Weak Carbonation
How do I make my soda more carbonated? (Soda water is flat, not enough fizz, soda bubbles up and goes flat.)
The four most common areas that may result in low carbonation are water, CO2 settings, temperature, and brixing.
Water: Since a soft drink is approximately 5 parts water to 1 part syrup, having an adequate, clean water supply at the right pressure is absolutely essential for good carbonated beverage. Most city water pressures are above manufactures recommended operating pressures for the carbonator. If you need a water pressure regulator, it can be found on this link:
http://www.sodadispenserdepot.com/watermanagement.html
There are 3 important areas of focus with your water supply which are found in your manual in chapter #2.
CO2: There are a couple different CO2 settings based on the style of dispenser or type of system. Please refer to your manual under start up procedures under the section called "CO2 gas introduction". Make sure you follow instructions on start up procedures for your carbonator in the manual and make sure it is operating correctly.
Temperature: This is the most common reason that you may have low carbonation. Whether your system has a cold plate or a chiller, you must make sure that it is reaching the proper temperature to cool your product. The colder the product is, the more carbonated the product will be when dispensed. If you have a cold plate (built in or external), cover it with ice. If you have a remote chiller, check if the ice bank has formed around the remote cooling lines. (It might be difficult to see the ice that forms around the cooling lines because its clear.) Check for proper water level and make sure that your refrigeration deck has power. Please refer to the trouble shooting section in your manual for other questions regarding temperature.
Brixing: Brixing is the adjustment of syrup and soda water that is dispensed. A brix cup and syrup separator is required to reach the appropriate ratios set by the manufacturer of the syrup you are using. You can also brix your product to taste. Brix kits can be found on this link:
http://www.sodadispenserdepot.com/misc.html