# Quickest way to reduce soft drink carbonation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536 "2009-01-22T22:59:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/1 "2009-01-22T22:59:29Z")
As weird as it sounds, I prefer my soft drinks to be as flat as possible. I really dislike carbonation (it’s the unpleasant throat-burning sensation that’s at the top of my reasoning). My current method of ridding a bottle of carbonation involves shaking, then slowly releasing the cap until the carbonation bubbles near spillage, then closing, waiting, and starting all over again. Are there any other methods or tricks of getting rid of a drink’s carbonation as quickly as possible? Any food-safe chemicals I can add to make CO2 go bye-bye? I know leaving a drink out at room temperature will result in quicker carbonation loss, but it’s not very practical when you want to drink it and it’s warm… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/2 "2009-01-22T23:11:21Z")
Open the bottle a few days ahead of time. Leave the cap on loosely. It’ll go flat. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/3 "2009-01-22T23:16:05Z")
Add some barium chloride to the drink. Unles you want to actually drink it. Then don’t do that. Maybe iron sulfate would do the trick. Still, don’t drink it. ---
**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/4 "2009-01-22T23:27:33Z")
what about warming the soda. I seem to recall CO2 content is greater in a cold soda. Take a warm soda and pop the top and wait an hour or two. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/5 "2009-01-22T23:31:57Z")
Make like The Cars and shake it up. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/6 "2009-01-22T23:34:25Z")
Thanks for the suggestions but… so far they’re either dangerous or slow, two conditions I specifically did not want as specified in my OP. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/7 "2009-01-22T23:35:34Z")
One word: Mentos Practical and entertaining demonstration [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM) ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/8 "2009-01-22T23:38:35Z")
Some folks like to drink hot Dr. Pepper - heating it up on the stove. I suppose you could heat up your soda a 2 liter at a time, then re-bottle it and refrigerate. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/9 "2009-01-22T23:48:55Z")
Try pouring it out into a glass, then tip that glass into another glass. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/10 "2009-01-23T00:00:46Z")
Mechanical agitation is already the best way. Your problem is, your container leaves no room for the gas to escape without bringing some of the drink with it. Pour your 16 oz bottle into a 2 litre bottle and try shaking that. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/11 "2009-01-23T00:00:51Z")
Buy the syrup from a distributor and add water to your liking. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/12 "2009-01-23T00:28:26Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Try pouring it out into a glass, then tip that glass into another glass. This. More specifically, pour into a glass (a glass with ice works best), and stir it around a couple times with a spoon. I used to do this as a kid when I’d drink Vernor’s ginger ale. You could also maybe add a pinch or two of table salt and wait for the fizz to go down. EDIT: Or go with WarmNPrickly’s suggestion. It might actually be best to go through a restaurant, though. Ask the manager if they have any that are about to go out of date that they wouldn’t mind “losing track of.” If I recall correctly, the 5 gallon bag-in-boxes of syrup are somewhere around $20-$30. I’m sure if you ask around enough, you could find someone willing to part with them. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/13 "2009-01-23T00:30:59Z")
Can’t you just stir it? ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/14 "2009-01-23T00:59:14Z")
Yeah, if I ever want to de-fizz a drink, I just stir it vigorously for a couple minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/15 "2009-01-23T01:03:51Z")
Why do you hate freedom? :dubious: Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/16 "2009-01-23T01:55:53Z")
You can buy cola syrup at most pharmacies, though you may have to order directly from the pharmacy and wait a couple of days. People use it to soothe an upset stomach. Here: [http://www.drugstore.com/search/search\_results.asp?N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntk=All&srchtree=1&Ntt=cola+syrup](http://www.drugstore.com/search/search_results.asp?N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntk=All&srchtree=1&Ntt=cola+syrup) ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/17 "2009-01-23T02:01:50Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > Are there any other methods or tricks of getting rid of a drink’s carbonation as quickly as possible? Any food-safe chemicals I can add to make CO2 go bye-bye? I know leaving a drink out at room temperature will result in quicker carbonation loss, but it’s not very practical when you want to drink it and it’s warm… Pour a glass and leave some room, like half full on a 32oz cup. Sprinkle a little sugar in it, just a generous pinch should do. It should fizz up as the the sugar forces the CO2 out of the solution. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/18 "2009-01-23T02:41:26Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > Are there any other methods or tricks of getting rid of a drink’s carbonation as quickly as possible? Any food-safe chemicals I can add to make CO2 go bye-bye? I know leaving a drink out at room temperature will result in quicker carbonation loss, but it’s not very practical when you want to drink it and it’s warm… Whenever I used to get the sort of stomach virus where you can’t keep anything down, my mother’s remedy would be to take a large plastic tumbler (like 32oz) and pour a cold coke into it from a height of 12-18 inches. This removed most of the carbonation. If it has to be absolutely flat, you can do that a few more times. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/19 "2009-01-23T02:44:23Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Pour a glass and leave some room, like half full on a 32oz cup. Sprinkle a little sugar in it, just a generous pinch should do. It should fizz up as the the sugar forces the CO2 out of the solution. I don’t think this is right. IIRC the only substance that would force CO2 out of solution is more CO2. There is no reason a beverage that already contains massive amounts of sugar would react that strongly to another pinch of sugar. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536/20 "2009-01-23T02:57:09Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > Thanks for the suggestions but… so far they’re either dangerous or slow, two conditions I specifically did not want as specified in my OP. 🙂 Pouring an open bottle of soda takes mere seconds. That and some pre-planning. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quickest-way-to-reduce-soft-drink-carbonation/482536.md?page=2)