Soda Club

[Astrid]

One can also make good soft drinks from scratch using various ingredients and yeast (which in addition to making the drink very, very slightly alcoholic--ie not entirely a soft drink, adds the carbon dioxide):

White sugar, 3/4 pound; cream of tartar and gingerroot, bruised, each 3/4 ounce; juice and grated yellow of 1 lemon; water, 1 gallon; fresh yeast, 1 tablespoonful; essence of wintergreen or sassafras as you prefer, or half as much of each, if a mixed flavor is liked.

Directions: Put all into a jar, except the yeast and essence, and pour out over the water, boiling hot; cover, and let stand until it is only lukewarm, and add the yeast and essence, and let stand in a cool place 24 hours; strain and bottle, securing the corks tightly. It will be ready in about 3 days. More or less flavor may be used to suit different tastes.

from:

Old-Time Ginger Beer Recipes

[beau]

I have been using the soda stream system for sme years but the small bottles don,t last very long (we have three of them)

Here in Australia can can buy larger C02 bottles but you need to also buy a regulator (all up $300) but one bottle would last a year.
Refilling is cheap $20.

[Amgine]

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

Has anyone tried using a normal seltzer bottle? They take the much smaller CO2 cartridges such as those used on a pellet pistol or some small life jackets.

I had, still have, one of these seltzer bottles. It worked reasonably well, but within the first year the rubber seal at the top was reacting with the soda water, and by year 4 the charger was leaking. We didn't have traditional soda syrups, and were using it for Italian Sodas (using pretty much any flavoured syrup), shrub, and for mixing drinks.

I have no idea why I still have it, since the seal completely gave up after 7 years, which was at least 3 years ago... but it's not on the boat.

[Sparohok]

You can refill your Soda Club canisters from any CO2 tank with a simple adapter. Paintball stores or even welding stores may let you do this if you ask nice enough.

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Martin

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Amgine

I had, still have, one of these seltzer bottles. It worked reasonably well, but within the first year the rubber seal at the top was reacting with the soda water, and by year 4 the charger was leaking. We didn't have traditional soda syrups, and were using it for Italian Sodas (using pretty much any flavoured syrup), shrub, and for mixing drinks.

I have no idea why I still have it, since the seal completely gave up after 7 years, which was at least 3 years ago... but it's not on the boat.

Better than the average impeller.

[Agur's Wish]

Wow! Refilling them would be wonderful instead of worrying about how to get them to the boat. Can you be more specific about the adapter?

[Sparohok]

Originally Posted by Agur's Wish

Wow! Refilling them would be wonderful instead of worrying about how to get them to the boat. Can you be more specific about the adapter?

Click on the link in my earlier post, or go to sodaclubrefill.com.

I haven't actually done business with those guys so it is not an endorsement, just something worth trying. The basic idea is that you need a machined adapter to convert standard gas fittings to the oddball square thread that Soda Club uses on its CO2 tanks. Then refill from any CO2 tank.

Here's another option, make your own system from a 20lb CO2 bottle and a little plumbing.
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001818.php

However on a boat where weight and space is paramount, the Soda Club and refilling adapter might still be a better bet.

Martin

[bill352]

This method for ginger beer can be adapted for almost any flavor:

Jeffrey Morgenthaler » How To Make Your Own Ginger Beer

I make it in 2-liter soda bottles with ingredients adjusted appropriately. Their recipe is much too sweet for my taste, and all the sugar you really need is about 1 tsp/12 oz. for carbonation. You can adjust the rest accordingly, or just put a little simple syrup in your D&S when you mix it. If you use more sugar in the original mix, you definitely need refrigeration to keep the bottles from exploding.

Also, baker's yeast works just fine if you can't get beer or wine yeast. Good luck.

[Janice]

Hi - I wanted to re-open this string.

Boaters World is going out of business and they have all the SodaStream stuff at 20% off. I just picked up what I need to get started. I have a friend that found a few places in the islands that will refill the cartriges. I will try to get the info. Soda is very expensive and I just can't drink rum straight!

Janice
www.sailacious.com

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by Janice

.. Soda is very expensive and I just can't drink rum straight!

Janice
www.sailacious.com

Some places in the island really load up your drink with rum and go easy on the mixer, 'cause the rum's cheaper than the Coke! :cubalibre

[Badsanta]

I wonder who will sell the soda club now?

[dheaslip]

Originally Posted by Sparohok

Click on the link in my earlier post, or go to sodaclubrefill.com.

I haven't actually done business with those guys so it is not an endorsement, just something worth trying. The basic idea is that you need a machined adapter to convert standard gas fittings to the oddball square thread that Soda Club uses on its CO2 tanks. Then refill from any CO2 tank.

I just purchased a set up from sodaclubrefill.com and am in the process of installing it. They have an option to connect a hose in to the soda machine and run it to a regular CO2 cylinder. I have a 10lbcylinder fixed into a cupboard under the bench.

Their set up isn't exactly cheap, but I figure I'll easily get the money back and the big plus is that I won't have to carry soda on to the boat, won't have to store bottles anywhere and I won't have any plastic bottles in the trash! And I can also make soda from natural ingredients without all the chemicals the big companies throw in to it.

Once I have it installed and working I'll post some photos and review it properly.

[Greenflash35]

Maybe everyone should call West Marine and request that they carry the Soda Stream, so us cruisers here in the USA can just go and get it.

[Roy M]

I just bought a Soda Stream starter kit on sale at Boater's World for $53.54, as well as a couple extra bottles and a bunch of recharge bottles. Now I'm looking for a source for a more toned down version of the tonic water mix than the one listed previously.

[Roy M]

Just an update: I have tried the syrups sold by Sodastream, specifically, the ginger ale and the tonic. Both are delicious. I'll be getting more of them, and trying some other flavors. Thanks for letting me know about them, as well as the recharge options.