How do I get bigger bubbles from my SodaStream?

September 8, 2009 12:02 PM

Why are the bubbles in my homemade sparkling water smaller than commercial alternatives?

I purchased a SodaStream home sparkling water/soda maker after the glowing reviews on this thread. Totally worth every penny. However, I've had a few friends remark that the bubbles seemed smaller than commercial sparkling water. Personally, I don't care. But it did get me thinking about why that might be.

Is it something in my tap water? Is it something NOT in my tap water? Is it the syrup/flavor additives afterwards?

I know nothing about chemistry. If there were a layman's answer that could satisfy my curiosity - and perhaps some ideas for bigger bubbles - I'd be grateful.

posted by csimpkins to food & drink (9 comments total)

I haven't used a SodaStream myself, but I've looked into it; I think that it doesn't carbonate under the same pressure that commercial soda systems do. I suspect that the smaller bubbles are a result of less dissolved CO2, which you'd get from less pressure.

You might be able to increase the dissolved CO2 by making sure that the water you're carbonating is very cold, and then putting it directly into the fridge and cooling it some more after you've carbonated it (before removing pressure, if possible). That's a trick that I've seen recommended by brewers and other people who do DIY carbonation to get best results. There are a lot of suggestions on those boards that you might be able to apply to the SodaStream and try.
posted by Kadin2048 at 12:11 PM on September 8

I can not offer you a scientific answer but I can suggest this:

I gave up booze and because my wife has wine at dinner, I drink sparkling water with our dinner.
I note that the cheaper versions have not nearly the "strength" or more explosive bubbles that the better brands have. I sometimes use Perrier, sometimes Pelligrino. But for more burst, I resort to seltzer: specifically Schweppes and/or Canada Dry...the cheaper seltzers have much
less of a burst.
That tells me that more of something going into the more expensive soda. The frizzie stuff, bottled, also differs. When recently in Italy I got annoyed at their "frzizante"--bubbly but very weak. When I asked for San Pelligrino, a big difference.
posted by Postroad at 12:11 PM on September 8

Add salt?
posted by rokusan at 12:41 PM on September 8

Why are the bubbles in my homemade sparkling water smaller than commercial alternatives?

Commercial waters are operating at much, much higher pressures than you are.

Moreover, some beverage makers spike their drinks with carbonic acid, for a "bite" on the mouthfeel, which may give the impression that the bubbles are bigger on the tongue.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:50 PM on September 8

I also see that the SodaStream hardware uses its own bottles of compressed CO2. Consider that these bottles might not be 100 percent CO2. Some nitrogen in the mix would result in smaller bubbles, like a Guinness.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:58 PM on September 8

Ummm... you can't really "spike" a drink with carbonic acid. Carbonic acid is just what you get when you dissolve carbon dioxide in water, and the more carbon dioxide you dissolve, the more carbonic acid you'll make.

My Dad used to make home made soda water with nothing more than an industrial-sized cylinder of food grade carbon dioxide and cold, cold water, and his bubbles were always very, very big. Unlike solids, gases dissolve much better in very cold water.
posted by flabdablet at 4:52 PM on September 8

Ummm... you can't really "spike" a drink with carbonic acid.

Whoops, I meant phosphoric acid. Wrong acid. The bite is not the bubbles, as my chem professor once said.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:12 PM on September 8

I've never seen phosphoric acid included in the ingredients list of any commercial soda water. Cola drinks, sure. Soda water, no.
posted by flabdablet at 6:25 PM on September 8

I've never seen phosphoric acid included in the ingredients list of any commercial soda water.

Which is why I said beverage makers.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:20 PM on September 8