Thanks! I just refilled six bottles with $15 worth of dry ice. You saved me $100 bucks today. You’ll continue to save me about $100 bucks every 90 days. My wife drinks a lot of club soda. $400 dollars a year is real money. Thank you :)
Well done mate. Glad to help the bank account and you're right that it adds up. In these parts $400 is a free mortgage payment a year! Right there with your wife on the club soda front. A lime wedge tossed in and I'm all good alone or with a meal. Now if only I had a plate of tacos to go with it. Thanks for watching!
I pay 3-4$ to refill them. You could also buy a big co2 tank to refill them with. Or even better, a big tank to connect to the sodastream and you willhave co2 for several years ;)
Useful tip, weigh the empty bottle and funnel before you start. A lot of scales have an auto turn off function which can happen at an inopportune moment. If half way through your scales turn off you could be stuck wondering where you had got to. If you already know the empty weight of the cylinder and funnel, just subtract that weight from the total weight of where you are at and it will save you needing to go back to the start or guessing how much more dry ice to add.
I have long since upgrade that little scale. The FIRST thing I looked for in a new one was a plug and no 'auto-off' so I hear you on the inconvenient timing. Thanks for watching!
@@MrSporksHands what model did you get? I am thinking of replacing my little Taylor as it does turn off and I am pretty sure isn't accurate for anything over a pound
Hey Michele. Sorry your question got lost in the comments. I went through a few brands and JUST got one I'm pleased with that's accurate to the gram. I need to figure out how to link it properly because I noticed a HUGE range of prices for the exact same model (literally +/- $150) but in the end I got it on an Amzn warehouse deal for
@@MrSporksHands CO2 on other worlds exists in lakes of liquid. The factor is pressure, under pressure CO2 is a liquid. At sea level on earth CO2 at room temp is a gas. The way CO2 enters water is called a dissolved gas.
1st Time Video!? Mr. Spork hits all the marks: Simplicity, brief to the point with no nonsense, video is clear in frame and in focus. My "sodastream" has been in my shed for awhile. If I can find dry Ice, I will try this. Thanks for the video!
Thanks eezy. DIY refills I suspect have rescued a lot of Sodastreams from the shed, closet, house of the cousin you don't like much, etc. It really turns them into something affordable. Thanks for watching and the kind words!
@@MrSporksHands Spent a week on the web and then around my area looking for "Dry Ice". NO Luck, untill... Driving 30 mi. to Houston for DI was not practical. Turns out 3 branches of the same grocery store ALL have DI. 1 even in my town!!
I would never guess this is your first video. Very professional. Informative. Lots of safety. This video is much much better than vast majority on handling dry ice.
I have watched a couple videos telling how to do this, by far this was the most concise. None of the other explained how much dry ice to use, thank you.
Great video. My dad is older and I use the SodaStream my sister gave him to make inexpensive "soda" with all natural ingredients. I can bypass the "bad" stuff and keep his diabetes in check. So no syrup for us... just lemon or lime and stevia... thank you again for showing how to refill the tank at an affordable price.... Carol
+Carol Harris Glad to help. I've been on a honey kick lately myself but have grown fresh stevia in the past. Good stuff as long as you don't slip in too much. And I found that ginger really takes the edge off it being TOO sweet. Down with high fructose corn syrup. Cheers!
@@MrSporksHands was just about to say honey :) you can also use organic fruit juices (pineapple or watermelon which is really good for you and delicious) as they don't affect diabetics like refined sugar
Suggestion: put the just-filled canister in the refrigerator. It will absorb heat from the refrigerator as it warms up to refrigerator temperature, and save you a few cents worth of electricity.
Thank you from someone who would never have been able to figure this out on her own. I found the video easy to follow and actually had everything I needed to refill except the pellets.
I was thinking of buying a co2 tank, gas, and adapter. Very expensive! Now I just need to go to my local grocery store (check around, many chain stores sell them) and buy some dry ice. Outstanding tutorial. Quick speaking (some people painfully drag things out) and covering all the bases. 5 stars! Yah. Now here I go to fill my 9 ounce bottle.
Thank you for doing this great video tutorial. Everyone in my family loves the Sodastream. I started looking for a cheaper refill when it was clear we were going through one 130L refill bottle a week at $50 each. Finding your video and spreadsheet was a godsend. Thanks again for helping us keep our budget in check!
You're very good at giving directions in a simple enough way where I now feel competent enough to do this at home. We've had a soda stream for over a year and never refilled the CO2 bottle since it ran out. After watching this, its gonna be refilled within a week. Also the dry humor is a plus, it breaks the monotony of instructions. Keep doing good work.
@@MrSporksHands Is it really 80.00? those extra bottles aren't free (and neither is the Dentist) Im trying to find extra bottles (locally they are about 40.00 (USD)
I was doing CO2 math there compared to "retail" but you're correct that bottles do add to cost. I rotate in a new one every so often but it's still money ahead by far for me refilling. Everyone's math is going to be different depending on how many you fill at a go and the local price of CO2. Better fizzing through spreadsheets I say.
Keep an eye out at local thrift stores. Soda streams are common there. if not full real close to it. Usually the entire unit with bottle is $3-7. Picked up one with a ~33oz tank for $2.92 at goodwill the other day. (No soda bottle though but I had a couple already.)
Just bought a SodaStream and ran into your video by chance. Wow, can't believe it is that simple. Haven't even ran through my first bottle yet but I plan on trying this method as soon as I do. Although I am not sure where to look for that dry ice at. Nice to see an informative video as opposed to the people that just babble on and don't really tell you anything.
The longer you wait before sealing the flask back up, the more certain you are that all the O2 as been displaced by the CO2. However, if you prefer doing it this way, you can let the pressure build a bit and then let a little gas out. The O2 will leave first as it's lighter.
I'm a frugal fanatic! My beloved Sodastream made me a Fizz-a-holic, helped me kick my diet coke habit., and saves me money. So when I learned that I could save about $13.50 per canister(my local prices), I immediately bought dry ice, grabbed my supplies and refilled 2 empties (with the help of an assistant who crushed my ice because we couldn't find pellets.) It was easy to do, took 5 minutes of my time and saved me $27. I'm smiling so hard right now! 😁 Thanks so much for sharing this superb video!!!
Very glad to save you some coin on carbonation but even happier to hear you're off the diet soda. Next step, plant a whacky herb garden for flavour inspiration. These days I'm all over a mint and watermelon mixup that I sweeten with FRESH stevia leaf. Thanks for watching. Keep smiling!
Science! Well done Sir! I am a chemist, and my wife wants one of these gizmos. I figured someone else has figured how to home fill the bottles, and you did not disappoint. Now that I know how, I will tell her to order one. 15 bucks+/- a refill was a nope from me. Now that I know I can do this, and for basically free (all the dry ice pellets from my lab for free) I can buy a few canisters and keep em full! The real MVP!
Wish I had a mad scientist lab with free dry ice. LOL Hope you and the wife enjoy the free fizzing and that you 'experiment' with some whacky flavours. Enjoy and thanks for watching!
I’m on my third SodaStream and I have about six CO2 tanks and I bought dry ice and watched your video. I just hooked up the CO2 tank that I filled with Dry ice and it worked great saved my self about $90 dolors 😃 Thanks!
I’ve been doing this for 2+ years now, works great. The only thing I do different is, I can’t find anywhere that has pellet dry ice. So I buy it in blocks and chop it up myself. At first I broke it up with a hammer, which is slow and ineffective (but worked). Now I stick it in a cheap ninja blender I have ($40 bucks, so I don’t care if it breaks, but it has worked great for 2 years). The ninja blender turns the dry ice into powder, super easy to get into the soda stream canisters with a funnel. Works great. I have 4 canisters and refill them all at once and that lasts me 2-3 months, depending on how much I’m drinking.
I appreciate the king words John. Check the update video from a few weeks ago too for some added tips getting the stubborn bottles open. Thanks for watching!
We have 2 Soda Stream carbonators, the newer 60L and the older 130L. After watching this very informative and helpful video, I got 5 lbs of pelletized dry ice (minimum qty locally) and was able to recharge 2 of the 60Ls and one 130L cylinder. There was a little left over, plus what I dropped and otherwise wasted. Had to insert each pellet in manually because they were actually little cylinders themselves and pellet diameter was very close to the opening diameter of the metal cylinder, but even with that, it was a fairly quick and kind of fun project. Thanks Mr. Spork - you da man !
I've seen that 'cylinder' shape a couple places. Glad the dimensions worked for you even if it did take a little bit of manual override help. Thanks for watching and enjoy the cheaper bubbles!
Great video! Many thanks! Just an FYI, you can use a 15/16" open end wrench on the flats of the brass fitting, and a 10mm box end wrench is an exact fit on the relief valve. For disassembly, I wrap the body of the cylinder in a small towel, and then gently clamp in in my bench vise below the jaws, and I only tighten enough to keep the cylinder from turning when the wrench is applied. Just throwing the information out there for anyone who has the tools / equipment.
A little more for everybody, I came across this doing additional research. You're on the right track with weighing the bottle and not overfilling them. They state in this linked article (explaining CO2 physics to the paint ball gang) that overfilling makes the bottles much more sensitive to changes in temperature; the pressure will rise much quicker and higher. For your review! www.warpig.com/paintball/technical/gasses/co2dynamics.shtml
Going to try this on my new bottle. I have 2 that won't open for love or money. Traded one in and the brass seems super soft in this new one. I am afraid I am going to round out the check valve nut.
Science is fun? Or when there's some Canadian with a funnel, a chopstick, and dry ice there's comedy potential? No matter the reason, thanks for watching. And get a SS on the cheap on Boxing Day - they're loads of fun when they don't cost a fortune to refill.
Well done, sir...well done. Informative, with measurement explanation for those who've forgotten science lab from HS or those with little training with simple physics and chemistry. I've been refilling my canisters since I purchased my Sodastream (about a year now) and have grimaced (and chuckled) at many other's videos. Yours appears to have good production value with little to no background noise, clean edit points, and practiced or scripted dialog leaving out the, "uhmm's" - "uhh's" and awkward pauses. I'm subscribing to your channel and looking forward to additional videos of other "hacks".
Thanks for the guidance here Mr Spork. I'll add that the relief valve, given it's made of brass, will be much better supported with a 10mm ring wrench than an adjustable. Secondly, if you get some dry ice in a frozen food delivery you can re-use it in place of the pellatized dry ice, although you'll need a strong blender to break it down ( it blends to a fine powder)
Good point on the sizing and I agree it would be preferred. Little did I know at the time my hack job with an adjustable would be all over the net. LOL I'd probably skip the food processor/blender to save my gear and resort to a heavy zip lock bag wrapped in a bath towel and a sturdy mallet (dead blow style perhaps?) to get any chunks down to size. And vent any current frustrations. Thanks for watching and the feedback!
Very good. That is one of the most valuable and helpful videos I have seen in a long time. Well produced. Instructional, not filled with a lot of extra talk, no long theatrical intro, to the point.
Thanks. Hopefully I've gotten a bit better over the years. This was my first go and it seems to have helped folks. Appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment. Happy fizzing!
I've seen some refill videos that were very complicated and I wasn't interested. I thought this was the best one on TH-cam. Thank you. I subscribed so that I don't miss the video for making the syrup.
I have 6 130L CO2 bottles which I refill using this method every 3 or 4 years. I am convinced that Soda Stream stopped selling the large capacity bottles in order to make it harder to use this method in order to sell more 60L CO2 refills. But that is just my opinion.
You are an amazing instructor. Very articulate straight forward and easy to listen too. Great camera and hand work too. Thank you for this well done and informative video.
Thanks for that but hopefully my camera-pointing ability has improved a bit from this first-ever video. I hope it helps you save some cash on your bubbles. Thanks for watching and Cheers!
wow this is so easy! I love how simple this is! Thanks a bunch man I've been looking all over to find a convenient way to do this for quite some time now and this is by far the most straight forward video Ive seen!
I just bought a DrinkMate Soda Maker, which uses SS standard canisters. I am so glad I found your video, it will save me, and others, a lot of money. Thanks for sharing...
Tried this today... it was so easy! I live 20 miles from a store, and our only store that swapped canisters closed last month. Thank you so much for this, it was unbelievably easy and cost effective. $8 for four pounds of CO2, maybe ten minutes of work. I did have trouble getting three of my canisters open, so took them to a local mechanic who didn't even charge me to get them open.
Glad you got your bargain bubbles sorted Mercy. They can be tricky to open the first time but after that seem to cooperate more. Worst case or if you get more new cylinders in the future, peek at the update I did that shows a new method using a strap wrench and vise to get the stubborn ones open. Or just go back to the mechanic! LOL Great idea that was. Thanks for watching and happy fizzing!
I just wanted to thank you for your information. I followed your instructions to the “almost” letter. I was very successful and very proud of myself! Thank you again for this video. I’m going to save a ton!
Nice video! I just unpacked a new Fizzi, went to the interwebs for assembly instructions, and your money-saving video popped up! Thank you! Anyone who has done HS science can save a ton o’ money, and this is brilliant in the pandemic as well.
Very glad to help. I don't think I'd use mine much at full price refills. I will say that having super fresh bubbly water is a joy, particularly when making waffles or tempura. Seems to work better than even a freshly opened retail bottle. Not sure why it would be any more effective there but my batter goes delightfully fizzy on command. Thanks for watching and enjoy the cheaper bubbles!
Wouldn't it be cheaper and safer to buy 2kg or even better 10kg co2 bottle, some pressure reducer to 3bar and some pipe with sodastream adaptor to connect to sodastream directly. Im currently start looking on beer keg for soda, possible to find 5l version and user feedbacks are more positive than for sodastreams.
I discuss this in the update video but for me, no, it wasn't cheaper. The math never gets repaid for all the extra gizmos when you consider that ALL tanks, big or small, have an expiration date. Plus for anyone not in a metro area the shipping is considerable whereas you can get SS cylinders at any big box store even out in hinterlands. Your math may vary but when I counted the costs of 'big tank' I would have had to consume lab rat quantities several times my bodyweight to make it more cost effective. I see zero case for any safety differences.
@@MrSporksHands here in europe it is quite cheap to order 10kg gas tank. It will cost 22euro to exchange. First time you need to pay 130euro for the tank, but later you can return that money if you dont need it anymore. And with exchange you constantly would get updated gas tank. But as you said, it is strongly depends on shops around you. In our case i have no idea where to get dry ice.
I love you Canadians. Thanks so much! A neighbor friend was moving and gave me her soda stream and I love seltzer so I'm starting to use this thing. Your walkthrough is gonna save me a ton!
Happy to help. I suspect DIY refills have saved a lot of these gizmos from languishing in the back of closets. Really makes them affordable to use again. Thanks for watching. We Canadians love you too.
I just did this, following your directions, Mr. Spork! It worked OK, although I ran into a few glitches in connection with loading the CO2 pellets. First one was yes, I thought I had a funnel, but no, I couldn't find it. Second, my pellets were not pellets like you had, but they were mostly shaped like little cylinders -- like the pellets for wood pellet stoves. So they didn't flow easily into the sodastream tanks, and so the funnel probably wouldn't have worked very well either. It ended up taking longer to get the pellets into the tanks, and I'll bet I lost a significant amount of CO2 through sublimation due to the extra time taken. Because I had to hold the tanks over the CO2 box, my fingers got quite frosty, even in my oven gloves -- until I added an extra layer of insulation with a towel. Another issue was the pellets came in a sealed styrofoam container, and towards the end of the project my scoop started dredging up styrofoam along with pellets! Yikes! I think I got a few styrofoam particles into the last tank. Probably won't hurt. You had an insulated tub for this, and next time that's what I will use, once I find one. I did manage to fill three CO2 bottles -- though I did expect to be able to fill five. So I still saved money on this. I did try grinding pellets up in my herb/coffee grinder, and that didn't work very well, because ground up Co2 pellets do not flow like sand -- they kind of stick together in clumps -- so I couldn't really "pour" them. But if I had had a funnel, then it would have worked! So I have a better idea of how to do this for next time.
Glad you had some success. The first time I too tried without a funnel and got it everywhere. It'll be that much easier next time. Appreciate you watching and hope you enjoy the bubbles. Cheers!
Chemist here. A couple of safety features to consider: 1. Don’t get any water into the CO2 tank. Carbonic acid eats away at aluminum. 2. Most electronic balances will get skewed under temperature changes. Don’t leave the cold tank on as you fill with dry ice, you could wind up filling more than intended.
Good tips. I try to work fast enough when I`m not filming so the cold bottles don`t freeze to anything. Thanks for watching and adding to the discussion.
What a great tip. I've just bought a Sodastream Spirit and have not yet had to get a refill. All I now need to do is to look to find where I can get the CO2 beads. Thanks for the great idea.
Mine sat unfilled for months before I sorted out an affordable solution. Really brings it back into the realm of useful. Thanks for watching and happy fizzing!
Well done video! One suggestion... The fittings on my canisters were extremely tight. Tapping/muscling a single wrench just wasn't getting them loose. A strap wrench applied to the canister (in addition to the crescent wrench on the fitting) really helped increase torque applied, and required no tapping.
Agreed. This idea came up earlier in the comments and I tested it using a bench vice on the main valve nut (mounted "upside down" in the vice) and the strap wrench on the cylinder. Works like a charm. I have on my list to do an updated video on my next "fill day". Thanks for watching!
Tried the refilling with dry ice for the first time today. At the end, gas was leaking through the security (burst) valve. After reading some comments here, thought the security valve was damaged. But no, the issue was all about a tiny silver round cap that goes inside the hole of the security valve, which was missing. I think this cap breaks whenever there is overpressure in the cilinder. When I first unscrewed the security valve, I totally removed it from the main valve and didn't notice the cap going away. Fortunatelly, my wife found it on the floor and I could put it back in place. So, if you totally remove the security valve, be aware not to loose this cap. Thanks for the video!
+1 Wife eyes! It would have been lost forever in my house. You're spot on with how the burst valve works in that the 'disc' is the mechanism that triggers. I've noticed some of mine are held in with a little gasket and others loose in the cap. Well spotted and glad you were able to salvage the refill. Thanks for watching!
When using an adjustable wrench, the adjustable bit should always face the direction of action, or you run the risk of rounding the nut edges. Otherwise great video!
You are 100% correct and I've been caught out on this early in the comments. I was just too pre-occupied with fumbling with the camera on my first go. Thanks for watching!
@@MrSporksHands also co2 has no liquid state, it sublimates directly from solid to vapor/gas state. It does not "melt" from solid to liquid and then "boil" from liquid to gas state like most other fluids that have three states, co2 only has 2 states: solid, and gaseous. Just a little info.
A strap wrench works great for holding the cylinder secure while the valve is removed with a 15/16" wrench. To reassemble it is not necessary to tighten as much as it was. I usually just snug it up by holding the tank in my hand & tighten the valve & it seals fine and it makes getting the valve off much easier in the future.
The strap wrench idea came up a while back in comments and it does indeed do a good job. On new tanks I use a (padded) bench vice to hold the valve now (with the cylinder sticking up in the air) then whip the strap around it. Works a treat and no more banging. Agreed on the hand snug as long as your gaskets are in good shape. Thanks for watching! - MSH
Wow, 15-20$ for a filled co2 cylinder? In Germany you pay around 6$ per refill. Maybe sodastream is more popular here, since you can get refills in nearly every Supermarket here.
Freestila F. Carbonated water isn’t as popular here as it is in Germany. When I lived in Bamberg, if I asked for water it always came with bubbles. Maybe because it’s common there is why it’s cheaper.
This the most informative video that will give step by steps to refill your Sodastream CO2 bottle. His instruction will pay about 5$ USD per a bottle. I have followed his instructions over two times. THE INSTRUCTIONS WORK. However I'm lazy. To my embarrassed I have purchased 5 LB tank with the soda stream adaptors featured on Amazon (Just search on Amazon for 5 Lb tank and Soda Stream Adapter). If you are lazy like me, you will NOT save money if you don't follow this video again you will not save money. Mr Spork if your reading this let me know when you are in San Antonio I owe you beers all nights.
Hi Terrence, thanks for the kind words. I explored bigger tanks myself but the math for those plus the adapters never worked to my advantage mainly because of shipping and the expiration of the tanks. I don't drink quick enough to hit the break even point but everyone's calculations will be different especially depending on your access to gas suppliers - I'm out in the sticks here. I talk about it a bit more in the update video I posted a couple weeks ago. Thanks again for watching and I'll take you up on those beers when next I find myself in Texas. Cheers!
Popped up on mine today..We we in Walmart and went by a display of Soda Streams..(And we made a comment about them) ..Wonder if the Cell phone I had in my pocket picked this up and caused the algorithmic notification ?
Here's your little bit of love ❤. Perfect video. Not under detailed but not verbose. Plenty of details and only relevant side bars... Damn good job - to the point
Thanks man. I appreciate the kind words especially on my first one all those years ago. It's probably been downhill ever since. LOL Appreciate the view. Cheers!
Great video. I've done this procedure and it was simple. As someone who drinks a TON of carbonated drinks (NOT sodas......the usual calorie-free, sugar-free type), the cost-saving is immense. In SoCal where I live, the best deal on replacement cylinders is at Bed, Bath and Beyond, for $25/each. It's usually much more at other places. With the dry ice solution, it's less than $2 plus the effort involved, which takes about 10 min. No comparison.
Well done. I'm a fan of mint and watermelon (no sugar) myself. Really anything out of the garden I can muddle in a glass and pour fizz over. Thanks for watching and enjoy the (cheaper) bubbles. - MSH
The process works great. Thanks for the video. I recommend doing this under a kitchen hood that vents to outside just in case the CO2 levels get to high in the house. I got the cube kind of dry ice and found that a large-ish mortar and pestle makes grinding down the crystals easy and fast. Last tip would be that I put the cylinders wrapped in paper towel into a bench vise to hold it while I turned the valve off. Of course its lightly tightened in the vice, just enough to hold it, and not dig into the cylinder.
Well spotted on the bench vise Jeff. When I get new cylinders now that's the approach I use. Glad it's working for you. Thanks for watching and the field report. Cheers!
Great video for showing us how to refill them. I never wanted to do SodaStream, because I did the math and seemed pretty pricey years ago. But, this way would make it much cheaper.
I wouldn't use a SS if it was full price for refills for sure. On the cheap however I'm a fizzing madman. Well worth the small refilling effort every few months. Thanks for watching and enjoy the bubbles.
We have a local welding shop that carries it. I’m in Paso Robles, California Wine country. When they pick the grapes they’ll throw a scoop in the top of the wine crate until the grapes can be processed.
Interesting. I wouldn't have guessed that one. Dry ice is useful stuff all over the place. In my neck of the woods it's for lobster processing. Thanks for watching! - MSH
thanks for making this video! I've slowly stockpiled these 60L co2 tanks from thrift stores and garage sales to refill a bunch of tanks at once! initially, Having only two tanks, I had to do this refill process more often than I wanted and had difficulty buying smaller quantities of block dry ice at the grocery store. I haven't found this pelletized ice like you're using, but had great results just running chunks of dry ice in a blender then they seem to fill tanks quite easily.
I haven't needed to tackle the dry ice chunks but that sounds as good an idea as any. A large ziplock back wrapped in a somewhat expendable bath towel and some frustration therapy with a rubber mallet works well too I hear. Good luck and thanks for watching! - MSH
Thank you for this! This makes me want a Soda Stream now. I couldn't justify the prices of the unit and the refills, but I'd be ok with refilling it myself.
Agreed that they're just not useable at full price refills. On the cheap however they're a viable alternative. Strangely, one of my neighbour's kids has gone nuts for orange Tang drink mix but always wants to make it with soda water. Go figure. LOL Sodastream to the rescue. Thanks for watching!
Thanks Matthew. Hopefully I've gotten a bit better over the years. Just upgraded to a proper filming/lighting/sound setup so more coming soon. Stay tuned and thanks for subscribing!
I've never searched but always wondered if anyone had tear down maintenance videos on their soda stream along with attempts to carbonate non-conventional beverages that likely do not exist on the open market because the carbonic acid ruins their taste - such as orange juice or iced teas. I need to service my unit to test more beverages for experimentation. This video was old but good and I just discovered it today!
You can only carbonate water. If you put something in the water then shoot it full of C02, it'll blow all over the place when you unscrew the bottle. I did that once with an original Soda Stream that used glass bottles and a lever to clamp and seal the bottle inside. Had a bottle of root beer go flat so I wanted to give it some more gas. Not a fun result.
every grocery store has dry ice you have to ask a clerk usually under lock and key so people don't get burned by it also its like $3 a pound these refills cost like $20-$30 each
It really does make them cheap enough to be useful. Glad to help get you some discount bubbles. Thanks for watching. I just posted an update with a few more tips and tricks th-cam.com/video/lVthMHsrqWM/w-d-xo.html Cheers!
Great video. One of the few I’ve seen where safety is mentioned. Good job. You mentioned the CO2 pellets change to a liquid, when they warm up. CO2 is peculiar, as it goes straight from its solid form to gas. So, no liquid in there at any point. Called ‘sublimation’. The idea is also very irritating, as I didn’t think of it - and I’m both a SodaStream user, and a scientist. How annoying is that! ... but what a great trick! Love it!
I watched your video last year, yesterday I purchased a Sodastream on Letgo for $40 machine 2 drinking bottles and 4 CO2 bottles, I went to Airgas purchased Rice Pallets Minimum purchase we $35 more than I needed anyway I weighed the ice prior to adding it to the Iced CO2 bottles my funnel is slightly larger than wht you used I had no bottle neck problem... It works great and I have 4 bottles of CO2 all for $75.00 thank you your video was great.
I started a few decades ago refilling my paintball tanks and only clued in that it would work for my soda cylinders later. One-way stop for dry ice instead of lugging the tanks back and forth was a big motivator. Thanks for watching!
I finally got to try this today. My first attempt, last week, was foiled when I bought the dry ice but found I couldn't get the cap off of the cylinders...let's just say that I found it harder than he makes it appear in the video. Today I tried again with two cannisters already open. The dry ice was from an oxygen supply store (mainly used by welders, I think). It is available from a nearby grocery store, but in block form, and I can't imagine it would be worthwhile to chip it. The pieces in the video are significantly smaller than the ones I got (I'm in America BTW, don't know if it's regional). What I had were a lot of dry ice "cubes" in the form of cylinders, many of them no more than a quarter of an inch long, but a fair number that were 1 or even 2 inches or more. At first, I tried putting them in through a funnel, but that was a disaster. None of them fit, so I had to break them up, which resulted in a lot of dry ice flying out and the funnel getting jammed quickly with pieces. Fortunately, the ice cylinders were slightly smaller in diameter than the neck of the CO2 cylinder, so I found I could drop them straight in with a pair of tongs. For the larger pieces, this was pretty easy. For smaller pieces, it was a pain. Eventually I started holding my other hand around the neck of the cylinder and guiding in several small pieces at once. (I was wearing gloves, but I touched the dry ice numerous times with my skin and it didn't hurt. Admittedly, I made sure that I only touched them very briefly, but I was prepared for my skin to blister or something.) Once I got the pattern down, it went faster. I wasn't timing it but I think it only takes about 10 minutes to fill a cannister. The video warned us to get extra ice because we would lose some on the way home. I had two cylinders to fill, each 14.5 ounces, and I bought 2 lbs. (albeit loaded on an analogue scale without much attempt at precision). I ended up with one completely filled and the other about half filled, but I spilled quite a bit of ice at various points, so this wasn't a good test. It didn't *look* like I lost much on the way home, although it's hard to tell since there isn't any water as evidence. But there was very little vapor coming from the cooler. (I was expecting a lot more. It was different when I threw some dry ice in the sink and they fell into a bowl of water, which bubbled and "steamed" like a volcano.)) Even the half-to-2/3rds full cannister put out a lot of fizz, though. I can't imagine it was less than what I usually get when I exchange for one from the store. Verdict: this method is great, I will definitely use it in the future, but there is a little bit of a learning curve.
If you want to make snow out of those little cylinder pills that dry ice often comes in, put them in a ziplock bag (don't seal it though) and smash em up with a kitchen mallet wrapped in a dishcloth. A couple of solid whacks and they should fit right down the neck of your funnel.
You are so awesome. I totally forgot about this trick. We used to do this in high school to refill our co2 tanks for our paintball guns instead of paying $15-20 at the sporting goods store. Thanks for reminding me of a way to save a lot of cash!
Thanks mate. Exactly the same place I learned the trick many years ago when I too ran around in the woods shooting my friends with orange paint. LOL Appreciate you watching.
Ouch. That'll do it for sure. Decent scales have gotten much cheaper in recent years so check the reviews (it's about the accuracy) and nab one for yourself. Should be about twenty bucks and your whole kitchen, bread baking especially, will thank you for it too. Cheers!
Doesn't your scale zero out after you've taken the bottle and funnel off to go fill up your bottle with the pellets? Mine gives me about 15 seconds and then turns off and I don't know what the tare weight was if I didn't write it down.
I was just thinking the same thing. In general, dry ice is just CO2 in solid state, but this does not exclude the possibility of contamination with other materials. A qualified answer would be great.
Yes, just like if you by CO2 cartridges for a seltzer siphon, it must be food grade or dry ice. Everyone thinks it's just CO2, but there are different grades. Non-food-grade often contains toxins. If you're buying off-brand cartridges it must be "beverage grade" CO2.
Thanks! I just refilled six bottles with $15 worth of dry ice. You saved me $100 bucks today. You’ll continue to save me about $100 bucks every 90 days. My wife drinks a lot of club soda. $400 dollars a year is real money.
Thank you :)
Well done mate. Glad to help the bank account and you're right that it adds up. In these parts $400 is a free mortgage payment a year! Right there with your wife on the club soda front. A lime wedge tossed in and I'm all good alone or with a meal. Now if only I had a plate of tacos to go with it. Thanks for watching!
@@MrSporksHands where i am a mortgage payment for a small house on a acre is 2200 a month
Mr. Spork's Hands haha thats what i pay in rent every 3 days
@@time2go265 and obviously you can afford it......... soooo??
I pay 3-4$ to refill them. You could also buy a big co2 tank to refill them with. Or even better, a big tank to connect to the sodastream and you willhave co2 for several years ;)
Useful tip, weigh the empty bottle and funnel before you start. A lot of scales have an auto turn off function which can happen at an inopportune moment. If half way through your scales turn off you could be stuck wondering where you had got to. If you already know the empty weight of the cylinder and funnel, just subtract that weight from the total weight of where you are at and it will save you needing to go back to the start or guessing how much more dry ice to add.
I have long since upgrade that little scale. The FIRST thing I looked for in a new one was a plug and no 'auto-off' so I hear you on the inconvenient timing. Thanks for watching!
As a precaution just record the empty open bottle weight and write it on the bottle, you then always have a backup if you lose your way when weighing.
@@alexwright6728 write that on the funnel too!!
@@MrSporksHands what model did you get? I am thinking of replacing my little Taylor as it does turn off and I am pretty sure isn't accurate for anything over a pound
Hey Michele. Sorry your question got lost in the comments. I went through a few brands and JUST got one I'm pleased with that's accurate to the gram. I need to figure out how to link it properly because I noticed a HUGE range of prices for the exact same model (literally +/- $150) but in the end I got it on an Amzn warehouse deal for
just a tip: chill your water before putting the bottle into the soda stream as chilled water receive carbon much better then warm water does!
Very true. I do that myself and really should update the video to include. Thanks for watching!
@@MrSporksHands What about the lack of purity in random dry ice?
That's what I do. It also makes it less likely to 'fountain' when adding the syrup.
also use a 2litter bottle like 3/4 full push out most of air than freeze or cool less air in water more co2 absorption as well
@@MrSporksHands CO2 on other worlds exists in lakes of liquid. The factor is pressure, under pressure CO2 is a liquid. At sea level on earth CO2 at room temp is a gas. The way CO2 enters water is called a dissolved gas.
1st Time Video!? Mr. Spork hits all the marks: Simplicity, brief to the point with no nonsense, video is clear in frame and in focus.
My "sodastream" has been in my shed for awhile. If I can find dry Ice, I will try this. Thanks for the video!
Thanks eezy. DIY refills I suspect have rescued a lot of Sodastreams from the shed, closet, house of the cousin you don't like much, etc. It really turns them into something affordable. Thanks for watching and the kind words!
@@MrSporksHands Spent a week on the web and then around my area looking for "Dry Ice". NO Luck, untill... Driving 30 mi. to Houston for DI was not
practical. Turns out 3 branches of the same grocery store ALL have DI. 1 even in my town!!
I would never guess this is your first video. Very professional. Informative. Lots of safety. This video is much much better than vast majority on handling dry ice.
Appreciate the kind words. Thanks for watching!
I have watched a couple videos telling how to do this, by far this was the most concise. None of the other explained how much dry ice to use, thank you.
It’s not the video I asked for, but it’s the video that we all needed.
A little fizz makes the world a happier place. Thanks for watching!
Great video. My dad is older and I use the SodaStream my sister gave him to make inexpensive "soda" with all natural ingredients. I can bypass the "bad" stuff and keep his diabetes in check. So no syrup for us... just lemon or lime and stevia... thank you again for showing how to refill the tank at an affordable price.... Carol
+Carol Harris Glad to help. I've been on a honey kick lately myself but have grown fresh stevia in the past. Good stuff as long as you don't slip in too much. And I found that ginger really takes the edge off it being TOO sweet. Down with high fructose corn syrup. Cheers!
@@MrSporksHands was just about to say honey :)
you can also use organic fruit juices (pineapple or watermelon which is really good for you and delicious) as they don't affect diabetics like refined sugar
Suggestion: put the just-filled canister in the refrigerator. It will absorb heat from the refrigerator as it warms up to refrigerator temperature, and save you a few cents worth of electricity.
Thank you from someone who would never have been able to figure this out on her own. I found the video
easy to follow and actually had everything I needed to refill except the pellets.
No worries. You'll get there I'm sure. No go find some dry ice and enjoy the fizzing. Cheers!
Can just get a large piece and smash it up
I was thinking of buying a co2 tank, gas, and adapter. Very expensive! Now I just need to go to my local grocery store (check around, many chain stores sell them) and buy some dry ice. Outstanding tutorial. Quick speaking (some people painfully drag things out) and covering all the bases. 5 stars! Yah. Now here I go to fill my 9 ounce bottle.
Thank you for doing this great video tutorial. Everyone in my family loves the Sodastream. I started looking for a cheaper refill when it was clear we were going through one 130L refill bottle a week at $50 each. Finding your video and spreadsheet was a godsend. Thanks again for helping us keep our budget in check!
I'm very glad it helped. Sound like the savings will pile up around your house. Thanks for watching!
You're very good at giving directions in a simple enough way where I now feel competent enough to do this at home. We've had a soda stream for over a year and never refilled the CO2 bottle since it ran out. After watching this, its gonna be refilled within a week. Also the dry humor is a plus, it breaks the monotony of instructions. Keep doing good work.
Thanks Josh. Hope the bubbles are working for you. Cheers!
I just filled 5 bottles today for 8 dollars. Man this is great.
Well done mate. That's an extra (math... in my head... never good...) 80 bucks in your pocket. Glad it helped the budget. Happy fizzing!
Thanks for letting us know how easy it is.
@@MrSporksHands Is it really 80.00? those extra bottles aren't free (and neither is the Dentist) Im trying to find extra bottles (locally they are about 40.00 (USD)
I was doing CO2 math there compared to "retail" but you're correct that bottles do add to cost. I rotate in a new one every so often but it's still money ahead by far for me refilling. Everyone's math is going to be different depending on how many you fill at a go and the local price of CO2. Better fizzing through spreadsheets I say.
Keep an eye out at local thrift stores. Soda streams are common there. if not full real close to it. Usually the entire unit with bottle is $3-7. Picked up one with a ~33oz tank for $2.92 at goodwill the other day. (No soda bottle though but I had a couple already.)
I had always wondered if I could refill paintball tanks like this. You just proved my theory. Although a few years late
Paintball was where I learned the trick during my impoverished college days. Thanks for watching!
haha as soon as I started the video that's what I thought of
Wrecks and Tech; you got me curious what disaster befell you because of not knowing about this trick?
@@MrSporksHands do a paintball one ;)
We just ended up buying a 50lb Co2 tank for paint ball & a local shop would refill it for like $80 but it would last a very long time.
Just bought a SodaStream and ran into your video by chance. Wow, can't believe it is that simple. Haven't even ran through my first bottle yet but I plan on trying this method as soon as I do. Although I am not sure where to look for that dry ice at. Nice to see an informative video as opposed to the people that just babble on and don't really tell you anything.
My props go out to you and people like you who give a thorough explanation and step-by-step on how to accomplish a task kudos keep up the good work!
Thanks so much for the kind words. I've got updates coming on several of my vids and a few new ideas too. Stay tuned and thanks for watching.
The longer you wait before sealing the flask back up, the more certain you are that all the O2 as been displaced by the CO2. However, if you prefer doing it this way, you can let the pressure build a bit and then let a little gas out. The O2 will leave first as it's lighter.
I'm a frugal fanatic! My beloved Sodastream made me a Fizz-a-holic, helped me kick my diet coke habit., and saves me money. So when I learned that I could save about $13.50 per canister(my local prices), I immediately bought dry ice, grabbed my supplies and refilled 2 empties (with the help of an assistant who crushed my ice because we couldn't find pellets.) It was easy to do, took 5 minutes of my time and saved me $27. I'm smiling so hard right now! 😁 Thanks so much for sharing this superb video!!!
Very glad to save you some coin on carbonation but even happier to hear you're off the diet soda. Next step, plant a whacky herb garden for flavour inspiration. These days I'm all over a mint and watermelon mixup that I sweeten with FRESH stevia leaf. Thanks for watching. Keep smiling!
Science! Well done Sir! I am a chemist, and my wife wants one of these gizmos. I figured someone else has figured how to home fill the bottles, and you did not disappoint. Now that I know how, I will tell her to order one. 15 bucks+/- a refill was a nope from me. Now that I know I can do this, and for basically free (all the dry ice pellets from my lab for free) I can buy a few canisters and keep em full! The real MVP!
Wish I had a mad scientist lab with free dry ice. LOL Hope you and the wife enjoy the free fizzing and that you 'experiment' with some whacky flavours. Enjoy and thanks for watching!
I’m on my third SodaStream and I have about six CO2 tanks and I bought dry ice and watched your video. I just hooked up the CO2 tank that I filled with Dry ice and it worked great saved my self about $90 dolors 😃 Thanks!
Very glad to help keep your fizz affordable. Thanks for watching!
I’ve been doing this for 2+ years now, works great. The only thing I do different is, I can’t find anywhere that has pellet dry ice. So I buy it in blocks and chop it up myself. At first I broke it up with a hammer, which is slow and ineffective (but worked). Now I stick it in a cheap ninja blender I have ($40 bucks, so I don’t care if it breaks, but it has worked great for 2 years). The ninja blender turns the dry ice into powder, super easy to get into the soda stream canisters with a funnel.
Works great. I have 4 canisters and refill them all at once and that lasts me 2-3 months, depending on how much I’m drinking.
Luckily I have the pellets just up the road. I don't want to risk the Vitamix. LOL Thanks for watching. Glad it's working for you.
Probably the most practical guide I have come across yet, your a genius.
I appreciate the king words John. Check the update video from a few weeks ago too for some added tips getting the stubborn bottles open. Thanks for watching!
We have 2 Soda Stream carbonators, the newer 60L and the older 130L. After watching this very informative and helpful video, I got 5 lbs of pelletized dry ice (minimum qty locally) and was able to recharge 2 of the 60Ls and one 130L cylinder. There was a little left over, plus what I dropped and otherwise wasted. Had to insert each pellet in manually because they were actually little cylinders themselves and pellet diameter was very close to the opening diameter of the metal cylinder, but even with that, it was a fairly quick and kind of fun project. Thanks Mr. Spork - you da man !
I've seen that 'cylinder' shape a couple places. Glad the dimensions worked for you even if it did take a little bit of manual override help. Thanks for watching and enjoy the cheaper bubbles!
Great video! Many thanks! Just an FYI, you can use a 15/16" open end wrench on the flats of the brass fitting, and a 10mm box end wrench is an exact fit on the relief valve. For disassembly, I wrap the body of the cylinder in a small towel, and then gently clamp in in my bench vise below the jaws, and I only tighten enough to keep the cylinder from turning when the wrench is applied. Just throwing the information out there for anyone who has the tools / equipment.
That's solid info. Thanks for pinning down the specs for everyone. Been meaning to do that myself. Happy bubbles out there mate!
A little more for everybody, I came across this doing additional research. You're on the right track with weighing the bottle and not overfilling them. They state in this linked article (explaining CO2 physics to the paint ball gang) that overfilling makes the bottles much more sensitive to changes in temperature; the pressure will rise much quicker and higher. For your review! www.warpig.com/paintball/technical/gasses/co2dynamics.shtml
It's actually 24mm. 15/16 is about 0.025" too small.
Going to try this on my new bottle. I have 2 that won't open for love or money. Traded one in and the brass seems super soft in this new one. I am afraid I am going to round out the check valve nut.
Finally a SodaStream refill video that uses actual dry ice measurements, I knew my digital postal scale would come in handy someday, Thank You!
I don't know why I enjoyed this so much. I don't even have or want a soda stream.
Science is fun? Or when there's some Canadian with a funnel, a chopstick, and dry ice there's comedy potential? No matter the reason, thanks for watching. And get a SS on the cheap on Boxing Day - they're loads of fun when they don't cost a fortune to refill.
He is a very good narrator. Pleasant voice and pronunciation.
Well done, sir...well done. Informative, with measurement explanation for those who've forgotten science lab from HS or those with little training with simple physics and chemistry.
I've been refilling my canisters since I purchased my Sodastream (about a year now) and have grimaced (and chuckled) at many other's videos. Yours appears to have good production value with little to no background noise, clean edit points, and practiced or scripted dialog leaving out the, "uhmm's" - "uhh's" and awkward pauses.
I'm subscribing to your channel and looking forward to additional videos of other "hacks".
Thanks for the guidance here Mr Spork.
I'll add that the relief valve, given it's made of brass, will be much better supported with a 10mm ring wrench than an adjustable.
Secondly, if you get some dry ice in a frozen food delivery you can re-use it in place of the pellatized dry ice, although you'll need a strong blender to break it down ( it blends to a fine powder)
Good point on the sizing and I agree it would be preferred. Little did I know at the time my hack job with an adjustable would be all over the net. LOL I'd probably skip the food processor/blender to save my gear and resort to a heavy zip lock bag wrapped in a bath towel and a sturdy mallet (dead blow style perhaps?) to get any chunks down to size. And vent any current frustrations. Thanks for watching and the feedback!
Very good. That is one of the most valuable and helpful videos I have seen in a long time.
Well produced. Instructional, not filled with a lot of extra talk, no long theatrical intro, to the point.
Thanks. Hopefully I've gotten a bit better over the years. This was my first go and it seems to have helped folks. Appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment. Happy fizzing!
I've seen some refill videos that were very complicated and I wasn't interested. I thought this was the best one on TH-cam. Thank you. I subscribed so that I don't miss the video for making the syrup.
I've now re-filled my 8 cylinders a few times... Works really well.
I have 6 130L CO2 bottles which I refill using this method every 3 or 4 years. I am convinced that Soda Stream stopped selling the large capacity bottles in order to make it harder to use this method in order to sell more 60L CO2 refills. But that is just my opinion.
You are an amazing instructor. Very articulate straight forward and easy to listen too. Great camera and hand work too. Thank you for this well done and informative video.
Thanks for that but hopefully my camera-pointing ability has improved a bit from this first-ever video. I hope it helps you save some cash on your bubbles. Thanks for watching and Cheers!
wow this is so easy! I love how simple this is! Thanks a bunch man I've been looking all over to find a convenient way to do this for quite some time now and this is by far the most straight forward video Ive seen!
Enjoy the fizz and thanks for watching.
I just bought a DrinkMate Soda Maker, which uses SS standard canisters. I am so glad I found your video, it will save me, and others, a lot of money. Thanks for sharing...
May all your bubbles be cheap and fizzy. Thanks for watching and for the kind words.
Tried this today... it was so easy! I live 20 miles from a store, and our only store that swapped canisters closed last month. Thank you so much for this, it was unbelievably easy and cost effective. $8 for four pounds of CO2, maybe ten minutes of work. I did have trouble getting three of my canisters open, so took them to a local mechanic who didn't even charge me to get them open.
Glad you got your bargain bubbles sorted Mercy. They can be tricky to open the first time but after that seem to cooperate more. Worst case or if you get more new cylinders in the future, peek at the update I did that shows a new method using a strap wrench and vise to get the stubborn ones open. Or just go back to the mechanic! LOL Great idea that was. Thanks for watching and happy fizzing!
nice! i was worried about having to buy all types of hardware and other things to do a co2 tank to sodastream but this is much easier!
I just wanted to thank you for your information. I followed your instructions to the “almost” letter. I was very successful and very proud of myself! Thank you again for this video. I’m going to save a ton!
The simple joy of cheaper fizzing. Have fun making your own flavours and thanks for watching!
Nice video! I just unpacked a new Fizzi, went to the interwebs for assembly instructions, and your money-saving video popped up!
Thank you!
Anyone who has done HS science can save a ton o’ money, and this is brilliant in the pandemic as well.
Glad to help. It really does make these gizmos usefully affordable. Enjoy the new bubbles!
Your first youtube video is a banger!
My family uses SodaStream like crazy, you have just saved me so much money and I much appreciate it.. thank you good sir.
Very glad to help. I don't think I'd use mine much at full price refills. I will say that having super fresh bubbly water is a joy, particularly when making waffles or tempura. Seems to work better than even a freshly opened retail bottle. Not sure why it would be any more effective there but my batter goes delightfully fizzy on command. Thanks for watching and enjoy the cheaper bubbles!
Wouldn't it be cheaper and safer to buy 2kg or even better 10kg co2 bottle, some pressure reducer to 3bar and some pipe with sodastream adaptor to connect to sodastream directly.
Im currently start looking on beer keg for soda, possible to find 5l version and user feedbacks are more positive than for sodastreams.
I discuss this in the update video but for me, no, it wasn't cheaper. The math never gets repaid for all the extra gizmos when you consider that ALL tanks, big or small, have an expiration date. Plus for anyone not in a metro area the shipping is considerable whereas you can get SS cylinders at any big box store even out in hinterlands. Your math may vary but when I counted the costs of 'big tank' I would have had to consume lab rat quantities several times my bodyweight to make it more cost effective. I see zero case for any safety differences.
@@MrSporksHands here in europe it is quite cheap to order 10kg gas tank. It will cost 22euro to exchange. First time you need to pay 130euro for the tank, but later you can return that money if you dont need it anymore. And with exchange you constantly would get updated gas tank. But as you said, it is strongly depends on shops around you. In our case i have no idea where to get dry ice.
I love you Canadians. Thanks so much! A neighbor friend was moving and gave me her soda stream and I love seltzer so I'm starting to use this thing. Your walkthrough is gonna save me a ton!
Happy to help. I suspect DIY refills have saved a lot of these gizmos from languishing in the back of closets. Really makes them affordable to use again. Thanks for watching. We Canadians love you too.
I just did this, following your directions, Mr. Spork! It worked OK, although I ran into a few glitches in connection with loading the CO2 pellets. First one was yes, I thought I had a funnel, but no, I couldn't find it. Second, my pellets were not pellets like you had, but they were mostly shaped like little cylinders -- like the pellets for wood pellet stoves. So they didn't flow easily into the sodastream tanks, and so the funnel probably wouldn't have worked very well either. It ended up taking longer to get the pellets into the tanks, and I'll bet I lost a significant amount of CO2 through sublimation due to the extra time taken. Because I had to hold the tanks over the CO2 box, my fingers got quite frosty, even in my oven gloves -- until I added an extra layer of insulation with a towel. Another issue was the pellets came in a sealed styrofoam container, and towards the end of the project my scoop started dredging up styrofoam along with pellets! Yikes! I think I got a few styrofoam particles into the last tank. Probably won't hurt. You had an insulated tub for this, and next time that's what I will use, once I find one.
I did manage to fill three CO2 bottles -- though I did expect to be able to fill five. So I still saved money on this.
I did try grinding pellets up in my herb/coffee grinder, and that didn't work very well, because ground up Co2 pellets do not flow like sand -- they kind of stick together in clumps -- so I couldn't really "pour" them. But if I had had a funnel, then it would have worked! So I have a better idea of how to do this for next time.
Glad you had some success. The first time I too tried without a funnel and got it everywhere. It'll be that much easier next time. Appreciate you watching and hope you enjoy the bubbles. Cheers!
Just got refilling my 130l bottle and can't believe how easy and cheap it was! This used to cost me $30 per trade in, but no more. Thank you!!!
My pleasure. Glad to save you a few pennies. Next step, making your own flavour syrups!
Chemist here. A couple of safety features to consider:
1. Don’t get any water into the CO2 tank. Carbonic acid eats away at aluminum.
2. Most electronic balances will get skewed under temperature changes. Don’t leave the cold tank on as you fill with dry ice, you could wind up filling more than intended.
Good tips. I try to work fast enough when I`m not filming so the cold bottles don`t freeze to anything. Thanks for watching and adding to the discussion.
What a great tip. I've just bought a Sodastream Spirit and have not yet had to get a refill. All I now need to do is to look to find where I can get the CO2 beads. Thanks for the great idea.
Really makes them affordable doing your own refills. Have fun with the new bubbles and thanks for watching.
The algorithm gods have blessed you with my view, and I approve.
I was as surprised as anyone to open my dashboard today. Better get the update to this edited quick, eh? Thanks for watching!
Perfect.
Great news. Thx.
Lll.13mmn
It also helps that others are referring to this video.
So glad I found this. We've put off filling/exchanging our bottles due to cost.
Mine sat unfilled for months before I sorted out an affordable solution. Really brings it back into the realm of useful. Thanks for watching and happy fizzing!
What an excellent video! Narrator speaks clearly and shows every detail of the process, including helpful tips. Thanks!
Greatly appreciate the kinds words. Hopefully I've cleaned up even more of the rough edges since my first one here. Thanks for watching.
Excellent! I just received one as an early Christmas present and it will be employing your ingenious hack!
Really does bring them into a useful cost range. Report back with success or failure. Thanks for watching, Happy Christmas, and enjoy the fizzing!
This was your fist TH-cam video? Well done! Bravo! Now for me to see what is easier to get in my area between gas and frozen CO2.
Well done video!
One suggestion... The fittings on my canisters were extremely tight. Tapping/muscling a single wrench just wasn't getting them loose.
A strap wrench applied to the canister (in addition to the crescent wrench on the fitting) really helped increase torque applied, and required no tapping.
Agreed. This idea came up earlier in the comments and I tested it using a bench vice on the main valve nut (mounted "upside down" in the vice) and the strap wrench on the cylinder. Works like a charm. I have on my list to do an updated video on my next "fill day". Thanks for watching!
Tried the refilling with dry ice for the first time today. At the end, gas was leaking through the security (burst) valve. After reading some comments here, thought the security valve was damaged. But no, the issue was all about a tiny silver round cap that goes inside the hole of the security valve, which was missing. I think this cap breaks whenever there is overpressure in the cilinder. When I first unscrewed the security valve, I totally removed it from the main valve and didn't notice the cap going away. Fortunatelly, my wife found it on the floor and I could put it back in place. So, if you totally remove the security valve, be aware not to loose this cap. Thanks for the video!
+1 Wife eyes! It would have been lost forever in my house. You're spot on with how the burst valve works in that the 'disc' is the mechanism that triggers. I've noticed some of mine are held in with a little gasket and others loose in the cap. Well spotted and glad you were able to salvage the refill. Thanks for watching!
Those canisters are about $70 here in Australia. Your a champion for sharing this thank you.
Ouch. $70 is steep. Hope you can find the dry ice and save a heap of coin on your bubbles. Thanks for watching!
Like us old timers used to say when having a shot at the bar - You are Top Shelf. 1st Class
Thanks for the kind words. Next time you're in the deep woods of eastern Canada, a round is on me. Cheers.
When using an adjustable wrench, the adjustable bit should always face the direction of action, or you run the risk of rounding the nut edges. Otherwise great video!
You are 100% correct and I've been caught out on this early in the comments. I was just too pre-occupied with fumbling with the camera on my first go. Thanks for watching!
@@MrSporksHands I don't have a Sodastream but it was a really interesting video. Thank you for making it.
I personally did not know that.
Ty for the knowledge =)
Nelson4207 same here then again I don't use that tool I go for exact size
@@MrSporksHands also co2 has no liquid state, it sublimates directly from solid to vapor/gas state. It does not "melt" from solid to liquid and then "boil" from liquid to gas state like most other fluids that have three states, co2 only has 2 states: solid, and gaseous. Just a little info.
I was about to throw my SodaStream away, tired of paying for refills. Can't wait to try this! Thank you!
I stopped using mine for months until the idea light went on. Hope it helps you. Thanks for watching!
A strap wrench works great for holding the cylinder secure while the valve is removed with a 15/16" wrench. To reassemble it is not necessary to tighten as much as it was. I usually just snug it up by holding the tank in my hand & tighten the valve & it seals fine and it makes getting the valve off much easier in the future.
The strap wrench idea came up a while back in comments and it does indeed do a good job. On new tanks I use a (padded) bench vice to hold the valve now (with the cylinder sticking up in the air) then whip the strap around it. Works a treat and no more banging.
Agreed on the hand snug as long as your gaskets are in good shape. Thanks for watching!
- MSH
Wow, 15-20$ for a filled co2 cylinder? In Germany you pay around 6$ per refill. Maybe sodastream is more popular here, since you can get refills in nearly every Supermarket here.
Wow. It's around AUD$20 in Australia for a swap. That is around 12.50 Euro.
It´s like 5€/ per refill in Finland. You can find more expensive if you go looking thou.
I pay 8 €. Where do you get it for 5,40€ ?
They are not that available in the western US. Probably a population density issue.
Freestila F. Carbonated water isn’t as popular here as it is in Germany. When I lived in Bamberg, if I asked for water it always came with bubbles. Maybe because it’s common there is why it’s cheaper.
This the most informative video that will give step by steps to refill your Sodastream CO2 bottle. His instruction will pay about 5$ USD per a bottle. I have followed his instructions over two times. THE INSTRUCTIONS WORK. However I'm lazy. To my embarrassed I have purchased 5 LB tank with the soda stream adaptors featured on Amazon (Just search on Amazon for 5 Lb tank and Soda Stream Adapter). If you are lazy like me, you will NOT save money if you don't follow this video again you will not save money. Mr Spork if your reading this let me know when you are in San Antonio I owe you beers all nights.
Hi Terrence, thanks for the kind words. I explored bigger tanks myself but the math for those plus the adapters never worked to my advantage mainly because of shipping and the expiration of the tanks. I don't drink quick enough to hit the break even point but everyone's calculations will be different especially depending on your access to gas suppliers - I'm out in the sticks here. I talk about it a bit more in the update video I posted a couple weeks ago. Thanks again for watching and I'll take you up on those beers when next I find myself in Texas. Cheers!
Mr Spork, Excellent video. No more waiting for the local store to get a shipment from the mainland for refills!
Mahalo
Well done. Glad to see how you emphasized weighing the ice to prevent explosions. Saw several others who made no mention of it.
Scales for the win. Beyond SS refills, no kitchen should be without a decent one I say. Thanks for watching!
I use a cup and fill it with the dry ice. I weighed it once and from then on the volumetric is easier.
Didn't knew this was possible. I was put off by price of exchange. So thanks for your easily understood video. Nice one.
Glad to do it. Hope you enjoy the cheaper bubbles. Thanks for watching.
Oh, the money I've wasted before discovering this!! Thank you!
Glad you'll save a few coins making bubbles. Cheers!
Thank you ..I didnt know you could refill the cartridges..They get expensive..Great tip..
Really makes the math work out to be useful for sure. Thanks for watching!
TH-cam algorithm is weird
yes, I don't drink soda water
Cockroach FPV
Dang, YT should know that!!!😁
Popped up on mine today..We we in Walmart and went by a display of Soda Streams..(And we made a comment about them) ..Wonder if the Cell phone I had in my pocket picked this up and caused the algorithmic notification ?
I was as surpised as anyone to open my dashboard to 300+ comments. Thanks for watching weird me and my fizzing obsessions. Cheers!
@@MrSporksHands i gotta giwe you, a Like four that one. and a comment.
Here's your little bit of love ❤. Perfect video. Not under detailed but not verbose. Plenty of details and only relevant side bars... Damn good job - to the point
Thanks man. I appreciate the kind words especially on my first one all those years ago. It's probably been downhill ever since. LOL Appreciate the view. Cheers!
Great video. I've done this procedure and it was simple. As someone who drinks a TON of carbonated drinks (NOT sodas......the usual calorie-free, sugar-free type), the cost-saving is immense. In SoCal where I live, the best deal on replacement cylinders is at Bed, Bath and Beyond, for $25/each. It's usually much more at other places. With the dry ice solution, it's less than $2 plus the effort involved, which takes about 10 min. No comparison.
Well done. I'm a fan of mint and watermelon (no sugar) myself. Really anything out of the garden I can muddle in a glass and pour fizz over. Thanks for watching and enjoy the (cheaper) bubbles.
- MSH
Thank you for sharing I am one of those Americans and I also appreciate saving a few dollars here and there so thank you once again
Thanks for this video man. I'm gonna try this soon and I'm hyped. Very cool.
Welcome to the world of cheap fizz, Dylan. Thanks for watching!
The process works great. Thanks for the video. I recommend doing this under a kitchen hood that vents to outside just in case the CO2 levels get to high in the house. I got the cube kind of dry ice and found that a large-ish mortar and pestle makes grinding down the crystals easy and fast. Last tip would be that I put the cylinders wrapped in paper towel into a bench vise to hold it while I turned the valve off. Of course its lightly tightened in the vice, just enough to hold it, and not dig into the cylinder.
Well spotted on the bench vise Jeff. When I get new cylinders now that's the approach I use. Glad it's working for you. Thanks for watching and the field report. Cheers!
Mr Spork. Thank you for showing me how to enjoy my SodaStream and be a chemist at the same time. You're the best.
Science! Thanks for the kind words and for watching.
Thank you so much for this video - seems easy enough and will certainly give it a go. Well explained and very clear instructions.
Thank you for showing an alternative refill method - I'd been considering a sodastream, but didn't like the total cost of running one.
Great video for showing us how to refill them. I never wanted to do SodaStream, because I did the math and seemed pretty pricey years ago. But, this way would make it much cheaper.
I wouldn't use a SS if it was full price for refills for sure. On the cheap however I'm a fizzing madman. Well worth the small refilling effort every few months. Thanks for watching and enjoy the bubbles.
We have a local welding shop that carries it. I’m in Paso Robles, California Wine country. When they pick the grapes they’ll throw a scoop in the top of the wine crate until the grapes can be processed.
Interesting. I wouldn't have guessed that one. Dry ice is useful stuff all over the place. In my neck of the woods it's for lobster processing. Thanks for watching!
- MSH
thanks for making this video! I've slowly stockpiled these 60L co2 tanks from thrift stores and garage sales to refill a bunch of tanks at once! initially, Having only two tanks, I had to do this refill process more often than I wanted and had difficulty buying smaller quantities of block dry ice at the grocery store.
I haven't found this pelletized ice like you're using, but had great results just running chunks of dry ice in a blender then they seem to fill tanks quite easily.
I haven't needed to tackle the dry ice chunks but that sounds as good an idea as any. A large ziplock back wrapped in a somewhat expendable bath towel and some frustration therapy with a rubber mallet works well too I hear. Good luck and thanks for watching!
- MSH
Super cool. Great teaching material for solid / liquid / gas explanations. Nice work fellow Canadian! Very novel way of doing refills.
I appreciate the kind words Luke. A little science goes a long way. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this! This makes me want a Soda Stream now. I couldn't justify the prices of the unit and the refills, but I'd be ok with refilling it myself.
Agreed that they're just not useable at full price refills. On the cheap however they're a viable alternative. Strangely, one of my neighbour's kids has gone nuts for orange Tang drink mix but always wants to make it with soda water. Go figure. LOL Sodastream to the rescue. Thanks for watching!
Awesome idea, so simple and effective. Sidenote: CO2 normally has no liquid state. ;)
At high pressure co2 can be liquid
under pressure it dose like inside of a co2 tank filled to the max
What is "normally"? The CO2 is liquid inside those bottles, and that seems pretty normal to anyone holding a CO2 bottle.
It's a liquid when under pressure
Like butane
Yeah but because of the pressure it is liquid
First video? You did better than some who've had a year. Great work, I subscribed
Thanks Matthew. Hopefully I've gotten a bit better over the years. Just upgraded to a proper filming/lighting/sound setup so more coming soon. Stay tuned and thanks for subscribing!
I've never searched but always wondered if anyone had tear down maintenance videos on their soda stream along with attempts to carbonate non-conventional beverages that likely do not exist on the open market because the carbonic acid ruins their taste - such as orange juice or iced teas. I need to service my unit to test more beverages for experimentation. This video was old but good and I just discovered it today!
MIO works good
I've seen a couple people (regret) carbonating milk.
You can only carbonate water. If you put something in the water then shoot it full of C02, it'll blow all over the place when you unscrew the bottle. I did that once with an original Soda Stream that used glass bottles and a lever to clamp and seal the bottle inside. Had a bottle of root beer go flat so I wanted to give it some more gas. Not a fun result.
Now where to get the dry ice locally and at a price which doesn't cost more than a refilled trade in.
an industrial gas supplier.
every grocery store has dry ice you have to ask a clerk usually under lock and key so people don't get burned by it also its like $3 a pound these refills cost like $20-$30 each
Safeway, Albertsons, Raley's, Fred Meyers, ect. it is only a few dollars for a brick.
If you're in the south, Publix.
Google
Utah sells these for 45$ in Walmart bro you’ve saved me so much. Imma grab some dry ice tomorrow
Well done. It's saved me a ton on lime seltzer over the years. Happy fizzing!
Are you serious? $45 for a refill?!?!? Do you get money back for returning it or what?
Very professionally done. Precise measurements and instructions. Thank you!!!
Very informative. I might try this. I just purchased my first SodaStream. I couldn't tell that this was your first video. Good job.
It really does make them cheap enough to be useful. Glad to help get you some discount bubbles. Thanks for watching. I just posted an update with a few more tips and tricks th-cam.com/video/lVthMHsrqWM/w-d-xo.html Cheers!
I had zero idea this was how the C02 was refilled. You're gonna save me a fortune!
It really does bring these gizmos back into the realm of usable on the cost front. Enjoy the cheaper fizz and thanks for watching.
That was INSANELY easy to do, thank you!!
Glad it helped get you to cheaper bubbles. Thanks for watching!
Today we learn that Soda Bubbles = Dry Ice :-)
SCIENCE! Thanks for watching.
Carbon dioxide... Weird I know.
❤❤❤❤ this is a great video! So natural and enjoyable to watch plus great information!
Thanks for the kind words and the view. Enjoy the cheaper bubbles!
Great video. One of the few I’ve seen where safety is mentioned. Good job.
You mentioned the CO2 pellets change to a liquid, when they warm up.
CO2 is peculiar, as it goes straight from its solid form to gas. So, no liquid in there at any point. Called ‘sublimation’.
The idea is also very irritating, as I didn’t think of it - and I’m both a SodaStream user, and a scientist. How annoying is that!
... but what a great trick! Love it!
Your understanding of the peculiarities of CO2 is flawed, Mr. Scientist.
I watched your video last year, yesterday I purchased a Sodastream on Letgo for $40 machine 2 drinking bottles and 4 CO2 bottles, I went to Airgas purchased Rice Pallets Minimum purchase we $35 more than I needed anyway I weighed the ice prior to adding it to the Iced CO2 bottles my funnel is slightly larger than wht you used I had no bottle neck problem... It works great and I have 4 bottles of CO2 all for $75.00 thank you your video was great.
Love to hear success stories. Enjoy the cheap fizzing and thanks for watching!
Wow! Thanks! Pretty AMAZING!! Thanks for spending your time to show us!!
I been doing this for years with 20lb CO2 bottles.. Publix sells dry ice - much easier to get than going to a refill place.
I started a few decades ago refilling my paintball tanks and only clued in that it would work for my soda cylinders later. One-way stop for dry ice instead of lugging the tanks back and forth was a big motivator. Thanks for watching!
20 sodastream employees didn't like this ;)
+dfgdfg Hahaha. THAT'S who those people are! Thanks mate. Made me laugh.
145 now hahaha
Hah, now it’s 162!
They can all kiss my pecker
I was working in the SodaStream in NL for five months. It was like 8 years ago.
I finally got to try this today. My first attempt, last week, was foiled when I bought the dry ice but found I couldn't get the cap off of the cylinders...let's just say that I found it harder than he makes it appear in the video. Today I tried again with two cannisters already open. The dry ice was from an oxygen supply store (mainly used by welders, I think). It is available from a nearby grocery store, but in block form, and I can't imagine it would be worthwhile to chip it. The pieces in the video are significantly smaller than the ones I got (I'm in America BTW, don't know if it's regional). What I had were a lot of dry ice "cubes" in the form of cylinders, many of them no more than a quarter of an inch long, but a fair number that were 1 or even 2 inches or more. At first, I tried putting them in through a funnel, but that was a disaster. None of them fit, so I had to break them up, which resulted in a lot of dry ice flying out and the funnel getting jammed quickly with pieces. Fortunately, the ice cylinders were slightly smaller in diameter than the neck of the CO2 cylinder, so I found I could drop them straight in with a pair of tongs. For the larger pieces, this was pretty easy. For smaller pieces, it was a pain. Eventually I started holding my other hand around the neck of the cylinder and guiding in several small pieces at once. (I was wearing gloves, but I touched the dry ice numerous times with my skin and it didn't hurt. Admittedly, I made sure that I only touched them very briefly, but I was prepared for my skin to blister or something.) Once I got the pattern down, it went faster. I wasn't timing it but I think it only takes about 10 minutes to fill a cannister.
The video warned us to get extra ice because we would lose some on the way home. I had two cylinders to fill, each 14.5 ounces, and I bought 2 lbs. (albeit loaded on an analogue scale without much attempt at precision). I ended up with one completely filled and the other about half filled, but I spilled quite a bit of ice at various points, so this wasn't a good test. It didn't *look* like I lost much on the way home, although it's hard to tell since there isn't any water as evidence. But there was very little vapor coming from the cooler. (I was expecting a lot more. It was different when I threw some dry ice in the sink and they fell into a bowl of water, which bubbled and "steamed" like a volcano.)) Even the half-to-2/3rds full cannister put out a lot of fizz, though. I can't imagine it was less than what I usually get when I exchange for one from the store. Verdict: this method is great, I will definitely use it in the future, but there is a little bit of a learning curve.
If you want to make snow out of those little cylinder pills that dry ice often comes in, put them in a ziplock bag (don't seal it though) and smash em up with a kitchen mallet wrapped in a dishcloth. A couple of solid whacks and they should fit right down the neck of your funnel.
You are so awesome. I totally forgot about this trick. We used to do this in high school to refill our co2 tanks for our paintball guns instead of paying $15-20 at the sporting goods store. Thanks for reminding me of a way to save a lot of cash!
Thanks mate. Exactly the same place I learned the trick many years ago when I too ran around in the woods shooting my friends with orange paint. LOL Appreciate you watching.
Ya I made the mistake of overfilling (didn't have a scale)... just blew the safety blowoff valve!
Ouch. That'll do it for sure. Decent scales have gotten much cheaper in recent years so check the reviews (it's about the accuracy) and nab one for yourself. Should be about twenty bucks and your whole kitchen, bread baking especially, will thank you for it too. Cheers!
Doesn't your scale zero out after you've taken the bottle and funnel off to go fill up your bottle with the pellets? Mine gives me about 15 seconds and then turns off and I don't know what the tare weight was if I didn't write it down.
Is food-grade a concern with 3rd party dry ice? Could it not potentially be contaminated by unhealthy chemicals?
Good question. Industrial lubricants and detergents possibly? Heavy metals?
Doubt it would matter. It's just gas in the end. Any "chemicals" or solids would probably just remain within the bottle in solid form.
I was just thinking the same thing. In general, dry ice is just CO2 in solid state, but this does not exclude the possibility of contamination with other materials. A qualified answer would be great.
Yes, just like if you by CO2 cartridges for a seltzer siphon, it must be food grade or dry ice. Everyone thinks it's just CO2, but there are different grades. Non-food-grade often contains toxins. If you're buying off-brand cartridges it must be "beverage grade" CO2.
what chemicals though? The process of making dry ice is all about pressure and CO2 gas, nothing more.