Unusual Dry Ice Uses: Homemade Root Beer
Nothing like a nice tall mug of homemade root beer made with…dry ice??
Dry ice, perhaps most commonly known for special effects purposes, actually holds a plethora of recreational and commercial applications. Ranging from shipping frozen goods to science experiments, to things a little more uncommon, dry ice is a fascinating product. This week’s installment of Unusual Dry Ice Uses will teach you how to — believe it or not — use dry ice to make homemade root beer.
Whether you’re planning a party for the big game next week, or you just want a fun science experiment to do with the kids, homemade root beer is always a hit. Your guests and/or children will be amazed that you turned dry ice pellets into a tall, cold glass of delicious soda. Just make sure to use safe handling and storage techniques during the process!
How in the World Does This Work??
Sodas and other carbonated beverages get their bubbles from carbon dioxide. Since dry ice is composed of solid carbon dioxide, dissolving it into a liquid gives the liquid that lovely bubbly effect. We’ve outlined a step-by-step guide below for making your own delicious homemade root beer using dry ice!
Here’s What To Do
First, actually, here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 ounce bottle of root beer concentrate
- 5 gallons of cool water (the colder the water, the more CO2 it’ll absorb, meaning more fizz!)
- 4 pounds of sugar
- 5 pounds of food grade pellet dry ice
- 10 gallon container with vented lid (you can go ahead and put the water in here to start)
- Proper safety precautions!
Once everything is gathered and set up, here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Add the sugar to the water and stir until it’s dissolved
- Next, dump in all 2 ounces of the homemade root beer concentrate
- Here’s where it gets real! Using thick gloves (and plenty of caution), add the dry ice pellets
- The mixture will start to bubble as soon as the dry ice hits — just a heads up
- Cover the container so that it’s vented just the right amount. Too much ventilation and the carbonation will escape, too tight of a seal and your container might explode.
As soon as all the dry ice has sublimated, your homemade root beer is ready to enjoy!
Dry ice has plenty of applications in the world of food, and we don’t doubt you’ll see some more in upcoming installments of Unusual Dry Ice Uses!
Dry Ice Corp: A Dry Ice Supplier in Maryland
Dry Ice Corp is the largest regional supplier of dry ice products and customized delivery services in the Northeastern United States, from Virginia all the way up to Maine. And because our dry ice is supplied by manufacturing plants located right here in the Northeast, we can guarantee freshness. Other suppliers, meanwhile, get their dry ice from manufacturing plants as much as 1,000 miles away, which has a direct impact on product freshness. Ready to get your dry ice? Click here!
Dry Ice Corp provides the highest levels of service and freshest dry ice products.
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If you have any questions about using Dry Ice to ship seafood, please contact Dry Ice Corp by calling 201.767.3200. You can also connect with Dry Ice Corp on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest.
