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So I drink quite a bit of Diet Pop (yes yes, I'm giving myself brain tumors and the like...), ever since I started having beer on tap pop seemed like the next logical (perhaps not the right word....) step for me. What has always deterred me however is I could never find anywhere to buy the boxes of syrup (Pepsi is preferred), seems like Sams Club or Costco in the states sell them, but not here from what I can tell.

I'm tempted to give the SodaStream setup a try (mostly the syrup as I can't see me paying that much for CO2 when I have a kegerator) although there diet cola doesn't have very good reviews. Ive seen people have success using the sodastream to carbonate and adding regular coke/pepsi syrup, which has me wondering why I couldn't mix my own Corney kegs? (granted I'll need a much higher pressure, and it will contaminate all the lines/etc).

It's not as much for the cost savings as it is for the hassle of dealing with the bottle exchange, lugging them from the grocery store, etc. I could see me eventually looking to setup the full blown Bag in Box system, but its all pointless if I can't find a decent source for the syrup.

Any Ideas?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenCola_%28drink%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Other soda's would likely be much easier to a decent job of.

Sandy

Interesting, I haven't found too many recipes that have a sugar-free option, although this one appears to.

I'd still like to be able to fall back on the classic though.

ratchet is doing some kind of soda set-up, can't remember what it was though

I've purchased the SodaStream mixes, and mixed them up in a keg. IIRC, 1 500mL syrup (~$7) to 11L of carbonated water. We've tried the Diet Cola and Diet Ginger Ale. I'd be lying if I said they tasted like anything commercial, but they were certainly drinkable for a refreshing fizzy drink when mixing with booze, or when beer wasn't appropriate (I know, that looks wrong, even while typing it).

chalmers wrote:I've purchased the SodaStream mixes, and mixed them up in a keg. IIRC, 1 500mL syrup (~$7) to 11L of carbonated water. We've tried the Diet Cola and Diet Ginger Ale. I'd be lying if I said they tasted like anything commercial, but they were certainly drinkable for a refreshing fizzy drink when mixing with booze, or when beer wasn't appropriate (I know, that looks wrong, even while typing it).

man at 7$ to make 12 litres, they aren't any cheaper than buying a half dozen bottles (if you got them during a sale)

IMHO SodaStream is a pretty big rip off. It's marketing to the if you drink that commercial soft drink "crap" your hurting your family crowd.

Diet coke 5gal bag in box is ~$75 at SAMs club in the states (I don't have any local sources or prices yet), which makes ~113L, so around $1.15 per 2L, certainly not a real cost effective way in either case if you factor in sale prices. This is probably why I used to see convenience store owners back home filling up shopping carts when it went on sale.

I still mostly want it for the convenience though.

Sodastream = $7/12L = $0.58/L
Store bought 2L (on sale)= $1.10/2L = $0.55/L
5gal bag-in-box = $75/113L = $0.66/L

By the above numbers, it appears the pricing of the three options are a wash, so it's about the other factors involved. Storing one keg of pop in my kegerator is simpler than the 6x2L (or 9-10 for a "double batch"), and as we don't seem to have easy access to the bag in a box option, until I start making my own (thanks for the link to the Open Source Cola), Sodastream mixes are the way for me.

Have you tried calling a Pepsi rep (or asking the manager at your local pub/restaurant) to find out pricing of a 5gal bag? It might not be too far off from Sam's Club, and it would be the real thing, as opposed to my knock-off brand swill.

pepsi is still using kegs from what I can see

I think I'm going to pick up the sodastream diet and some seltzer water and give it a try and go from there. I meant more that the sodastream as a system is a rip off, the syrups arnt crazily priced (although I suppose they are a bit for no-name soda).

A long time ago I called around the pepsi distributors and they seemed pretty harsh about selling to a person (which is echo'd online, apparently coke may). I'm going to start asking around see if I can find anyone with an in at a resturant/gas station/etc that may be willing to quietly sell me a box.

Full pepsi kegs are $45 in New Glasgow at Cash and Carry, plus $25 deposit for the keg.

mr x wrote:Full pepsi kegs are $45 in New Glasgow at Cash and Carry, plus $25 deposit for the keg.

might need a to get a keg this week. are they ball lock?

mr x wrote:Full pepsi kegs are $45 in New Glasgow at Cash and Carry, plus $25 deposit for the keg.

So that's over $2/l and a keg for $25.

That doesn't seam that cheap.

Sandy

They are ball lock. And IIRC the deposit was $25, but I'll double check.

Is it full of syrup, or pop? That could be a decent deal.

The days of sub-$25 kegs are over, I believe. The last ones we brought in from Moncton were $30, and we dried up his supply.

If cash and carry has the kegs seems like they may have the syrup too? I'll have to check it out.

They don't sell the kegs up here. The NG selection is quite different than the hfx store for some reason. I know the NG guys said Coke wouldn't deal with them anymore after they switched to BIB. IIRC, the kegs are full of pop, not syrup.

Ah, we'll that's a bit of a letdown.

mr x wrote:They don't sell the kegs up here. The NG selection is quite different than the hfx store for some reason. I know the NG guys said Coke wouldn't deal with them anymore after they switched to BIB. IIRC, the kegs are full of pop, not syrup.

I'm pretty sure you're right...

I wonder how hard it would be to clean those suckers

Easy. Mine came full of pop. Just a little soap and water cleans them right out. You would likely have a problem if you left it open with a little pop in the bottom, but I just dumped, cleaned, sanitized and used for beer all in the same day.

If the deposits only 25$ why are people buying kegs at NG for 40$?

The pop is $45. You can't buy it empty.

dexter wrote:If the deposits only 25$ why are people buying kegs at NG for 40$?

$40? More like $60. People are buying them at Noble Grape because that is the only local place that has them for sale. Though I believe the store in the Hydrostone might also have them.

Unsure what Pepsi thinks of all that. They were probably purchased legally from retired stock, so Pepsi doesn't care.

chalmers wrote:

dexter wrote:If the deposits only 25$ why are people buying kegs at NG for 40$?

$40? More like $60. People are buying them at Noble Grape because that is the only local place that has them for sale. Though I believe the store in the Hydrostone might also have them.

Unsure what Pepsi thinks of all that. They were probably purchased legally from retired stock, so Pepsi doesn't care.

Maritime Brew and Wine has them. I can ask Tim (Owner) if he has a supply or is only buys as needed.

Sandy