Carbonating Water: The 2 Most Important Things To Do

Patreon: / artofdrink
When it comes to making carbonated water or seltzer, there are two important factors that are more important than the pressure of the carbonated water. Those factors are temperature and dissolved air, and getting both right can improve your carbonated water or seltzer by at least 60% if not more.
Aerated Waters by Joseph Goold (1880)
artofdr.ink/goold
Essential Oil and Flavour Suppliers artofdr.ink/suppliers
Calculation Form for Soda Formulations artofdr.ink/calc-form
*Getting Started Making Soda*
If you are new to making soda, welcome, and you should check out the following videos because they will show you the basics of making soda and will help answer most of your questions.
Using Essential Oils Safely • Know These Details to ...
How to Make a Soda Flavour • How to Make a Flavour ...
How to Make a Flavour Extract • How to Make an Herbal ...
Simple Syrup for Soda • How to Make Simple Syr...
How to Formulate a Flavour • Formulating Your Own F...
Art of Drink www.artofdrink.com
Twitter: / dsoneil
Camera Gear
Panasonic GH6 w/ 12-32mm F2.8 (primary)
Olympus E-M1 MkII w/ 12-40mm F2.8
Olympus E-M5 MkIII w/ Leica 25mm F1.4
#soda #science #drinks

[@mohsinshah7117]

Man is an under rated legend

[@user-oq1ku4wq7s]

Thanks again..I cannot wait for the next video

[@droidgamemaniac4563]

great source of information! thanks for the "boiling tip". Have to try it.

[@kamakirinoko]

WOW! You just confirmed what I've been doing by instinct for 8 years, when I got my SodaStream. I adore what I've called "fuzzy water" for a long time, but the carbonation levels in Perrier etc. are, as you well know, pathetically low-cosmetic, even. But ever since I got my SodaStream-unfortunately abbreviated as "SS" here for purposes of brevity-I somehow knew to not use tap water-in Montreal it's disgusting, and it's not even fluoridated, so I bought a water cooler and use those huge cooler dispensers of "Eau Source," as they call it here. But I started out by putting the uncarbonated bottles in the freezer until they had formed a slight amount of ice formation, and THEN put them in the SS. But after a while I just discovered that pumping the machine three times, or what they recommended, it tasted infinitely better the more times you pump it, with my optimum pump these days being around twelve pumps of the machine. Bit as you pointed out, all that good fizz is going to be wasted in a warm glass, so I freeze beer-tasting mugs-they're tall and very thin, almost like a champagne flute, except for tasting beer-and decant the now-fuzzy water into them with a twist of lemon and a half a strawberry. But I've always wondered how carbonation works (I kept getting strange results with the keywords "How to carbonise water," as you can imagine! Graphene sodas, anyone?) and how to get more of it in my drink . . . I quit drinking 8 years ago, so champagne is not an option, or I'd be drinking IT all day instead of fuzzy water. But the boiling trick-will it get more carbonation into the water for the same amount of pumps (ie. 11 or 12) or will it cause the water to be heavily carbonated with fewer pumps of the SS machine? I despise the tyranny of SodaStream-they make damn sure you can't use any other CO² refills, and they remind me of the old inkjet cartridge printers, which I learned to replace with a laser many years ago-but the alternative, with massive equipment and complex machinations are not options . . . getting the most from what I have is the only one. So I'll try boiling up my first bottle today and report back! Great videos-I know how hard they are to make, so many kudos. I'm guessing you're from Edmonton.

[@Artofdrink]

Thanks and I'm glad a little science explanation confirmed your discovery. Yes, the boiling, or even heating to 90°C will dissolve much more CO2 with equal or fewer pumps. And I'm much further east of Edmonton, in London Ontario. I spent a fair number of summers as a kid in Montreal, visiting family. Cheers

[@peteormond2828]

Tap into the search box - refilling sodastream CO2 bottles.

[@danielbrillantes2791]

Very useful videos. Thank you

[@krobane0162]

Good content man

[@peteormond2828]

Great video and thanks !

[@frickezthias8638]

This is really cool to learn about

[@psylux42]

this is amazing

[@kostbill]

Amazing content.

[@Artofdrink]

Much appreciated

[@user-lz2sg9cy1q]

thank you !

[@jerrymoostache7821]

Loved this episode! I wonder if chilled double-wall glasses would work as good as heavy glass

[@Artofdrink]

Thanks and yes double walled glasses work well for keeping drinks cold

[@mohdabrar2839]

thanks

[@nathangabriele8000]

Super informative video! Is there a way to control the size of the bubbles? Say to make really fine bubbles?

[@etroyer]

Thanks for another great video, Darcy. I’ve always wondered what the right amount of time I should be releasing the CO2 into my bottle using the SodaStream (to get in as much as possible without wasting CO2). How long do you hold the injector?

[@Artofdrink]

I usually do it in 2 steps. Take ice cold water and carbonate it with 3 to 4 blasts of CO2, seal the bottle and put it in the fridge for 30 min or so, then do it a second time. Seems to get the best results.

[@Melman888]

Very nice information, theres a Soda water brand called Capi soda water here in Australia. They add in Bicarbonate in addition to filtering their water etc. Do you think that additional minerals give water an extra level on said pungency?

[@Artofdrink]

Adding bicarbonate can increase pungency, but only if mixed with an acid (like citric acid, lime juice, etc.) in a drink. Bicarbonate on it's own won't release CO2. But added mineral salts, in small amount 200 mg to 400 mg per litre do improve flavour.

[@Melman888]

​@Artofdrink Thanks for the reply. You just got yourself another parteon subscriber ✌️ these videos you're making are a game changer

[@xingchuyongren]

饮料公司用便捷的产品冲击了这种文化。我觉得手工瓶装和提供便利和容易保存的汽水饮料，是竞争的一部分。

[@davejoseph5615]

I am curious if you have actually measured the pressure in a Sodastream bottle during carbonation? I hear many KZbinrs claim that it is a very low pressure (~15psi) but one video had a gauge mounted on a bottle and the pressure was actually much higher. I am also curious if there is a practical way to determine what saturation level has been achieved?

[@chiluxr250]

Hi, can you make a video on how a small manufacturer of drinks, handle packaging and filling of carbonated water at the same time without minimal loss.

[@Artofdrink]

Next 3 videos deal with this

[@mmeiselph7234]

Do you move the sodastream bottle from the fridge to the freezer for a while to get to 0°C? If so, how long? Or just add ice?

[@Artofdrink]

I move it to the freeze and take it out just as ice forms, then carbonate.

[@CascadesHomebrew]

I have read that water will quickly absorb oxygen as it cools after being boiled. Is there truth to this? If so, are there strategies to limit the amount of oxygen that is absorbed? I am primarily a beer maker, but occasionally make hop water or carbonated water. I typically use campden/metabisulfite to remove chlorine & chloramine. I have read that Ascorbic Acid can be used as well. Is that similar to Sodium Ascorbate you mention?

[@fisherteladi1837]

By "Quick" I understand there is a comparison factor. Oxygen solubility chart in water is what you want to check for first two questions. As oxygen has to come from somewhere sealing your boiled water might be a solution.

[@Artofdrink]

Air and oxgen do absorb back into water but without sloshing it is a slow process (days) just like trying to get beer carbonated without agitation, it takes a while. The easiest way to keep oxygen out is to purge/ displace it with some CO2 gas.

[@MichaelScottPerkins]

Great video! I have two odd questions. 1.) Probably overkill for 99% of people, but I have a vac. chamber for working with epoxy. Instead of boiling water to remove air, would a typical vac chamber remove all the entrapped air? 2.) I love my Soda Stream, but the C02 bottles are a 100% rip off when you consider that you can buy a HUGE bottle of C02 for almost nothing. Any tips on highly carbonated water at home without a Soda Stream?

[@MichaelScottPerkins]

Ehhh... never mind. Your most recent "Quick Carbonation" video kind of answered my #2) question. Great channel man!!! Love the science + soda angle.

[@Artofdrink]

Vac chambers work, but they can be slow. Commercial soda makers use vac chambers, but they spray the water into the chamber so the small droplets are easier to extract the air out. Just pulling air from 5 gallons of water would take more time.

[@fisherteladi1837]

What about vacuum boiling? Thank you for sharing resources. One of the books that educated me on this topic is "Factors associated with the retention of carbon dioxide in carbonated beverages" by John Minerf (1938). Available for free on the Internet.

[@Artofdrink]

Vacuum boiling would work, the soda industry uses a spray nozzle in a vacuum chamber to degas water continuously.

[@fisherteladi1837]

​@@Artofdrink I see. So no chance that industry-scale process come down to home scale I guess.

[@Artofdrink]

@@fisherteladi1837 unlikely, most small scale stuff is done by the batch.

[@Tarrosion]

How would running water through a cycle in a chamber vac compare to boiling?

[@Artofdrink]

That's what soda companies do (vacuum chamber with a water spray nozzle) and it is effective but not practical for small batch and home use.

[@letoatreides5553]

Does the degassing after boiling change the flavor? I always felt that water which has been boiled does have a different taste.

[@Artofdrink]

Never noticed a difference.

[@christopherkopperman8108]

Interesting you say tastes different, I've always felt it was more of a different mouth feel. I believe this is the reason many tea ceremonies bring water to a full boil, let it cool a bit then bring it back to a simmer as this allows them to remove the air and then get to the appropriate temperature for teas (about 180 for oolong). Though other methods such as bring black tea to the kettle and bring the kettle to the oolong have also long been methods to control temperature.

[@punkdigerati]

Would nitrogen sparging have an appreciable effect on dissolved oxygen from room temp water?

[@Artofdrink]

Nitrogen also dissolves in water, though less than oxygen. The ratio in water is 35% oxygen and 65% nitrogen so you will still have nitrogen displacing the carbon dioxide in the liquid. It's best to just get all the air out.

[@fisherteladi1837]

I'm more concerned about how you're going to achieve that. Home equipment?

[@punkdigerati]

@@fisherteladi1837 corny keg, sintered stone, and nitrogen tank would probably be easiest, stuff used for nitro cold brew coffee dispensing. Literature suggests combining different approaches such as vacuum and heat with sparging can be extra effective.

[@ICallBullTV]

Question, is carbonic acid the same thing?

[@Artofdrink]

Carbonic acid is when carbon dioxide and water combine, so when adding carbon dioxide to water you create carbonic acid and when you add pressure you create more. Carbonic acid forms at lower temperatures, hence why 0°C creates the best carbonated water.

[@danielbrillantes2791]

Will you lose the carbonation if you freeze carbonated water?

[@Artofdrink]

Yes you will

[@danielbrillantes2791]

@@Artofdrink Also, if the perfect carbonation temperature is 0 degrees, wouldn't water become ice at that temperature? is there a way to not make it freeze at 0?

[@Artofdrink]

@@danielbrillantes2791 water can exist as ice or water at 0C but water under pressure freezes slightly below 0

[@xingchuyongren]

在我的国家。复古汽水并没有真正的盛行过。比较流行的是台湾的奶茶文化和美式咖啡文化以及其他本土的饮料文化，白酒 茶 等等。在香港一些店铺有制作手工汽水瓶装销售，奎宁水等等。但并没有让这个文化盛行起来。这真是一种文化复兴运动。

[@BravingTheOutDoors]

Didn't really understand why ice makes it go flat. BTW, I watched a lot of videos you've made and I googled it and I still don't really know what soda fountains are.

[@Artofdrink]

Ice has sharp edges and imperfections that allow carbon dioxide bubbles to form. And the soda fountain was a place to get soda drinks in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

[@divingfe]

@@Artofdrink GREAT video, Darcy, Thanks very much. Soda Fountains were very common in drugstore snack bars all the way through the 50's; Ice cream sundaes, etc.