is added. Then the water is mixed with a gas called carbon dioxide. This gas makes the drink bubbly and fizzy. Caffeine Comes Next, but It’s Not Good! Soda also can have caffeine in it. But caffeine is not good for you. Caffeine can give you a headache. It can make you cranky.

Caffeine can make it hard to pay attention. It can make it hard to fall asleep. It’s best not to drink sodas or energy drinks that have caffeine. Soda Goes in the Can and to the Store The soda is squirted into cans or bottles. Tops are put on right away to keep the soda fizzy. Labels are added to bottles. Labels tell you all the stuff used to make your soda. The cans and bottles are put on trucks and shipped to stores. Thirsty? Skip Soda Now you know how soda is made. Healthy water turns into an unhealthy drink choice because sugar and caffeine are added. Be good to your body and brain. Don't drink soda everyday. Did you know there are delicious, healthy drinks to choose from when you are thirsty? What Should You Choose? Try Water or Low-Fat Milk Water helps your whole body work well, especially if you are playing sports. You don’t need sports drinks unless you’re playing hard for more than an hour. Skim milk is another great drink choice. It has calcium, which builds strong bones and teeth. Want more drink choices? Make Your Own Drink Put slices of lemon or orange in your glass. You can also use apple slices, strawberries, or frozen berries.

The fruit will add flavor to your drink. Next, pour regular water on top of the fruit until you fill your glass. Like fizz? Use sparkling water or seltzer water instead of regular water. Enjoy! See Chef Lizzie make a Fizzy Fruit drink. East Central University: "The Great Pop vs. Soda Controversy." Australian Beverages: "How Soft Drinks Are Made." Harvard School of Public Health: "Sugary Drinks or Diet Drinks: What's the Best Choice?" USDA National Nutrient Database: "Ice creams, chocolate." USDA National Nutrient Database: "Cookies, chocolate chip, commercially prepared, soft type." American Heart Association: "Sugars 101." Poundstone, W. Big Secrets, William Morrow, 1985. FDA: "Carbonated Soft Drinks: What You Should Know." St. Louis Children's Hospital: "Making Healthier Choices About Caffeine." Penn State Better Kids Care Program: "The Best Drinks for Children." This tool does not provide medical advice. See additional information THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances.

It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be relied on to make decisions about your health. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the WebMD Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911. © 2015 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. Facts About Carbonated Drinks Sitemap <a href=' target='_blank'><img src=' border='0' alt='' /></a> <a href=' target='_blank'><img src=' border='0' alt='' /></a> <a href=' target='_blank'><img src=' border='0' alt='' /></a> Facts About Carbonated Drinks Carbonation occurs when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water or an aqueous solution. This process yields the “fizz” to carbonated water and sparkling mineral water, the head to beer, and the cork pop and bubbles to champagne and sparkling wine. The quality of carbonated beverages including soft drinks, seltzer and beer is affected by the amount of dissolved CO2 (the gas that causes carbonation) and the amount of carbonic acid in the drink.

Carbonation can occur as a result of natural processes: when yeast ferments dissolved sugars sealed in a pressure-tolerant bottle or keg; when underground volcanic carbon dioxide carbonates well water ; or when rainwater passes through limestone into a cave and forms a stalactite. Or it can be done artificially by dissolving carbon dioxide under pressure into the liquid. Sometimes natural carbonation is called conditioning while the term carbonation is reserved for the artificial process. In many consumer beverages such as soft drinks (well known examples include Coca-Cola, 7 Up, Fanta and Pepsi), carbonation is used to give “bite”. Contrary to popular belief, the fizzy taste is caused by dilute carbonic acid inducing a slight burning sensation, and is not caused by the presence of bubbles.It can be shown by having a fizzy drink in a hyperbaric chamber at the same pressure just as the beverage. This gives much the same taste, but the bubbles are completely absent.

Carbonation is sometimes used for reasons other than consumption for example: to lower the pH (raise the hydrogen ion concentration) of a water solution, and in the cleaning industry (Chem-Dry and Carbonated Solutions both use carbonated cleaning solutions for carpet cleaning) In homebrewing, overcarbonation can be dangerous; it can result in bottles gushing or even exploding. Adding priming sugar or malt extract at bottling time to beer that has had its fermentable sugar content totally consumed is the safest approach to carbonation . Increasing the levels recommended for priming sugar for a given recipe is not good, as is using improper capping methods or inappropriate bottles. Beer may also be force-carbonated using a keg and special bottling equipment so that the carbonation level can be carefully controlled. Carbonated water , also known as sparkling water, and seltzer, is plain water into which carbon dioxide gas has been dissolved, and is the major and defining component of most “soft drinks”. The process of dissolving carbon dioxide gas is called carbonation. It results in the formation of carbonic acid (which has the chemical formula H2CO3).

A large assortment of calorie free flavors to flavor sparkling water to great taste is sold at Smetimes earlier, soda water, was also known as club soda, which was made in home by “charging” a refillable seltzer bottle by filling it with water and after that adding carbon dioxide. Club soda may be identical to plain carbonated water or it may contain a small amount of table salt, sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium sulfate, or disodium phosphate, depending on the bottler. These additives are added in order to impart slightly salty taste to the homemade soda water. The process can also occur naturally to produce carbonated mineral water, such as in Mihalkovo in the Bulgarian Rhodopes. Carbonated Water Carbonated Water Carbonated Water © Denzil Green Carbonated Water is water that contains a high amount of carbon dioxide in it, CO2, which makes the water bubbly and gives it a tangy taste. It is also known as Seltzer Water. Some artificially Carbonated Water is perceived by some people as being high in sodium. But, it shouldn't be: Carbonated Water is not the same as Soda Water or Club Soda. It's just plain, carbonated water.

The "carbonated" adjective does not mean there is "sodium bicarbonate" in it, which the other two do have. Carbonated Water can be used as a mixer in alcoholic beverages, or to make soda pop from. Some swear by it as a thirst quencher on its own. Some like to use it in making their matzoh balls; they say it makes them lighter. Carbonated Water can be made at home. One way is through a machine such as the one called "Soda Stream." These machines are useful if you go through a good deal of carbonated water. Syrups can be purchased that you can add to the carbonated water to make flavoured soft drinks. Another way to make soda water at home is with a soda siphon. You fill the soda siphon bottle with water, and put the lid on. You then attach to it a small cylinder of CO2, sometimes called a "charger." They usually come in boxes of a dozen. You should only use food grade CO2 cartridges meant for the soda bottles. Other ones might have some lubricants in them. You screw the cylinder on until it is pierced and the CO2 is released into it. Then, you shake the bottle.

Many of the older soda siphons were attached to glass bottles, usually coloured blue. Home-made Carbonated Water has smaller, more delicate bubbles than commercially-made Carbonated Water. You get also get flavoured Carbonated Water, particularly fruit-flavoured. They taste like a weak soda pop. History Notes Joseph Priestley (born 13 March 1733, Leeds, England) was an amateur scientist. He was studying air that was heavier than normal air -- we now know what "heavier air" to be carbon dioxide. He figured out how to make carbon dioxide in his own laboratory. While experimenting with dissolving this heavier air in water in 1767, he discovered that the water got a tangy taste. He received awards from the French Academy of Sciences (1772) and the Royal Society (1773) for his discoveries. In 1794, he emigrated to the States, settling in Pennsylvania. he died 6 February 1804. In 1783, a process for carbonating water as Priestly had done, but more effectively, was patented in the UK by Jacob Schweppe.

The next challenge was to keep the carbonation in the bottle once the water was carbonated. Previously, corks had been used to keep liquids in bottles, but as the corks dried out and shrunk the carbonation leaked out leaving the water flat. Though our solution today is to use tight-fitting metal caps, those hadn't been though of yet, so what Schweppe did instead was make sure that the corks wouldn't dry out: he used bottles with round bottoms so that people had to lay the bottles on their sides. Language Notes The name "Seltzer Water" is adapted from waters from Nieder Selters, a spa town in Weisbaden area of Germany. There, the water is naturally carbonated.

See also: DIY How To Make Your Own Home Drink Carbonation System Sodastream machines are nice, but for the true seltzer addict, a do-it-yourself carbonation system can be cheaper, more flexible, and more fun By John Mahoney posted Jun 15th, 2012 at 1:54pm John Mahoney DIY Carbonator If your friends and family are anything like mine, you've observed that home beverage carbonation is experiencing a bit of a renaissance lately. Perhaps you've seen the increasingly ubiquitous Sodastream machine on a countertop near you—or, more likely, heard its syncopated honk and pop-fizz release from across the room, announcing another fresh liter of water made bubbly. The Sodastream is a nice machine in a convenient package, but for the true fizz addict with a tinkerer's predilection, it's possible to build your own home carbonator that's cheaper, more flexible, and ultimately more satisfying. Here's why you might want to consider your own DIY rig, and most importantly, how to put it together. It's easy!

It's Cheaper The Sodastream machine's Achilles heel is its tiny, proprietary CO2 tank. The company (formerly known as Soda Club) sells seven different home carbonation machines ranging from $80 to $200 (enhancements along the line are mostly cosmetic), but only offers CO2 canisters in 14.5 and 33-ounce sizes. (The measurements refer to the weight of the gas.) Sodastream claims somewhat optimistically that these are good to make a total of 60 and 130 liters of seltzer respectively. What's worse, these tanks have a proprietary cap which can only be filled by the company. My local kitchen supply store charges a hefty $15 to swap an empty 14.5-ounce tank for a new one. Compare that to the $15 charged by my friendly neighborhood welding supply shop to fill my new five pound tank, and the economics start to come into focus. With luck, my five-pounder won't need a refill until early 2013, and if you've got the room, you can go even bigger on the tank.

Web carbonation guru Richard Kinch yields over 1,000 liters from his 20-pound tank—and he likes his seltzer extremely fizzy (more on that in a minute). It's More Versatile The Sodastream is an appealingly simple gadget. But once you develop a refined taste for on-demand seltzer, you may find it somewhat limiting. Sodastream's CO2 regulators come factory-set and aren't adjustable, meaning it's impossible to go beyond its pre-defined pressure limit. But with your home-built model's adjustable regulator, you can fine-tune the level of carbonation applied to your liquids. Mr. Kinch favors a tongue-blistering 45-50 psi fizz on his soda water, but if you want a milder 30 psi pop, you can adjust your gas regulator with the quick turn of a screwdriver or wrench. Adjustable pressure also allows you to apply the ideal amount of carbonation to different types of liquids. If you're charging up a batch of tasty gin fizzes (or starting your own modernist cocktail bar ), you'll want to dial up the pressure to 45 psi, since alcohol can dissolve more carbon dioxide than plain water.

I don't know the ideal pressurization level for cream gravy, but with your bountiful supply of cheap CO2, you're welcome to experiment (please report back with your findings). With a home rig you can also ditch the Sodastream's proprietary one-liter plastic (or puny 620ml glass) bottles and use anything with a standard plastic soda bottle cap. One liter, two liters—even those cartoonishly obese three-liter bottles—all will work with your DIY carbonator. Just make sure it's plastic—a blown plastic bottle is much preferable to flying glass shrapnel in the unlikely case of rupture. It's More Fun If you've gotten this far, I probably don't need to explain to you how satisfying it is to improve on a commercial product with a more economical machine of your own construction. But even if this isn't typically your thing (I'm by no means a handyman), a home carbonator is an exceedingly easy project that just about anyone can handle. So let's get started. Parts List • A CO2 tank of any size. Empties can be found on eBay and filled at welding shops, paintball facilities, homebrew hobby shops and elsewhere.

My five-pound tank was $100 filled at McKinney Welding Supply in Manhattan and fits into a small cabinet in my kitchen. • A gas regulator ($39.95, Amazon ). The regulator tames the high-pressure inside the CO2 tank and outputs an even flow of gas at constant, adjustable pressure into whatever you connect to the other end. Nicer ones will have two gauges—one for the gas tank's pressure which will hit zero when empty, and one that measures the output pressure into whatever you're gassing up. • A length of vinyl tubing (Five ft. with hose clamps, $5.49, Amazon ). Tubing rated for pressurized applications is required—you'll want about a 1/4" thickness. You can also get braided vinyl line for a bit more durability. The barb fitting of a CO2 regulator typically has an outer diameter of 3/8 inch, so tubing with an inner diameter of 5/16 inch is what you want. • A ball-lock keg coupler ($7.50, Amazon ).

This piece connects to the other end of your tubing and holds back gas flow until the little inner valve button is depressed by the tip your Carbonator bottle cap. • The Carbonator bottle cap ($11.43, Amazon ). This ingenious cap screws onto your soda bottle and provides a valve on the other end that engages with the keg coupler to connect your bottle to the gas supply without leaks. • A standard soda bottle filled with cold liquid (warm water doesn't dissolve CO2 well). Any size bottle will work, so long as it has the common cap size found on a typical two-liter bottle of Coke. I can't resist quoting Kinch again here, who very admirably takes nothing in his system for granted: "If we could send a few back through time to the ancients, these bottles would be considered precious jewels reserved for the king's use." Total cost: $163.94. It's a little more money up front than all but the most pricey Sodastream machines, but those $15 canister refills add up quickly. After a few months you'll be saving money (ultimately, the system produces seltzer at three or four cents per liter—not bad!).

You can also lower your initial spend on the CO2 tank by shopping eBay. Assembly Once you have all your parts, final assembly can be done in 10 minutes or less. Here are the connections you make: Attach the regulator to your CO2 tank by lining up the threaded ends of each. Unless you're the Incredible Hulk, you'll want to crescent-wrench the regulator's threaded nut tight, using PTFE tape , to ensure a leak-free seal. Attach one line of hose securely to the ridged metal piece (the "barb") on the bottom of your regulator. To the other end of the tube, attach the barb of your keg coupler. Hose clamps should be screwed tightly into place over each tube-covered barb for a snug fit. Congratulations, you're done! Filling Your First Bottle Now, for the grand finale. There are three points of gas control in our system: the tank's main on/off knob, the regulator's cutoff switch (right above the barb end (some regulators don't have this)), and the valve on your keg coupler.

Gas only flows through the system when the Carbonator cap is snapped into the keg coupler (you can also reach inside the coupler and depress the valve with your finger if you want to torment the cats with a gust of CO2). If you fill bottles frequently, you can leave the tank's main on/off valve open and use the regulator's cutoff switch to turn the gas on and off. Bring the system up to pressure by opening the tank's main valve and the cutoff switch (parallel to the gas tube is "open"). Your gauges will spring to life. Turn the pressure adjustment knob or screw on the front of your regulator until the low-pressure gauge (the top one) reaches the desired level. I do my water at 35-40 psi. You'll want to dial up the pressure to 45-50 psi if it's fizzy cocktail hour. Fill your soda bottle with cold liquid, but only up to the point where the diameter starts to recede at the top of the bottle. This leaves enough room for for the carbon dioxide. With your Carbonator cap in one hand, squeeze the bottle until the liquid rises to the very brim. Holding it there, screw on the cap.

We don't want any gas but CO2 in our bottle. With the gas turned off (using the regulator's cutoff switch), attach the Carbonator-capped bottle to the keg coupler by sliding the coupler's fitting up and snapping the bottle into place. Make sure it's on straight for a good seal. Turn on the gas. Your bottle will puff out with a satisfying thump, inflated to the pressure of your choosing. Keeping the gas on, shake the bottle for 20-30 seconds to dissolve the CO2 into the liquid. You'll see the regulator gauge fluctuate a bit as gas is dissolved—the system will keep the pressure constant, so as more gas is dissolved, more is passed into the bottle. Turn off the gas, pop off the keg coupler, and unscrew the cap on your first bottle of delicious DIY seltzer. Ahhhhh! And that's it! May you enjoy a long life of flexible, thrifty carbonation with your own home rig.

Tags: What Is Seltzer Water Sitemap <a href=' target='_blank'><img src=' border='0' alt='' /></a> <a href=' target='_blank'><img src=' border='0' alt='' /></a> <a href=' target='_blank'><img src=' border='0' alt='' /></a> What Is Seltzer Water Carbonated water , also known as sparkling water, fizzy water, soda water, club soda, seltzer water , or pop water is plain water into which carbon dioxide gas has been dissolved, and is the major and defining component of most “soft drinks”. The process of dissolving carbon dioxide gas is called carbonation. It results in the formation of carbonic acid (which has the chemical formula H2CO3). Earlier, soda water was made in the home by “charging” a refillable seltzer bottle and by filling it with water afterward adding carbon dioxide in it. Club soda may be identical to plain carbonated water or it may contain a small amount of table salt, sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium sulfate, or disodium phosphate, depending on the bottler.

These additives are included to emulate the slightly salty taste of homemade soda water . In the UK Soda Water is nearly always made with Sodium Bicarbonate. The process can also occur naturally to produce carbonated mineral water , such as in Mihalkovo in the Bulgarian Rhodopes The quality of carbonated beverages including soft drinks, seltzer and beer is affected by the amount of dissolved CO2 (the gas that causes carbonation) and the amount of carbonic acid in the drink. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has an infrared absorption wavelength of 4.27 micrometers and can be measured online using an infrared carbonation sensor. In many consumer beverages such as soft drinks (well known examples include Coca-Cola, 7 Up, Fanta and Pepsi), carbonation is used to give “bite”. Contrary to popular belief, the fizzy taste is caused by dilute carbonic acid inducing a slight burning sensation, and is not caused by the presence of bubbles. This can be shown by drinking a fizzy drink in a hyperbaric chamber at the same pressure as the beverage. This gives much the same taste, but the bubbles are completely absent. And you’ll enjoy the fizziest seltzer on the planet.

Unlike old fashioned soda siphons, you can make seltzer as fizzy as you like it with a Soda-Club home soda/seltzer maker. You can even make your own flavored seltzer with all-natural, unsweetened MyWater flavor essences. You love seltzer … and even though you may pay sale prices, the cost of seltzer still adds up. It may be that you buy one-liter bottles of seltzer on sale in the store each for 50 cents — or as low as each 33 cents (4 dollar for a 12-bottle case). Even at these store sale prices, if your household drinks one case of 12 one-liter bottles per week, you’ll spend over $2,000 on seltzer over the next 10 years! With Soda-Club, you will slash your seltzer costs to as low as 18 cents per liter — that’s like paying just $2 per case! — and you’ll enjoy fresh, fizzy seltzer at the push of a button!

And if you prefer the sophisticated light carbonation of imported sparkling water, you’ll love the Penguin, which makes fresh sparkling water in elegant cut glass carafes. Here are several more reasons to get started with Soda-Club: • No More Schlepping: Reusable, one-liter carbonating bottles save you from lugging (and storing) all of those cases from the store. • Stay Fizzy Longer: Special bottle caps with hermetic seals will keep your seltzer much fizzier for longer than store-bought seltzer. • Convenience: You’ll make seltzer in convenient one-liter bottles. Unlike those expensive, one and done soda siphon chargers, each one of our large, lightweight Alco2jet CO2 carbonators in our sleek home soda/seltzer makers contain enough C02 to carbonate up to 110 liters of fresh, fizzy seltzer. Carbonators which are empty are easily exchanged door-to-door, anywhere on the American Island. • Control Your Fizz: Whether you like a few light bubbles or serious, nose-tickling fizz, a Soda-Club home seltzer maker lets you make it the way you want it.

• Environmentally Friendly: Reusing your carbonating bottles will drastically reduce discarded and recyclable material in our environment. Also saves money on deposit fees! • Better for You: Sodium free! You can add a drop of one of Soda-Club’s all-natural, a fresh berry, unsweetened MyWater flavor essences for a whisper of flavor. You will have a great-tasting, fresh beverage which is one hundred percent natural

Question: What gas is used to make carbonated soft drinks and soda water?
Answer: Carbon dioxide