# Does dry ice make better pop? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344 "2006-03-21T21:00:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/1 "2006-03-21T21:00:55Z")
I was watching a local PBS documentary last night ([probably not of interest unless you’re from Pittsburgh](http://www.wqed.org/tv/pghist/pgh_pgh/index.shtml)) and they toured a local small scale bottling company. The owner of the company claimed that because of they way they produce their carbon dioxide for their pop that their product has smaller bubbles and therefore has better carbonation than large scale producers. They produce the CO2 by buying dry ice, putting it into tanks and waiting 2 days for it to evaporate instead of buying a large tank like, say, Coke or Pepsi does. Now, I’m with them that using real cane sugar gives them a flavor edge over corn syrup, but I find the Carbon Dioxide claim to be dubious. Is it? ---
**Author:** ![Foybal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Foybal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foybal)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/2 "2006-03-21T22:01:43Z")
Gas, by it’s very nature, has no ability to retain the size of its bubbles. While the maximum size of bubbles may be larger or smaller based on the liquid it’s dissolved in, there’s no difference possible from the source of the gas. In fact, the bubbles are going to change size every degree of temperature change, and every little bump in shipping. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/3 "2006-03-21T22:03:52Z")
Do they also buy snow and let it melt to make the water? Whether it came from a solid chunk and was left to sublimate into gas, or from a tank of liquid, CO[sub]2[/sub] should be the same, assuming either source is at least as good as food grade. (eg: you might not want to drink pop carbonated with welding-grade gas, depending on what contaminants might be in there.) ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/4 "2006-03-21T22:19:40Z")
> [@LateComer](#): > > I was watching a local PBS documentary last night ([probably not of interest unless you’re from Pittsburgh](http://www.wqed.org/tv/pghist/pgh_pgh/index.shtml)) and they toured a local small scale bottling company. > > The owner of the company claimed that because of they way they produce their carbon dioxide for their pop that their product has smaller bubbles and therefore has better carbonation than large scale producers. They produce the CO2 by buying dry ice, putting it into tanks and waiting 2 days for it to evaporate instead of buying a large tank like, say, Coke or Pepsi does. > > Now, I’m with them that using real cane sugar gives them a flavor edge over corn syrup, but I find the Carbon Dioxide claim to be dubious. Is it? Gaseous carbon dioxide from dry ice creates smaller bubbles than compressed CO[sup]2[/sup] in tanks? :wally ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/5 "2006-03-21T22:33:05Z")
“The owner of the company” is often the guy who bought the company, or who is in one way or the other the business brains of the company. He may believe what his advisors tell him, he may want very much to understand everything about the product he’s selling, but often, he’s not the technical expert behind the product. I suspect that someone sold him on the idea of using dry ice, he believed their schpiel, and then he turned around and told the camera what he thought was true. If he believes it, he can be a much better salesman for his product. So sincere, you know? How many owners of how many companies go on and on about their products without really knowing squat about them? I bet a lot of them. Think about how many CEO’s move from one company to another simply because they’re good administrators. They don’t necessarily know diddly about the particular product they make and sell. etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/6 "2006-03-22T00:34:42Z")
What everybody said. The key point to understand here is that there are no bubbles stored in the bottle. Only CO2 in solution. The bubbles don’t form until the bottle is opened, which releases pressure and enables the CO2 to come out of solution. For more info, see [2[/SIZE]]Wiki](CO[SIZE=1). ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/7 "2006-03-22T03:05:57Z")
[hijack] I’m surprised someone from the US is calling it “pop” as opposed to “soda.” What’s the deal? I didn’t think “pop” was even a known word for a carbonated beverage in the US? [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![lowkey\_but\_high\_locks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lowkey\_but\_high\_locks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowkey_but_high_locks)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/8 "2006-03-22T03:14:18Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > [hijack] I’m surprised someone from the US is calling it “pop” as opposed to “soda.” What’s the deal? I didn’t think “pop” was even a known word for a carbonated beverage in the US? [/hijack] We always called it pop in Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/9 "2006-03-22T03:21:03Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > [hijack] I’m surprised someone from the US is calling it “pop” as opposed to “soda.” What’s the deal? I didn’t think “pop” was even a known word for a carbonated beverage in the US? [/hijack] See [here](http://www.popvssoda.com/) (and further links from that page). ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/10 "2006-03-22T03:27:43Z")
“Pop” not “poop.” :smack: Much less interesting thread than what I was expecting. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/11 "2006-03-22T04:06:12Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Gaseous carbon dioxide from dry ice creates smaller bubbles than compressed CO[sup]2[/sup] in tanks? :wally **ouryL**. This is General Questions. We don’t use the “putz” smiley here. Thanks for your co-operation. **samclem** ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/12 "2006-03-22T05:54:23Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > [hijack] I’m surprised someone from the US is calling it “pop” as opposed to “soda.” What’s the deal? I didn’t think “pop” was even a known word for a carbonated beverage in the US? [/hijack] Check out the [Pop vs Soda map](http://www.popvssoda.com/) ---
**Author:** ![MsMitey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@MsMitey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsMitey)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/13 "2006-03-22T14:25:06Z")
I’ve made soda from dry ice before, and while I didn’t do it on a professional scale, I can say that it was considerably flatter that bottled soda. Still tasty, and a lot more fun, though! ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-dry-ice-make-better-pop/349344/14 "2006-03-22T14:49:15Z")
Ja, we definitely call it “pop” up here in the northern Midwest. Nearly everyone does, except those fools in Milwaukee.