How to Carbonate a Beverage
You can add a little kick to the otherwise plain beverages at your party by carbonating them. If you wanted to spend up to $700, you could buy a carbonation machine. Or you can add carbonation to any beverage with just a little dry ice at a much more reasonable cost. Additionally, this method is a lot more fun. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Go outside or protect your indoor location with rags or a tarp. You will likely spill something somewhere, so you need to protect other items from possible stains.
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Wear old clothes (again, because you may stain them) and cover as much skin as possible. Plastic gloves are a good idea. Direct contact between skin and dry ice may result in a burn.
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Choose the beverage you wish to carbonate. If the beverage contains pulp, such as orange juice, be sure to strain the pulp out before proceeding. Pulp will prevent the carbonation process.
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Pour the beverage in your clean, airtight container. The assumption for these instructions is that you are producing at least 1 gallon of carbonated beverage for your party guests. Under those circumstances, the recommendation is to use a plastic bucket with a lid.
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Add 1 to 2 lbs. of dry ice to every gallon of your beverage of choice. Use a hammer or ice pick to break up the dry ice if necessary.
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Close the container (in this case, put the lid on the plastic bucket) immediately after adding the dry ice. Be sure that the seal is airtight.
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Wait 20 to 30 minutes per liter of beverage for the dry ice to evaporate completely. If possible, use an airtight container that is clear so that you can be certain by viewing the beverage, without opening the container, that the dry ice sublimates entirely. Enjoy your carbonated beverage.
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Tips & Warnings
Open the container with care because the beverage may spray a bit from the built up carbon gases that evaporated.
