Attention Sodastream users!!! Newbie here. (Necropost)

@lichme You’re right, I’ve tried MiO but don’t like the flavors. I use the generic Target brand of Crystal Light. I get the ones that are designed for two quarts each. I then divide them up into two portions so I’m basically using only half the package for each 1-liter bottle of fizzy water. One liter equals 1.06 quarts so it’s close to the recommended amount for each bottle.

With the crystals, you have to shake up the water with vigor to get it dissolved all the way but then I let it settle for several hours before opening it.

I also discovered to not pre-cool the water. I use room temperature tap water, add the flavoring, then put it in the fridge. If I take water from the fridge first, the soda stream forms ice around the white thing that goes into the water and gets clogged up.

@cengland0 Thank for letting me know about cooling the water, I was wondering if it made a difference.

@ConAndLibrarian Water temperature makes another important difference. The warmer it is, the less soluble the CO2 will be. So you’ll use up the carbonating cartridges a lot faster. I say keep the water as cold as possible, and find a favoring method that’s more compatible.

@RiotDemon No one in their right mind would attempt to carbonate milk. My stomach curdles (so to speak) at the very idea. I go into withdrawal if I go more than 7-10 days without milk. I never even graduated to coffee, tea, or alcohol; I stayed stuck at the milk, Coke, and juice stages of life.

@magic_cave I am stuck at one stage prior to you - the milk and juice stage. Don’t like carbonation either.

@magic_cave he makes a few other ones. Beanboozled soda anyone?

@magic_cave

@Kidsandliz

@thismyusername I think usually those have some carbonation if they say “sparkling”. Carbonation hurts my mouth and tongue.

@RiotDemon I could literally feel my brain cells dying as I watched that video. How he has so many subscribers and followers is beyond me…

@magic_cave In my experience, it’s difficult to do presweetened stuff without making a mess. I’ve had no trouble at all with tea, so I assume it’s got something to do with viscosity.

WTH, though – if you have a friend that has a machine, borrow it and give it a go. Surround the machine with a towel. (Just for the first time or two – you’ll either get the hang of it, or decide it’s a bad idea.) Have the cap ready to go when you remove the bottle.

@cengland0 I’ve been thinking about making my own ginger ale, but wasn’t sure how best to carbonate it. Any chance you could share what was involved in your modification? Have you considered getting CO2 from a welding supply shop? People use it as a cheap Ar substitute all the time.

@Pantheist “CO2 from a welding supply shop?” You’re interested in swallowing welding gas? Never has the phrase “food grade” sounded more appealing.

@curtw4 That “food grade” comment is marketing hype so the soda stream company gets more of the CO2 distribution pie. There’s no such thing as “food grade” CO2. If it’s contaminated with something from the air when it’s made, it’s going to be something we breathe in anyway like Nitrogen.

@Pantheist I cannot remember the exact eBay item I bought but I did find a similar item here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/CO2-SodaStream-Soda-Club-to-External-tank-direct-Adapter-and-Hose-Kit/122279192254

The cable kit is sort of expensive but it’s worth it in the long run especially if you plan on making a lot of soda for years in the future.

You will need an adapter cable to go from your soda stream to the larger bottle. The new bottles cannot fit inside the soda stream so they have to sit next to it.

If you plan on using a paintball cartridge, you’ll need an additional adapter that can press down the valve button.

Disclaimer: Search around for other people selling these items for the best price, return policy, and feedback rating. I’m only linking the first one I found and do not know how good this seller is and I do not guarantee results.

@Pantheist And here’s an eBay item for the adapter from CGA320 to paintball.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Adapter-converts-Standard-CGA-320-Male-Fitting-to-CO2-Paintball-Tank-WRCO2-4A5/361175317254

Apply same disclaimer as above message please.

@cengland0 Awesome, thank you!

@curtw4 Besides @cengland0’s explanation, shielding gas needs to be pure or you’ll end up with a porous weld and splatter.

@cengland0 I’ve been looking at these adapters, this one looks the cheapest I’ve seen. Thanks!

@cengland0 not worried about what’s in the air, it’s the hydrocarbons (lubricants, polymers) in the extraction and compressors

@Pantheist Nope, food grade is better. No oil fumes in my drinking water please.https://www.co2meter.com/blogs/news/16831989-why-the-grade-of-co2-gas-you-are-using-is-important

@curtw4 Those impurities you are concerned about are insignificant. You missed an important statement in the page you linked:

In fact, hydrocarbons like benzene are more likely to appear in the water in your process then in the gas you are using.

@curtw4 Where does the FDA say that?

TITLE 21–FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER I–FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
SUBCHAPTER B–FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED)
PART 184 – DIRECT FOOD SUBSTANCES AFFIRMED AS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS SAFE

Subpart B–Listing of Specific Substances Affirmed as GRAS

Sec. 184.1240 Carbon dioxide.
(a) Carbon dioxide (empirical formula CO2, CAS Reg. No. 124-38-9) occurs as a colorless, odorless, noncombustible gas at normal temperatures and pressures. The solid form, dry ice, sublimes under atmospheric pressure at a temperature of -78.5 deg. C. Carbon dioxide is prepared as a byproduct of the manufacture of lime during the “burning” of limestone, from the combustion of carbonaceous material, from fermentation processes, and from gases found in certain natural springs and wells.

(b) The ingredient must be of a purity suitable for its intended use.
© In accordance with 184.1(b)(1), the ingredient is used in food with no limitations other than current good manufacturing practice. The affirmation of this ingredient as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as a direct human food ingredient is based upon the following current good manufacturing practice conditions of use:

(1) The ingredient is used as a leavening agent as defined in 170.3(o)(17) of this chapter; a processing aid as defined in 170.3(o)(24) of this chapter; and a propellant, aerating agent, and gas as defined in 170.3(o)(25) of this chapter.

(2) The ingredient is used in food at levels not to exceed current good manufacturing practice.

(d) Prior sanctions for this ingredient different from the uses established in this section do not exist or have been waived.

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=184.1240

@sanspoint I use room temperature water because if the water is cold, the CO2 will form dry ice chunks and clog the tube.

@cengland0 I find those usually melt pretty quick, though.

@sanspoint I’m just the opposite. I use my sodastream to make barely carbonated seltzer. Gives it a bit of zing without burning

@sanspoint It’s not a problem having dry ice inside your soda, it’s a problem having dry ice clog the tube that allows the CO2 to get into the water. When it gets clogged, you press the pump button and it “farts” immediately, without any dissolving in the water, letting you know there’s already too much pressure in the bottle. You have to wait for that ice to melt before you can inject more pressure in the bottle. Then you get one more pump and another chunk of dry ice gets clogged. It’s an annoyance in life that I’m not willing to go through when I found a work around of just using room temperature water.

Someone above said to freeze the water first (or just before freezing) because CO2 is more soluble in colder temperatures. Although that might be true, you can easily overcome this by pressing the pump one additional time. I’ve never had a problem with not having enough CO2 in the water even when injecting at room temperature.

@cengland0 your tube is getting clogged because you’re pre-mixing the water and flavor, and the splash-back is getting into the system. Clean it up, don’t put anything but water in the bottle before carbonating, and you won’t have clogs

@sanspoint Why on earth drink anything that hurts? That is exactly why I don’t like, and won’t drink, anything with carbonation even though I like some of that stuff when it is flat.

@curtw4 You’re making assumptions. I do not pre-mix the water and flavor.

Step 1. Fill the bottle with room temperature tap water
Step 2. Add CO2 with the Soda Stream
Step 3. Add flavor crystals
Step 4. Put cap on the bottle
Step 5. Shake vigorously
Step 6. Let settle
Step 7. Shake vigorously again
Step 8. Put bottle in the refrigerator
Step 9. Wait a couple hours to cool
Step 10. Open bottle and consume

@cengland0 sorry, I misinterpreted your original post. Which model are you using? I have been using the “Jet” model for five years, with near-freezing water, and have never had a clog. Switched to a “Source” at work because the farts are quieter, but again no clogs. I do get the occasional chunk of dry ice, but they either form outside of the nozzle, or they are small enough that they never block it.

@curtw4 I have this one. Picture also includes the CO2 canister and tube.

Edit : Darn it. The photo is sideways.

@sanspoint I’ll have to try cold fizzing. I’m fond of fizzy jello (DON’T JUDGE) and have never gotten it to work with the Sodastream.

@InnocuousFarmer
/giphy caffeine goat

@InnocuousFarmer Accidentally at 3AM. How does one manage “accidentally”? There is insomnia 3am, too much work to do 3am, crying baby 3am, barking dog 3am, etc. but accidentally?

@Kidsandliz poking aimlessly at TV and computer things, lose track of time because you’re drowsy but not that drowsy.

@spiralroad
/8ball Would a used one be a safe buy and better than a new machine of a bad model?
Better not tell you now

@spiralroad I don’t think there’s any harm in trying a used one. A lot of folks have tried them and decided they can’t be arsed and/or still prefer brand-name soda, so there must be a lot of lightly used ones on the secondary market.

Mine’s a bottom-of-the-line model from 2013. It’s still fine.

I just did the math. Just refilling the canister costs about $.50 per liter. Buying seltzer (LaCroix) by the can is about $.85 cents per liter. That is when I buy it at retail; I almost always get it on sale. There aren’t many places to get canisters near me. I must say, I don’t see the appeal of SodaStream. Am I missing something?

@jelliott04 You’re not wrong. Sodastream is certainly more expensive per litre for me than buying generic 2l bottles of sodium-free club soda for under $1. My biggest beef is with the way the “60l” carbonation tank actually makes, in my best experienced case, about 42l of carbonated soda (and I would recommend you keep track for yourself how many fills you get from one canister when following the directions correctly). It is also annoying that in Canada, Sodastream does not sell (or is maybe not allowed to sell?) the larger canisters that my model could take and would be more cost effective.
The only reason I still have the Sodastream and keep buying canisters is for emergency soda creation when I realise I just finished the last 2l bottle.
As an aside, someday I hope to put in a proper carbonated water system into my home. I may end up buying a used fountain drink machine from a failed restaurant and just relabel all the spouts as club soda! I also want my own frozen yogurt grinder machine (the one that uses bars and actual frozen fruit pieces)… Mmmmm

@spiralroad This is nice. I’m a little weirded out that a bottle of carbon dioxide has an expiration date, though.

@djslack @spiralroad Some states require expiration dates on anything that will be used for food purposes. Water, for example, does not go bad, yet most bottled water expires two years after bottling. Unless they are selling leaky CO2 bottles, there is no actual reason for them to expire.

SHIT! I just realized I never posted the pix of the box you sent me, @djslack. Sorry for being such a fucktarded asshole… I’ll fix that shortly.

@djslack It isn’t the CO2 cylinder that expires, but the carbonation bottle that holds the water. They say old ones might explode under high gas pressure as the plastic degrades.

@baqui63 No worries at all! Thanks!

@spiralroad Oh, I understand now.

@rlyeager I’m not sure if anyone will have answers here. Have you contacted soda stream for help?

@sillyheathen How beautifully organized!

@Kyeh for about 2.5 seconds.