If you regularly consume soft drinks, you are familiar with the delicious fizzy taste that fills your mouth every time you take a drink. The fizziness, or carbonation, of the soda, is what makes the experience complete. Without the bubbling-carbonation, you have nothing more than flat, syrupy drinks. That’s where carbon dioxide comes in. CO2 is an invisible gas that is added to soft drinks to produce the proper level of fizz for your enjoyment.
Carbonation in Soda
What is CO2?
CO2, or carbon dioxide, is a naturally occurring gas that can also be commercially produced. Us humans breathe out CO2 every time we exhale. It is clear and mostly flavorless, but safe for humans to consume in this form. Carbon dioxide is a great choice for use in soda products as it easily absorbs into a liquid including soft drinks to forms tiny bubbles. The CO2 also serves as a protective measure that keeps the soft drink fresh and prevents the growth of bacteria in the liquid while stored.
Making Soft Drinks/Pop Fizzy
Carbonation in soda is created when carbon dioxide is pumped into the soda can or bottle then held under pressure. As long as the can or bottle is sealed, the CO2 remains mostly stable. However, if the drink gets shaken up or the top is opened, the tiny CO2 bubbles react by bursting. When you take a sip of your drink, you feel the bubbles bursting on your tongue, which is what creates the fizzing feeling in your mouth. If you’ve ever accidentally caused a carbonated beverage to explode by shaking it or dropping it, then you can see the bubbles expanding and bursting, and even hear them as they do.
Buying CO2
Homebrewers of soda should be familiar with the process of adding carbonation to soda at home. The process is simple and usually involves a small cylinder of CO2 which can add tiny bursts of the gas to fluid before it is sealed. If you are running a regular bottling operation, you will need to refill your CO2 canisters often. VS Carbonics offers CO2 cylinders in Miami in several sizes styles to fit your needs they can even make custom gas blends specifically for your drink. We also have local delivery on short notice, and regular delivery schedules so we can keep the CO2 consistently coming. CO2 is a very important part of what makes soda so tasty, and without it, some of our most favorite drinks would be flat. Contact us today to learn more about CO2 canisters for your soda machine.
