Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with carbonation

Soda Popinski

meadowlark lime — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:31:10 -0800

When you pour soda into a glass, is the head / froth / bubbly stuff at the top actual soda that is being turned into froth and then wasted? I have a debate with my girlfriend. I say that when she pours soda into a glass without tipping it, the head / froth / bubbly stuff that fills half the glass and then disappears downward is actual soda that is somehow combining with air and being wasted when it disappears.

She says that it's not soda, it's just something that comes out of the soda when you pour it that way.

Who's right?

Can you carbonate heavy water?

Godbert — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:06:52 -0800

Could you carbonate heavy or super-heavy (tritiated) water? Suppose you had a bunch of mostly-pure heavy water (deuterium) or super-heavy water (tritium). Would you be able to carbonate these? It seems like heavy water, at least, has similar properties to "normal" water, but I'm not sure if the differences would affect carbonation.

Root Beer!

serazin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:02:44 -0800

We're makin' root beer! (Help?) Me and my buddy want to make our own root beer, and possibly also ginger beer or other soda-type beverages. I would love any suggestions you have to offer: books we should check out, relevant websites, favorite recipes, particular products we need, etc. Please share your home root beer brewing stories, warnings, advice, etc below. Thank you!

soda bubbles without CO2?

puppy kuddles — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:57:53 -0800

Is it possible to make bubbles in drinkable soda with something other than CO2? Nitrogen? Oxygen? Nitrous Oxide? Helium? If not, why?

Seltzer is better than Soda. But, are there any negatives?

Ryaske — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:10:44 -0800

I drink A LOT of seltzer. I have heard about "carbonic acid". Should I be concerned? Are there any other negatives to high carbonation in a diet? At work we are given unlimited amounts of bottled Poland spring water .. so I drink 3-5 bottles per day of it , occasionally flavored with crystal light energy w/ caffeine (sugar free) for a productive buzz. I drink nothing else at all during the day.

After work at home, I drink nothing but Seltzer. The only ingredients in my (generic store brand) seltzer is Carbonated water and natural flavor. No sugar, no sodium, no calories at all. I can easily drink 2 liters in a night.

I know for sure that the water/seltzer habit is great for my health (and kidneys). But I do have a tiny bit of concern (more just curiosity) about any possible negatives regarding a lot f carbonation in a diet. For example, I've heard that a week "carbonic acid" is formed within carbonated drinks. When I'm working out or other strenuous activity ... I find seltzer can actually make me more thirsty, so I usually only drink water at that point.

So, how bad could that carbonic acid be for me? I know its better then soda for sure , but are there [b]any[/b] negatives to seltzer?
Is the extra gas [buuurp. Excuse me] at all harmful for my digestive system and/or esophagus?
Am I exaggerating by showing any concern at all?

I will likely continue with my water / seltzer diet since I enjoy it so much. But, dazzle me with your knowledge and insight AskMeFi!

CarbonationFilter! How long would it take for an unopened can of soda pop to go flat? Would it ever?

kittens for breakfast — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:45:42 -0800

CarbonationFilter! How long would it take for an unopened can of soda pop to go flat? Would it ever? So I'm reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road, which all takes place in some vaguely defined post-apocalyptic setting that seems to be the aftermath of a nuclear war, and there's a scene where the main character finds a can of Coke and gives it to his son. The father first pops the top and sniffs it, and carbonation tickles his nose. The book doesn't specify exactly how long ago the war was, but -- given that the kid was born days after it happened, and now seems to be six or seven -- well, that Coke's about six or seven years old. That it still hasn't gone flat doesn't strike me as impossible, but it does make me wonder how long a sealed can of soda pop would retain its carbonated properties. Anybody?

Is soda water soda or water?

hypocritical ross — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 12:48:53 -0800

Is soda water free at fast food restaurants? When you say you just want water at a fast food restaurant, is it okay to take soda water?

I know that people say "just water" at fast food restaurants all the time and then just take whatever soda they want, and while I assume that nobody has EVER been thrown out of a fast food restaurant for filling up their "just water" cup with a soft drink, that's still stealing. Is it stealing if you take soda water?

The problem is a lot of places give you a clear plastic cup when you say "just water" (to discourage you from stealing soda?) and when you fill it up with soda water it looks like you're stealing Sprite or 7-Up or whatever.

Where does water end and where does soda begin? I think that's the essential question here. Does soda begin at carbonation or at the addition of syrup?

P.S. I have tried asking cashiers about this and they have met the question with blank stares.

Homebrew: why do clear bottles carbonate better?

louigi — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 09:49:05 -0800

Homebrewfilter: why do clear bottles carbonate the beer better? My wife makes her own homebrew, which I happily consume. We've noticed that the beer which is bottled in clear bottles will become more carbonated and have a better head than that in green bottles (and brown bottles, I think, though I wouldn't swear to it). This seems strange to me, especially considering that the bottled beer is supposed to be kept out of the sunlight anyway (we keep it in a dark cupboard).

Does anyone have a chemical explanation of what's going on? In terms of the amount of sugar added before bottling, how fine is the line between the green bottles turning out too flat and the clear bottles exploding? More generally, how can we acheive a uniform carbonation, or at least minimize the amount of beer that ends up flat-ish?

Squeeze the bottle to prevent carbonation loss?

msittig — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 22:01:34 -0800

Does squeezing a 2-liter Coke bottle before putting the cap on help keep the Coke from going flat as quickly, or not? I was once told that a partially empty 2-liter of Coke can retain carbonation longer if it is squeezed before putting the cap back on. This seemed reasonable to me, as the amount of volume not taken up by the Coke inside the bottle is reduced, leaving less air for the CO2 to diffuse into. BUT, if the bottle isn't squeezed hard (resulting increases that would cause the bottle to retain its crushed shape even if the cap weren't replaced) maybe the bottle "wanting" to return to its original shape could produce a mini vacuum effect, causing the CO2 to diffuse into the space more quickly (not sure about this)? Even if the 2-liter were given a "hard squeeze" (the kind that doesn't need a cap replacement to "stick"), I'm thinking that it might actually encourage more diffusion of the CO2 because whereas an unsqueezed bottle is full of air and allows for some diffusion of CO2, a squeezed bottle can actually expand the bottle to its original shape, allowing for the release of more CO2.

This all boils down to one question: does squeezing a 2-liter Coke bottle before putting the cap on help keep the Coke from going flat as fast or not??

A Google search turns up a few answers, but they differ on this detail. Does AskMetafilter have a more definitive answer?

Can you send soda cans in the mail?

romakimmy — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 09:47:56 -0800

ShippingFilter: Can you send soda cans via snail mail without them exploding en route? Any special packaging required? Please help me liberate some captive Dr Pepper from Milan...

How do I ship carbonated bevvies overseas?

small_ruminant — Wed, 26 May 2004 16:16:41 -0800

What is the best way to ship carbonated beverages overseas? (In this case it's rootbeer from California to Australia.) Will they explode with the pressure changes?

Does carbonated water freeze differently than regular water?

strangeleftydoublethink — Thu, 22 Jan 2004 16:13:39 -0800

Does carbonated water freeze differently than regular water? [Further information provider by the poster upon clicking of the comments link.] I once left some carbonated water in the freezer and when I pulled it out, I was relieved that it did not freeze. As soon as I unscrewed the top, I watched in delight as the entire bottle (12 oz) froze in front of my very eyes.