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klimek
07-01-2006, 04:58 PM
Hi!
Anyone know why they use CO2 to pressurize beer, soft drinks?

Brian_UK
07-01-2006, 11:42 PM
Because it is inert, it can be absorbed by the drink without contaminating it.

CO2 is used to put the bubbles in the drinks, open a soft drink bottle..

Argus
08-01-2006, 02:06 PM
Hi!
Anyone know why they use CO2 to pressurize beer, soft drinks?





Not so sure about carbonated drinks, myself. A few years working in the Middle East having to drink Pepsi and all the other concoctions, produced an intolerance to the stuff.

Beer?s a different thing altogether.
Co2 is a natural by-product of fermentation and most of it is lost from the product in the brewing process.

In the UK some brewers add a small amount of sugar liquor to non pasteurised beer (so-called ?Real Ale?) before the cask is sealed to provide a secondary fermentation in the cask and the production of a small amount of CO2 during transit and racking at the pub plus some extra hops to augment the flavour. To maintain the appellation ?Real Ale?, this type beer does not have any external CO2 added to it. It has a relatively short shelf life and needs serving and keeping by someone who knows what they are doing.

Pasteurised beer is a dead product in comparison and CO2 is added to it as a blanket on the top space of the keg to prevent contact with air and to avoid spoiling. In this case, pressurised CO2 is the means of transport to get it through the tubes to the point of sale. Some people actually like this type of product.
CO2 is by no means the only gas added for transport delivery. Keg Guinness uses Nitrogen for the same purpose.

Both are inert as far as food quality is concerned.

As afar as CO2 and Nitrogen are concerned, they are increasingly used as an inert barrier in all sorts of processed packed products apart from drinks, biscuits, crisps, pre-packed salads etc. as well as an inert barrier it also acts as a shock barrier in transit for delicate items.


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rpbuenaflor
08-01-2006, 02:42 PM
What ever, I always enjoy drinking beer...

Cheers,

rudi