Making soda

[HipGnosis]

I've begun making my own diet cola.
Diet coke is my only vice.  It became a substantial part of my grocery budget since I retired (semi-retired, I'm doing a cpl 'side' gigs).
I'm doing it to control my costs and ingredients (sweetener, caffeine and no preservatives).
I'm doing it the DIY / MMM way, not just buying a soda machine (and their $$$ CO2 tanks).
I did quite a bit of research before starting (it's part of who I am).
I'd be happy to share - if anyone is interested.
HipG
 

[LifeHappens]

I'm interested!! Soda Streams and like never seemed to be worth the $ to me. I know about the CO2 tank hack, but you still have to buy the concentrate to make flavored soda. I'd love to hear how you bypass all this.

[Cromacster]

I'm interested!! Soda Streams and like never seemed to be worth the $ to me. I know about the CO2 tank hack, but you still have to buy the concentrate to make flavored soda. I'd love to hear how you bypass all this.

DIY soda is pretty easy.  Most of the equipment you need can be found on craigslist from people unloading their beer brewing supplies.  Or just buy it from a home brewing store.

5lb CO2 tank, 5 gallon Corney Keg, 6 gallon Carboy, and bottles or fridge space for the keg.  Through craigslist I bet you could everything for $100 or less and you'd be setup to make lots and lots of soda or carbonated beverages.

I've only made ginger beer and root beer, but these are fermented so not sugar free.  I'd be interested in how to make cola or diet drinks.

Edit to add:
You can make soda without the CO2.  If you are making a fermented soda like ginger beer, you can bottle it and let it age.  As it ages in the bottle it will gradually carbonate (2-4 weeks)

[HipGnosis]

I'm starting with used paintball tanks (via craigslist) for CO2.  It's much cheaper than SodaStream CO2.
Instead of a pressure regulator, I got an on/off valve for a paintball tank (called an ASA for some reason) a small pressure gauge and put a T fitting on the valve for the gauge and a hose.
At the other end of the hose is a 'ball-lock' quick disconnect (w/ a barb for the hose).  These are common in brewing and soda fountains.
I'm using diet coke bottles for carbonating (for now).  I got 2 caps that go on the soda bottles and have the ball-lock fitting.  They are called 'carbonator caps'.  The Stainless steel ones are cheaper than plastic (and more durable).
I filter water and chill it.  Cold water absorbs CO2 faster. 
I put an empty 1 liter bottle on my digital kitchen scale and pour 15.2 oz of the cold water into it.  This allows for the addition of the syrup to make 1 liter of soda.   I put the carb-cap on it, connect the CO2 hose & ball-lock and slowly open the tank valve, watching the gauge.  I close the valve at 30-40 psi and disconnect the ball-lock.  You can expedite the carbonation by shaking the bottle.  I put mine in the fridge.
Syrup;
Syrup can be bought; like sodastreams.  It's added to the carbonated water to make soda.  I'm making my syrup, to control cost and ingredients.  I read that some people use snow-cone syrup.
Concentrate is the flavor w/o the sweetener (or caffeine).  It's available online in many flavors. 
I bought a quart of cola concentrate.  It will make 179 L of soda.
Half a quart of the filtered water gets warmed in the microwave.  Add sweetener to equal 2.4 cups of sugar.  I'm using liquid Stevia (found among the water flavor enhancers at the grocery store), I'm not sure the water needs to be warmed.  Shake to dissolve. 
Add 1 oz of concentrate and 550 mg of caffeine (I'm using 200 mg caffeine capsules that I pull apart.  I plan on gradually reducing the amount). 
I also added a bit of hot cinnamon oil. 
Put the bottle on the digital scale and add more filtered water until it weighs 32 oz + the weight of the bottle (1.1 oz). Shake to mix.
This quart of syrup will make 5.65 liters of soda
Soda;
Take the bottle w/ 15.2 ox of carbonated water out of the fridge. Add 1.8 oz of the syrup.  Shake a bit.  Enjoy.

I just ordered some liquid sucralose.  It's suppose to be cleaner tasting that the stevia.
I need to buy a jewelers scale to measure the sweetener and cinnamon oil ($1 on eBay).

Cost for a liter of soda; 
CO2:  3 cents (just realized I need to include water filter costs)
Cola concentrate  2 cents
Sweetener;  sucralose: 18.5 cents     

All ingredients get cheaper when bought in larger quantities.   
CO2 in a 10 lb tank is half the cost.  But a 10 lb tank is $100.  And a pressure regulator for it is $30-60.

FYI; 10 lb of CO2 is said to make 640 L of soda - probably more for me as I don't like a lot of carbonation.

I will make more than a liter at a time and then other flavors.
Cola with almond and vanilla (from extracts)?   I wonder what cream soda with hot cinnamon tastes like?

[Toad]

I tried this about 7 years back but I went the carbonation through yeast route rather than the forced carbonation route (too cheap to buy CO2 and all the associated items to use it).  This was a mistake as I detest beer which is what the soda ended up tasting a bit like.  It was a very short lived experiment...I think I made like 2 batches.  I have since cut soda out of my diet.  Never thought to try paintball tanks...interesting idea, wish I thought of it at the time.

[grantmeaname]

Learn to drink sparkling water. No calories, no artificial sweeteners (which the evidence on the whole suggests are worse than real ones IMO), all the addictive burn of the fizz. :)

[Dicey]

http://www.frugalwoods.com/2014/08/11/how-to-cheap-homemade-seltzer-with-a-modified-sodastream/

[HipGnosis]

http://www.frugalwoods.com/2014/08/11/how-to-cheap-homemade-seltzer-with-a-modified-sodastream/

Wholey cat spit they drink a LOT (LOT!!) of seltzer!
But, they don't plan ahead.  Granted, the article is from 2014, but simple math reveals that Sodastream isn't very frugal.   And $175 for a 20# tank?!?  They also don't know how to shop.  Why don't they share the price of the sodastream and the adapter??
I had no opinion on Frugalwoods before, but now I have no respect for them.
Oh, they also don't include the cost of the sodastream bottles.  I've read that they don't last for ever, and aren't cheap.

I did the math (well, used spreadsheet formula copy/fills) yest. to determine the break even point of buying a 10# tank and a pressure regulator ($100); it's > 3,000 liters of seltzer/carbonated water!!
I will be using what I've got for a while to get my money's worth out of it.  And I like that fits on my kitchen counter.
 

[Dicey]

Our family doesn't drink soda, so I'm not much help. I just remember reading about it on the FW blog. There may be other articles, I just grabbed the first result I found on google. It's probably still cheaper than buying the stuff and keeps a shitload of bottles out of the landfill.

I do remember seeing Sodastreams being demonstrated at Costco (and thinking at the time: WTF??), so maybe they obtained their supplies relatively cheaply.

Dunno, don't care really. Just thought the link might be helpful.

[Jenny Wren]

We do the yeast method. It only takes 48 hours to make (we do 1 gallon jugs in rotation). I can't imagine going two weeks, the jugs would burst from the CO2 buildup! No yeasty flavor, really, if you add a bit of lemon juice to each batch. We usually do a ginger ale or fruit juice flavored soda, but I've bought rootbeer extract and done that a few times.  Recipe: scant 1 gal of cold water, up to 1 cup or equiv. of preferred sweetener (must use at least 1 TB of sugar/honey/agave/maple to feed yeast), 1/4 ts yeast, 1/4 cup lemon juice. Shake and let sit in a dark area for 24 to 48 hours, until bottle feels hard. Refrigerate and enjoy!

I've thought about going the bottled CO2 route, but I'm too lazy. Of course, much kudos to anyone that hacks their soda habit! I think purchased soda/energy drinks probably eats away at more people's cash than the often blamed coffee...

[HipGnosis]

We do the yeast method. It only takes 48 hours to make (we do 1 gallon jugs in rotation). I can't imagine going two weeks, the jugs would burst from the CO2 buildup! No yeasty flavor, really, if you add a bit of lemon juice to each batch. We usually do a ginger ale or fruit juice flavored soda, but I've bought rootbeer extract and done that a few times.  Recipe: scant 1 gal of cold water, up to 1 cup or equiv. of preferred sweetener (must use at least 1 TB of sugar/honey/agave/maple to feed yeast), 1/4 ts yeast, 1/4 cup lemon juice. Shake and let sit in a dark area for 24 to 48 hours, until bottle feels hard. Refrigerate and enjoy!

I've thought about going the bottled CO2 route, but I'm too lazy. Of course, much kudos to anyone that hacks their soda habit! I think purchased soda/energy drinks probably eats away at more people's cash than the often blamed coffee...

How much does yeast cost for doing it that way?  And where are you getting 1 gal plastic bottles?

[Jenny Wren]

How much does yeast cost for doing it that way?  And where are you getting 1 gal plastic bottles?

I buy yeast in bulk at a local grocery chain, it's a couple bucks a pound so we spend pennies. It would be cost prohibitive to use the packets. We just use regular yeast, not brewer's yeast. The gallon bottles are old Arizona ice tea bottles we liberate from a relative's recycle bin, but you could use milk jugs or any cleaned out plastic jug. You can also half the recipe and use two liter soda bottles. Glass is an option, but breakage is a concern so we opt for plastic.

[Poeirenta]

We do both. We hacked our sodastream with a $95 dollar part (DO NOT use the guy the frugalwoods did...paypal had to send us a refund for nondelivery) and a $40 tank that we refill for $12 every few months. We drink about 3 liters a day of fizzy water. We drink way less water when it's not fizzy!

We also make ginger beer with yeast for cocktails and to flavor the fizzy water. I like being able to control the amount of sugar.

We would be spending even less if we got a larger tank, but it doesn't fit under the cabinets and we have no other space for a larger one.

Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk

[Dicey]

Costco has a fantastic price on bulk yeast.

[pancakes]

I've made it before using a winemaking yeast (less yeasty flavour) and fresh fruit. Really nice as a special occasion but unless you are growing your own fruit or know someone who is giving away surplus, it wasn't very cost effective. Fresh peach soda is amazing!

[deborah]

You can also make it without bought yeast - https://sallywise.com.au/2012/11/14/sparkling-fruit-drinks/ - I really like this method and have used it to make lots of different flavours.

[coachfrigo]

I'm interested!! Soda Streams and like never seemed to be worth the $ to me. I know about the CO2 tank hack, but you still have to buy the concentrate to make flavored soda. I'd love to hear how you bypass all this.

DIY soda is pretty easy.  Most of the equipment you need can be found on craigslist from people unloading their beer brewing supplies.  Or just buy it from a home brewing store.

5lb CO2 tank, 5 gallon Corney Keg, 6 gallon Carboy, and bottles or fridge space for the keg.  Through craigslist I bet you could everything for $100 or less and you'd be setup to make lots and lots of soda or carbonated beverages.

I've only made ginger beer and root beer, but these are fermented so not sugar free.  I'd be interested in how to make cola or diet drinks.

Edit to add:
You can make soda without the CO2.  If you are making a fermented soda like ginger beer, you can bottle it and let it age.  As it ages in the bottle it will gradually carbonate (2-4 weeks)

I LOVE root beer. Any tips on how to make my own to save me tons of money at the store?

[Dicey]

I'm interested!! Soda Streams and like never seemed to be worth the $ to me. I know about the CO2 tank hack, but you still have to buy the concentrate to make flavored soda. I'd love to hear how you bypass all this.

DIY soda is pretty easy.  Most of the equipment you need can be found on craigslist from people unloading their beer brewing supplies.  Or just buy it from a home brewing store.

5lb CO2 tank, 5 gallon Corney Keg, 6 gallon Carboy, and bottles or fridge space for the keg.  Through craigslist I bet you could everything for $100 or less and you'd be setup to make lots and lots of soda or carbonated beverages.

I've only made ginger beer and root beer, but these are fermented so not sugar free.  I'd be interested in how to make cola or diet drinks.

Edit to add:
You can make soda without the CO2.  If you are making a fermented soda like ginger beer, you can bottle it and let it age.  As it ages in the bottle it will gradually carbonate (2-4 weeks)

I LOVE root beer. Any tips on how to make my own to save me tons of money at the store?

We used to make it in Girl Scouts. Root Beer Extract, sugar, water and dry ice. We called it Witch's Brew. it was fun and easy to make. Probably wouldn't keep, but we never had any leftovers.

[Case]

I've begun making my own diet cola.
Diet coke is my only vice.  It became a substantial part of my grocery budget since I retired (semi-retired, I'm doing a cpl 'side' gigs).
I'm doing it to control my costs and ingredients (sweetener, caffeine and no preservatives).
I'm doing it the DIY / MMM way, not just buying a soda machine (and their $$$ CO2 tanks).
I did quite a bit of research before starting (it's part of who I am).
I'd be happy to share - if anyone is interested.
HipG

Seems like way too time intensive, unless it is your passion (and sounds like it might be).  Controlling the sweetners might make sense... i havent found unsweetened flavor syrups, though never really looked.

Soda is already cheap, and more so if you buy the store brands.  CO2 is dirt cheap, but storing it is tricky.

Soda stream hacks make it even cheaper.  I never did the co2 tank thing, but rather doubt dry ice at the grocery store and refilled the soda stream tank.  This way you dont have to buy the larger co2 tank + regulator etc.... and itdoesnt take up much space.  Obviously you need to be careful to not put toomuch co2 inthe tank.

[nereo]

Soda stream hacks make it even cheaper.  I never did the co2 tank thing, but rather doubt dry ice at the grocery store and refilled the soda stream tank.  This way you dont have to buy the larger co2 tank + regulator etc.... and itdoesnt take up much space.  Obviously you need to be careful to not put toomuch co2 inthe tank.

Funny this thread should come up - yesterday I was refilling seltzer bottles and remarked how my soda-stream was from a previous relationship 10+ years ago.  Even estimating conservatively we've gone through >5,000 liters, and never paid to refill a bottle.
My work gives me access to free dry-ice, and I have three of the jumbo (110L, aka 2 lb) C02 canisters.  Every couple of months I refill them with dry ice on a kitchen scale - takes about 10 minutes start to finish.

I played around with making my own bottle-fermented ginger beer when I lived with a roomate who was a homebrewer, but now I lack the equipment or desire to make several dozen bottles at a time.  Instead I just make a potent ginger-flavored simple syrup (ginger, sugar, water and citric acid) and add about a tablespoon to a glass of carbonated water. Works very well, and better than the cheaper canned stuff (e.g. Canada Dry) Would love to come up with a good root-beer variety.

[Case]

Soda stream hacks make it even cheaper.  I never did the co2 tank thing, but rather doubt dry ice at the grocery store and refilled the soda stream tank.  This way you dont have to buy the larger co2 tank + regulator etc.... and itdoesnt take up much space.  Obviously you need to be careful to not put toomuch co2 inthe tank.

Funny this thread should come up - yesterday I was refilling seltzer bottles and remarked how my soda-stream was from a previous relationship 10+ years ago.  Even estimating conservatively we've gone through >5,000 liters, and never paid to refill a bottle.
My work gives me access to free dry-ice, and I have three of the jumbo (110L, aka 2 lb) C02 canisters.  Every couple of months I refill them with dry ice on a kitchen scale - takes about 10 minutes start to finish.

I played around with making my own bottle-fermented ginger beer when I lived with a roomate who was a homebrewer, but now I lack the equipment or desire to make several dozen bottles at a time.  Instead I just make a potent ginger-flavored simple syrup (ginger, sugar, water and citric acid) and add about a tablespoon to a glass of carbonated water. Works very well, and better than the cheaper canned stuff (e.g. Canada Dry) Would love to come up with a good root-beer variety.

One thing to be aware of is food grade vs nonfood grade dry ice, depending on what your work provides.

[nereo]

Soda stream hacks make it even cheaper.  I never did the co2 tank thing, but rather doubt dry ice at the grocery store and refilled the soda stream tank.  This way you dont have to buy the larger co2 tank + regulator etc.... and itdoesnt take up much space.  Obviously you need to be careful to not put toomuch co2 inthe tank.

Funny this thread should come up - yesterday I was refilling seltzer bottles and remarked how my soda-stream was from a previous relationship 10+ years ago.  Even estimating conservatively we've gone through >5,000 liters, and never paid to refill a bottle.
My work gives me access to free dry-ice, and I have three of the jumbo (110L, aka 2 lb) C02 canisters.  Every couple of months I refill them with dry ice on a kitchen scale - takes about 10 minutes start to finish.

I played around with making my own bottle-fermented ginger beer when I lived with a roomate who was a homebrewer, but now I lack the equipment or desire to make several dozen bottles at a time.  Instead I just make a potent ginger-flavored simple syrup (ginger, sugar, water and citric acid) and add about a tablespoon to a glass of carbonated water. Works very well, and better than the cheaper canned stuff (e.g. Canada Dry) Would love to come up with a good root-beer variety.

One thing to be aware of is food grade vs nonfood grade dry ice, depending on what your work provides.

yeah, everything we do is medical grade, so it's a step up from food grade.