Dry Ice

[jward]

Anyone use dry ice/frozen CO2 for chilling or carbonation? I have read soda recipes that called for adding some dry ice to chill and carbonate the beverage. Is dry ice cold enough to be sanitary? The stuff at the super market claims to be food grade.

[maltbarley]

$25? That's only at those exclusive Brea supermarkets. I think dry ice at most places is less than $1.50/lb which is cheaper than a refill on the tank. I agree on all other points.

But, think of the coolness factor if you are having a party.

[brahn]

I've seen videos online of people carbonating stuff with dry ice. You need to be really careful not to build up too much pressure though. If I were going to try it I think I'd try it in PET first, at least the shards would be a lot less dangerous than glass or stainless steel if you estimated wrong. Oh, and shake like crazy.

[backyard brewer]

We used to make dry ice "D-80's" when I was younger. Several slivers of dry ice in a 2L bottle with a little water, cap that sucker, throw it and wait..........for.........it...............

BOOM!!!!!!!

[maltbarley]

I've seen videos online of people carbonating stuff with dry ice. You need to be really careful not to build up too much pressure though. If I were going to try it I think I'd try it in PET first, at least the shards would be a lot less dangerous than glass or stainless steel if you estimated wrong. Oh, and shake like crazy.

You don't trust the pressure release on the top of your kegs?

[brahn]

Good point. Maybe the keg would be the safest option.

[jward]

Found google-ing: 1 pound of dry ice, when it sublimates (turns to gas) will produce 250 liters of gas at atmospheric pressure.

4.5g of beer at 4 volumes is only about 68L of CO2 gas to absorb. Which means that a quarter pound would do if it all absorbed. I would expect the dry ice to sublimate and bubble to top creating pressure in the head space much quicker then it will go into solution. Which means boom! or loss of CO2 out the pressure relief valve and more dry ice required. The dry ice will freeze water/beer/soda around it which will slow the sublimation, but how much? This is kinda stuff why I was hoping one of our intrepid members had done this.

I don't know that I would do this for beer, but it would be way cool to drop a block of dry ice in a keg of root beer or apple juice, watch the top of the keg fog for a while and then close the lid and have a drinkable fizzy beverage shortly there after.