Keeping Effervescent Drinks Effervescent Longer

I don't believe a beer or a bottle of champagne has ever lasted long enough around me to have to worry about losing fizziness. Same goes for tonic and soda water -- as long as I have other substances to mix with them.

I'm no chemist, but from an engineering standpoint, I cannot think of any reason that putting a spoon handle down the neck of a bottle would keep CO₂ from escaping. If the handle is in the liquid, I doubt that the acidity of the liquid would cause any chemical reaction with SS.

On the other hand, I'm curious enough to try the experiment over and over again until I'm completely convinced that it does or doesn't work. How long should I wait between samples?

There are a few eccentrics in my family too. No offense intended. It is the low temperature not the spoon that is keeping the CO2 in solution. Most of the CO2 will come out of solution as soon as you open the bottle. Let it sit long enough without the stopper and you will end up with the beverage as flat as a billiards table regardless of low storage temperature. Solubilty of CO2 by weight is a function of temperature and pressure, meaning that bottlers cool the beverage before injecting the CO2. Most will people will be surprised to learn that a soda pop has 12-14% CO2 w/w.

The TV show Myth Busters on Discovery channel took on this issue a while back... As I recall, they could find no indication that the spoon had an effect on retaining the carbonation. Might check out their website.

Hope you don't mind my derail...

I always have problems getting my 12 oz can of Coke to fit in a ~16 oz glass. Darn stuff heads up so badly. I keep them in the fridge and of course that helps... A while back I discovered that if I poured the Captain in over the ice and then the Coke it didn't fizz nearly as much. Korbel also works well.

Any suggestions as to why this works to keep the head down?

The trick is in the ice. Ice cubes provide a large surface area for raising bubbles to attatch and colapse before reaching the surface

I've wondered about that, so I tried adding the two ice cubes last. It did make a difference, (fizzing increased w/o ice) but still less than if I just pour Coke in w/o Captain. I think it's true that the ice does help, I think that Cptn helps calm the fizz too, just not sure by what mechanism.

I think I will have to try all the combinations again when I get home. ;-) Mr. Buffet is playing and concentration is fading on this Friday afternoon...

Be sure to have plenty of backup in your experimenting. One sample makes for lousy statistics. so make up lots of statistics on the spot.

Bill

Some say it does work but there is no actual scientific proof of this.

Wen pouring a carbonated drink into a glass pour it onto the side of the glass this will prevent the eruption mentioned else where. The professionals do it this way and if you watch a glass of beer being poured it is poured down the side of the glass until just before the top is reached.

In the States, we have a brew sold by the name "Fat Tire Ale".

1. Pour yourself a glass of Fat Tire Ale.

2. Leave it out on the kitchen counter overnight.

3. The next morning, you will find a glass of Flat Tire Ale, which is not near as good as the original.

Bill

"The next morning, you will find a glass of Flat Tire Ale, which is not near as good as the original."

Quite deflating, in fact...

Oh dear it fell flat here. A tired old one that it ails me.

A good engineer would not let a beverage get to that point.

Drink up y ou sissy!

Cheers from Cincinnati