Carbonation level is an integral component of carbonated soft drink beverages that significantly contributes to positive sensory attributes of sodas; the mouthfeel and taste that the consumer expects.
Carbonation can be introduced into a liquid by chilling the liquid and applying carbon dioxide (CO2) gas under pressure and forcing CO2 to dissolve in the liquid. This is called “forced carbonation”.
There are two common carbonation methods: the forced carbonation method and the bottled carbonation method. Force carbonation or the act of “force-carbing” is an overall faster process than bottle carbonation with less room for error.
The forced carbonation method is a technique that pumps pressurized CO2 gas into a headspace or liquid inside of a pressurized vessel. Generally, in the industry, CO2 is pumped through a porous stone submerged in the beverage, forcing the CO2 to come out as small bubbles that diffuse quickly into the product.
The beverage is chilled to close to freezing. CO2 becomes more soluble at lower temperatures. By lowering the temperature, more CO2 can be incorporated into the beverage with minimal loss to the ambient air.
The forced carbonation method is used most commonly in the sparkling beverage industry because it can easily and quickly carbonate large volumes of beverage within hours.
Forced carbonation
