Home-brewer here. I’ve used a C02 canister and keg to carbonate my beer for a while, since it’s simpler and more consistent than trying to add sugar to a bottle before capping it.
I also bought a $1 adapter that lets me connect my CO2 to a bottle and carbonate a few liters of water with a few moments of shaking. Add a few tiny bottles of flavoring and I can make a 12-pack of seltzer in about 30 seconds with any flavors I have on hand. Pear is my current favorite, but I also have cherry, vanilla, orange and others, and they can be mixed. My kiddos love the ‘dreamsicle’ that is a few drops of vanilla + orange. I rarely add sugar, unless I’m aiming for a more ‘soda’ vibe.
The CO2 canister and gas regulator assembly was probably $70-ish bucks around 10 years ago. Refilling the canister is $20 and I do it around quarterly, while making 5-10 liters of seltzer a week. I have a homebrew store nearby, but I’m pretty sure that I could find a food-grade CO2 provider too, since any bar needs one.
I have friends who use SodaStream, but their gas canisters are terrible for pricing when you can do it yourself.
I used seltzer to kick a soda habit. I swapped sugary sodas like Mountain Dew for a non-sugar fizzy drink. I just couldn’t go for flat water and needed the bubbles. LaCroix and its cousins were a step in the right direction and having the ability to make my own on-demand was perfect.
Home-brewer here. I’ve used a C02 canister and keg to carbonate my beer for a while, since it’s simpler and more consistent than trying to add sugar to a bottle before capping it.
I also bought a $1 adapter that lets me connect my CO2 to a bottle and carbonate a few liters of water with a few moments of shaking. Add a few tiny bottles of flavoring and I can make a 12-pack of seltzer in about 30 seconds with any flavors I have on hand. Pear is my current favorite, but I also have cherry, vanilla, orange and others, and they can be mixed. My kiddos love the ‘dreamsicle’ that is a few drops of vanilla + orange. I rarely add sugar, unless I’m aiming for a more ‘soda’ vibe.
The CO2 canister and gas regulator assembly was probably $70-ish bucks around 10 years ago. Refilling the canister is $20 and I do it around quarterly, while making 5-10 liters of seltzer a week. I have a homebrew store nearby, but I’m pretty sure that I could find a food-grade CO2 provider too, since any bar needs one.
I have friends who use SodaStream, but their gas canisters are terrible for pricing when you can do it yourself.
I used seltzer to kick a soda habit. I swapped sugary sodas like Mountain Dew for a non-sugar fizzy drink. I just couldn’t go for flat water and needed the bubbles. LaCroix and its cousins were a step in the right direction and having the ability to make my own on-demand was perfect.