Sodastream Machines

[Joe Anshien]

That should be a food grade CO(2) tank. The SodaStream cartridges are really expensive, and I'm not surprised in the least about 3rd party refills or kits.

I have made (and probably should start again) making sparkling water in my kegerator. It's all a sunk cost, so it's just costing me a tap space which is fine, because I just don't have anything else on them at the moment.

I picked up the whole kit minus the tops for the bottles for $50 from someone selling his old kegerator parts. The tank lasts me forever and gives me about 45lbs of bubbles in a bottle. When empty I just swap out the CO2 bottle for about $30

 

[LMichaels]

So, I found on FleaBay a Philips unit with 2 tanks. I paid a bit more than I wanted to but it had one full CO2 and one near full CO2. Well I did a blind taste test between my Italian Sparkling Mineral water and my Cherry Valley well filtered gasified water. Wife did the samples. The first thing she asked was which is better? And I honestly could not pick one over the other. They were both outstanding. Then she asked: Which is which? And I could tell which was which. However; I think part of it was because the water I'd just gassed, vs the fresh bottle of Italian water were slightly different temps, with the freshly gassed water being almost cold because I'd run the filtered faucet a minute to make sure to get well filtered and all the water out of the line from the basement.
The second test: I refilled an Italian bottle to test if it would hold pressure if I refilled. We then waited about 10 min. By this time both were at pretty much full room temp. I honestly could not discern much if any difference between them. At least not enough to tell you which bottle poured which glass.
So, I will likely not be buying cases of water anymore. Because I can do the equivalent of 4-5 cases of my $16 per case water for the cost of one C)2 cylinder. Which would be about $28. vs buying the same amount bottled at close to $50. Win win! I am actually quite surprised and pleased.
Of course if my area did not have such high quality water out of Artesian wells to begin with I am unsure how well this test would have turned out

 

[LMichaels]

So, I am wondering here. So far I like the Philips machine BUT it seems "inconsistent". Had daughter's "guy" over (they have the Soda Stream Terra). I am avoiding the newer Soda Stream brand because of their decision to go with their own style CO2 bottle which is not universal or easily found refilled. Plus more $$$$
Anyway a couple things after living with the Philips have me wondering.
So, AJ (daughter's BF) tried it in comparison to the SS and said "good, but not as much fizz as the SS" which I like a tad more "fizz". So, the whole process seems quite simple/straightforward to me. A little tube is in the water, CO2 bubbles come out, pressurize the water vessel and you have sparkling water.
But, as I research more and more it seems some machines can get more fizz, others not so much, others don't have "long lasting" fizz and others do. How can there be so much variation in such a simple device? What changes between devices? Pressure valve? Bottle design/seal? Got me really scratching my head on this. Please I don't care about doing a "pro rig" in my home or large CO2 things. I want a simple decent looking unit sitting on my counter self contained. That uses screw in CO2 canisters.

 

[JKalchik]

I see 2 opportunities for how the "fizz" behaves. The easy one is pressure, and likely, you'll have no control over that. More pressure, more fizz. Something to definitely look for is a dip tube that goes all the way to the bottom of the bottle so that it'll carbonate from the bottom up. Secondly, the gas itself. Generally, I'd expect it to be pure CO(2) (what I use in my kegerator.) There's a variant called beer gas which is partially nitrogen, and that gives a rather "creamy" appearance and mouth feel. I guess that it's possible that there are additives in the syrups for head retention, but by & large, the carbonation pressure is going to determine the fizzy level. I don't see that how a vessel is sealed will matter, as long as it holds pressure.

It doesn't surprise me in the least that SodaStream will push very hard to lock you in to buying their VERY expensive cartridges, and if you have to buy a new SodaStream periodically, ya know, so be it.

 

[Joe Anshien]

When I had a Soda Stream it had 3 settings for fizz. I think I could just keep pushing down for more. Also very cold water and shaking helps.

 

[JKalchik]

Also very cold water and shaking helps

True. One of those things that I just do, I don't tend to remember. Beer is always carbonated after it's chilled, it'll take more carbonation, and easier. One of the home brewer tricks is to start carb'ing, take the keg out and roll it on the floor. Note that's only advisable if you have very little yeast and/or hops in the keg.

 

[LMichaels]

Ok, so there is not a single home counter top machine I've seen that has a dip tube to the bottom. They all end about 15mm beneath the surface of the water. I do chill the water first. I put a bunch of ice in the bottle, then fill with the filtered water. Then shake it to disperse after ice begins melting. Not sure how much colder I can get it.
Honestly don't want to take the CO2 cart out and roll it around. I can only push the button on the Philips so many times usually 2 pushes of about 3 seconds each before it farts out excess pressure/gas. (which in my way of thinking is wasting it).
Which is leaving me with only a couple different ideas to ponder. A, either the Philips is limited to much lower pressure than some others, or B, the machine I bought is "defective" i.e. either a bad seal for the bottle neck or faulty relief valve.
I tried a soda steam bottle in my Philips. They're compatible in that direction but my Philips bottles will not work in a Soda Stream.
Another thing I noticed. My machine came with a bottle and I bought a 2 pack of "OEM" Philips bottles from Amazon. The gaskets are slightly different in the new bottles, and it seems those bottles don't hold pressure as well as the original one. As the replacement bottles have slightly thinner gaskets. So as a last resort I ordered 2 metal SS caps (as they're same size), and will try them. Should that not work to hold pressure, I'll send the Philips bottles back to Amazon, sell the Philips and scrap the whole idea instead I'll get an older style SS (which uses the universal screw in type CO2), and just throw in the towel going to the dark side.
But, I am looking for ideas as there has to be something I am missing

 

[Anne M.]

Since I started kegging my beer, I now also keg water
I got 4 x 8 litre oxebar kegs and 1 is always with filled with carbonated water.

 

[LMichaels]

So the Philips "blew up". I ordered a My Soda from Amazon and it's a VERY nice unit working incredibly well. However. Sitting here tonight and sipping on some bubbly water. Noticed a funny "chemical" taste. Threw me for a loop. I checked my ice, I checked my water even the mug and bottle. Even going so far as to wash both. Tasted the water. No aroma/taste. Gassed it and faint weird smell and taste showed up.
Still on the same CO2 tank I started fresh a few days ago. But the only thing I can trace the smell and taste to is the gas.
Has anyone ever heard of CO2 "going off" with something like this? It's the only thing I can seem to trace it to.

 

[JKalchik]

That's not right, for sure. Food grade CO2 shouldn't have any discernible taste or odor. I've never had anything like that with the 5lb and 20lb cylinders I use. If you've cleaned everything else, then I'd be suspected the gas cylinder as well.

Carbonation does rather enhance some of the inherent flavors in the liquid, though. Picking up some distilled water and carbonating that would remove the house water from the equation.

 

[LMichaels]

That's not right, for sure. Food grade CO2 shouldn't have any discernible taste or odor. I've never had anything like that with the 5lb and 20lb cylinders I use. If you've cleaned everything else, then I'd be suspected the gas cylinder as well.

Carbonation does rather enhance some of the inherent flavors in the liquid, though. Picking up some distilled water and carbonating that would remove the house water from the equation.

Well, since currently I have 2 different machines here (repaired the Philips and have it on FleaBay), I took the CO2 out of the MySoda and did a bottle at room temp to be sure of getting any possible "off aroma or taste". Sure enough the smell/taste followed the CO2 cart to the Philips. So, because that cyl is about 3/4 done I opened a fresh cyl and installed it in the My Soda Woody and gassed another bottle at room temp.. No smell or taste present. Gotta wonder what is happening there?

 

[JKalchik]

So, unless I'm misunderstanding something, the off taste is only in water carbonated by that particular cartridge? I'd be calling the vendor/manufacturer, and maybe even if the cartridge cost is completely nominal. Smells like a contamination issue, they'll want the lot number off the cartridge if there's any issue.

 

[LMichaels]

So, unless I'm misunderstanding something, the off taste is only in water carbonated by that particular cartridge? I'd be calling the vendor/manufacturer, and maybe even if the cartridge cost is completely nominal. Smells like a contamination issue, they'll want the lot number off the cartridge if there's any issue.

Yeah I may have to do that. They're from Soda Sense up in Madison WI. IDK the expiration on it. It came with the Philips when I bought it. The Philips had 1 near full cyl and one unopened one. This was the one I opened and it was fine up until tonight. But, the smell followed the cyl between 2 different soda machines.
I have 2 more coming soon from a different company in WI in Lake Mills (Simply Soda). Thinking I'll just send the stinky one to them as an empty but flag it letting them know. I think they fully purge them anyway

 

[JKalchik]

Thinking I'll just send the stinky one to them as an empty but flag it letting them know. I think they fully purge them anyway

I'd rather suspect that a contaminant solution may not get purged. Gas bottle purges generally aren't much more than a blow the existing gases out and refill, it's not a cleaning cycle. If you send it back as an empty, flag it for sure as a "stinky" cylinder.

 

[LMichaels]

I'd rather suspect that a contaminant solution may not get purged. Gas bottle purges generally aren't much more than a blow the existing gases out and refill, it's not a cleaning cycle. If you send it back as an empty, flag it for sure as a "stinky" cylinder.

That is my intent