Seltzer Tips
Seltzer is moving fast. Our Seltzer products are our fastest growing segment. Cafes, new "old time" soda shoppes and seltzer lovers are installing systems in their homes. Customers tell us they are tired of buying seltzer and lugging the glass and plastic to the recycle center every week. A recent customer said he and his family were going through 2 cases of Pellegrino a week before they learned they can make their own seltzer. Another customer in Massachusetts says his seltzer kegerator is a hit with the neighbors all summer long. (Add some sliced lemons or limes and it is a great refresher.) And many, many customers are fed up with a certain system they bought that charges them for gas canisters like they were gold. We can assist you with a system for your home or business. Call us with your questions: 973-512-2028
Top Five Questions:
1) What's a carbonator?
Any thing that injects CO2 gas into a beverage is a carbonator. We have a few choices.
Motorless Carbonators are for making seltzer without electricity or water hook-up. Keep the carbonation tank in a refrigerator or other cold place and occasionally fill with water. A 5lb CO2 cylinder, cooling and soda regulator required. Our Home & Small Shop Soda Fountain Kit is used for making seltzer in your chest freezer. Again, keep the carbonation tank in the freezer or other refrigerated place and occasionally fill with water. Used in small stores, homes and portable serving applications by vendors everywhere. CO2 cylinder, cooling and soda regulator required. Freezer thermostat is supplied with kit.
Commercial Motorized Carbonators for continuous flow of seltzer. Hook up to electricity, CO2 cylinder, soda regulator cooling and water supply is required. A typical setup is shown in our motorized hook up page.
2) Should it be cold?
Most of our clients in North America like their seltzer as cold as possible. In Europe and Asia it doesn't seem to be as important. But water carbonates better when it is cold. Cold water "holds" the carbonation. Pour a can of soda that was in your car or cabinet and pour a can of soda from the fridge. Which one is more carbonated? Below are the electric and non electric ways to cool your water.
A Flash Chiller is ideal for dispensing ice cold seltzer, juice, tea and beers when there is limited refrigeration and it is impracticable to use cold plates and coils requiring a continuous supply of ice and drainage.
The Flash Chiller is low profile (see Dimensions for size) and highly efficient. It can easily fit under most counters. .
It can serve a product at 34°F at normal lower flow rates and is perfect to dispense seltzer directly from a carbonator. It is also an excellent method to dispense ice cold beer at special events, boats, ships or catering halls. This latest generation of flash chillers has proven itself in Europe with thousands in operation.
All flash coolers are shipped by truck only. Will not be shipped by UPS or USPS
Note: These flash chillers have straight wall Stainless Steel tubing for product inlets and outlets. When used with pressures above 12psi these tubes must be flared to prevent inlet and outlet lines from blowing off the inlet and outlet tubes.
The other, but less preferable, solution is to have a professional plumber flare the tubing enough to prevent the hoses from slipping off the inlet and outlet tubing. In either situation the cold water supply to the carbonator should be shut off when the system is not in use or the system will not be used for several days. This will prevent a flood if the hoses come unfastened. The only water to spill will be the water in the carbonation tank.
IMPORTANT:
The output water temperature of a seltzer faucet or soda draft arm must be between 32 and 36 degrees F. If this temperature is not achieved the carbonation will be lost when the seltzer hits the glass at the high pressures of the carbonated water. Failure to have the seltzer cold will cause partial or total loss of carbonation. When using a flash chiller the stainless steel tubing which the seltzer lines are connected to must be either flared or fitted with our flare fitting kit to allow for the line clamps to hold under the 80 plus pounds of pressure in the seltzer line! When a flash chiller is used, take advantage of the cold water pump to flow cold water along the seltzer tube from the chiller to the faucet or draft arm. This water should be returned to the return port of the chiller and all three lines well insulated to prevent both the cold water flow, cold water return and the chilled seltzer from warming up. This will allow for a constant supply of chilled seltzer even with extended periods of non use.
3) Can I pour seltzer out of my (beer) kegerator? Take the Quiz
4) How do I operate my carbonator I bought on eBay. It's not working and I can't get hold of the person/company that sold it to me
5) I'm opening a café and I have a very small area for seltzer equipment. Possible? What do I need?