Refilling SodaStream CO2 cylinders

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
22/3/21
Messages
48
Reaction score
21
Location
Nunawading, Vic
I posted this to the Kegland thread, which I now realise was the wrong place, hence the new thread.

I have a question relating to the Kegland Sodastream bottle adapter.

I bought one of these a couple of years back, and used it to refill bottles for neighbours and family. I used to get the odd failure - some bottles just wouldn't have a bar (see what I did there?) of it. Sometimes I'd just get a partial fill. But overall, I was getting a decent result. I followed the steps that Kee Doery laid out in his YouTube vid, and things mostly worked.

Lately, however, I just strike out every time. The bottles are nicely cold from my chest freezer, but that's not the issue. They just don't even get started. These are all the newer type of Sodastream recipient bottles, so I barely crack the donor to start. Still nothing. Open a little wider - nada. My donor bottle comes from Gas Guyz (6Kg) and is all but full. I used to use a Supagas cylinder. Still, the donor bottle works just fine for carbonating beer, so I can't see how that could be the problem; the problem seems to be more on the recipient side.

I even bought a new adapter in case there was something wrong there. Still nothing. Kee seemed to imply that the Kegland bottles are more permissive than the fiddly Sodastream type.. soI'm now considering buying 6 or so Kegland 60L bottles and splitting the cost with the neighbours, but I want to be sure before I commit that I won't have the same problems with those.

I'd be very thankful for any wise words from the group.
 
I bought the adapter i think early last year or possibly year before and i couldn't get it to work, i called them and emailed some pics and video and ended up sending it back for them to check along with my KL SS cylinder. To me it looked like a problem with the nylon washer but i never got confirmation what the actual fault was, they replaced it and gave me a full bottle in return for the just the refill cost.
Subsequent fills have been fine.
 
I have one of these adapters and have never had an issue with it. I fill mine off a KK 2.5kg bottle, I don’t bother about chilling it and it seems to work fine for me.
 
I posted this to the Kegland thread, which I now realise was the wrong place, hence the new thread.

I have a question relating to the Kegland Sodastream bottle adapter.

I bought one of these a couple of years back, and used it to refill bottles for neighbours and family. I used to get the odd failure - some bottles just wouldn't have a bar (see what I did there?) of it. Sometimes I'd just get a partial fill. But overall, I was getting a decent result. I followed the steps that Kee Doery laid out in his YouTube vid, and things mostly worked.

Lately, however, I just strike out every time. The bottles are nicely cold from my chest freezer, but that's not the issue. They just don't even get started. These are all the newer type of Sodastream recipient bottles, so I barely crack the donor to start. Still nothing. Open a little wider - nada. My donor bottle comes from Gas Guyz (6Kg) and is all but full. I used to use a Supagas cylinder. Still, the donor bottle works just fine for carbonating beer, so I can't see how that could be the problem; the problem seems to be more on the recipient side.

I even bought a new adapter in case there was something wrong there. Still nothing. Kee seemed to imply that the Kegland bottles are more permissive than the fiddly Sodastream type.. soI'm now considering buying 6 or so Kegland 60L bottles and splitting the cost with the neighbours, but I want to be sure before I commit that I won't have the same problems with those.

I'd be very thankful for any wise words from the group.
Hi Sleepy,

I have also had issues with the new soda stream bottles, but what works for me is to screw the adaptor tight to the gas bottle first, then loosely screw in the soda stream bottle, crack the gas bottle so you can hear the gas leaking out, then screw in the soda stream bottle tight and it will start to fill. This works for me.

good luck
 
have you checked the pin in the adaptor?
this is the result of the thumb screw (steel?) hitting the brass pin after less than 10 uses.
the pin can be removed with a pair of pliers.
the chewed up tip of the pin caused me random failures.
i also lubed up the o-rings on the replacement.
20220212_164525.jpg
 
to much pressure to quickly forces the soda stream valve to close at the end of its travel. Success revolves around opening the valve on the filling bottle very slowly and just enough so that with your ear close you can just hear that gas is flowing. Once some liquid gas has transferred, You can open the valve a little further. Its a balancing act. The closer to vertical the receiving bottle is the better. Again a balancing act. If the main bottle is horizontal. It wont discharge below half.
 
have you checked the pin in the adaptor?
this is the result of the thumb screw (steel?) hitting the brass pin after less than 10 uses.
the pin can be removed with a pair of pliers.
the chewed up tip of the pin caused me random failures.
i also lubed up the o-rings on the replacement.

You mean to tell me there's a pin in your adapter? Mine doesn't have that, and I was frankly a little surprised to note that, but as I say, it used to work, if only intermittently. This is the adapter I bought from Kegland.
 
Hi Sleepy,

I have also had issues with the new soda stream bottles, but what works for me is to screw the adaptor tight to the gas bottle first, then loosely screw in the soda stream bottle, crack the gas bottle so you can hear the gas leaking out, then screw in the soda stream bottle tight and it will start to fill. This works for me.

good luck
Thanks, BC2K. Thanks for the advice. I did try it, but still nada, I'm afraid.
 
That? That's just the bleed valve. It's used to release the pressure in the adapter if you're too wussy to just unscrew the SS cylinder and face the tiny pent-up force within.

Not a bleed valve, you screw the cylinder on then screw the knob in and it opens the cylinder.
The bleed valve is the small brass screw on the cylinder itself.
 
Not a bleed valve, you screw the cylinder on then screw the knob in and it opens the cylinder.
The bleed valve is the small brass screw on the cylinder itself.
No, really. It's a bleed valve. It even says so on the page I linked...
1676974730909.png

It's not uncommon for fittings, and especially transfer hoses to have their own bleed valves, for the same reason that regulators have built in PRVs. And that valve should be fully shut for most of the time, or it will bleed CO2.
Yours might be different from mine, but on mine, that 's definitely a bleed valve.
 
Last edited:
sorry sleepy, i was mixing up the 2 adaptors and you are correct.
i have both types, but the one you're talking about, i haven't had a problem yet.

NB while i was looking at them i removed the pin from the 'deluxe' adaptor to inspect it.
it's been used about 3 or 4 times since new.... doesn't look good.
the result of brass meeting steel i suppose, brass flecks on fingers:rolleyes:
sodastrean adaptor pin 2023.jpg
 
I think I can see why they changed that. In an case, I've taken some steps. I've ordered 4 KL cylinders, b/c at $22, they're only $3 more than a SS refill. And I ordered a transfer hose from eBay, in the vague hope that it'll work with All the SS bottles. Will report back after I get the new hose, and then later when one of the KL bottles requires a refill.
It won't be me that empties the first cylinder b/c we don't use much fizzy water, and I have corny keg of it in the go. 🤠
 
Back
Top