The Critical Role of Carbon Dioxide in Soda & Beer

Most people don’t think about carbon dioxide when enjoying a drink at a bar or restaurant, but it’s the key ingredient behind a great beer or soda. Compressed gas plays an important role in the service industry, a common practiced tool to dispense and carbonate beverages in restaurants and bars. CO2 impacts taste, mouthfeel, and presentation in beverages. 

However, without the proper training and basic knowledge of the gas, can lead to dangerous and expensive repercussions. As a restaurateur, that can be a recipe for disaster. Without proper CO2 management, restaurants lose money through waste, leaks, and poor carbonation.

This article explores how beverage CO2 works, why it’s crucial, and how restaurants can optimize their CO2 use.

Type of Carbon Dioxide Grades

CO2 comes in different grades, each designed for specific uses. The most common types are beverage grade, industrial grade, and medical grade. Beverage grade CO2 meets strict food safety standards and has far fewer impurities than regular air, making it safe for use in drinks and food production.

Beverage tank sizes vary based on a restaurant’s beverage preferences, as well as its foot traffic and overall drink volume. There's CO2 powered soda systems, bulk beer tanks, and wine tap systems for commercial developments, as well as residential.

The Role of CO2 in Beer & Soda: More Than Just Bubbles

CO2 is key to the overall experience of beer and soda, affecting more than just the bubbles. In beer, CO2 impacts how it tastes, foams, and feels in your mouth.

The right amount of CO2 is essential for both beer and soda, enhancing flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel. Too little CO2 results in a flat drink, while too much can make it overly fizzy and unbalanced. When dissolved properly, CO2 creates the ideal carbonation for a refreshing taste and smooth texture.

How CO2 Works in Beverage Systems

Soda Systems: How fast-food chains and bars regulate carbonation.

Soda systems and dispensers mix carbonated water with flavored syrups to create your favorite drinks. These systems include a CO2 tank that provides the necessary carbonation. The fizz comes from carbon dioxide gas dissolved under pressure, forming carbonic acid for that signature refreshing taste.

Before it reaches your soda or beer system, CO2 goes through several steps to ensure it's pure, safe, and ready to use. Drafting beverages is a more complicated process because of the multiple factors into delivering a drink for the customers. From compression and filtration to cooling and storage, each step plays a role in delivering high-quality CO2 to your business. Here’s a simple breakdown of the process:

The Three P’s of CO2: How Breweries Use Gas to Perfect Every Pour

To dive deeper into how CO2 is used in brewery operations, our Estimate Lead, David Rudisill, sat down with Craig Danielson, Associate Brewer of Del Cielo Brewing Co. in Martinez, California.

Craig broke down the essential practices that ensure beer remains fresh, safe, and flavorful as it makes its journey from fermentation tanks to your glass. He calls them the Three P’s: Purging, Pushing, and Pregnating.

1. Purging: Eliminating Oxygen to Protect Flavor

Purging is the process of flushing out oxygen from tanks, kegs, and containers before filling them with beer. Oxygen is one of beer’s greatest enemies—it causes oxidation, which quickly degrades flavor and shortens shelf life.

Brewers use CO2 to displace atmospheric air from bright tanks, kegs, cans, and bottles before transferring beer into them. By saturating the container with CO2, oxygen is effectively removed, protecting the beer’s integrity. Craig also emphasized that keg washing involves CO2 as well—ensuring less chances of oxidation. This process is closely monitored using CO2 detection at keg washers and canning stations, underscoring the need for accurate and safe CO2 handling.

2. Pushing: Moving Beer with CO2, Not Pumps

Rather than relying on mechanical pumps, many breweries—including Del Cielo—prefer to push beer using CO2 through a closed-line system. This method allows beer to be transferred between tanks or to taprooms without exposing it to oxygen, which could lead to contamination or spoilage.

Pumps can malfunction or leak, compromising quality, flavor, and efficiency. Using CO2 instead provides a cleaner, safer, and more consistent method of moving beer through the production line. Plus, since it’s a sealed system, it significantly reduces the risk of oxygen exposure or carbonation loss.

3. Pregnating: Injecting CO2 to Enrich Carbonation

The third “P” is pregnating—injecting CO2 directly into the beer to enhance or restore carbonation levels, especially after any has been lost during transfer or storage. This is often done during the final stages before packaging or serving, particularly with kegged or canned products.

Brewers also blend CO2 and nitrogen (nitro) in post-production for specific beer styles that require a smoother, creamier mouthfeel—like stouts or nitro ales. This careful adjustment ensures the final product has just the right level of carbonation and texture, meeting the brewer’s vision and the customer’s expectations.

Canning: Controlled Environments Matter

There's significant differences between basic canning systems and more sophisticated setups that you may see in established breweries and brand name facilities. For example, crowler machines, often used in taprooms, have a shorter shelf life (around 3–4 weeks) because they expose beer to more oxygen during the sealing process.

In contrast, canning lines with CO2-enclosed environments allow the container to be purged with CO2 before sealing, minimizing oxidation. These cans can last for months and maintain the intended flavor and carbonation far better. The enclosure surrounding the canning line ensures a CO2-rich environment, further protecting beer during the packaging phase.

The Hidden Costs of CO2 Mismanagement in Restaurants & Breweries

While it may seem small during the moment, CO2 mismanagement can build up over time and can lead to financial losses, operational problems, and safety concerns. 

• Financial Losses:
  • CO2 tank leaks and/or a faulty bag-in-box system are a common mistake most business owners stumble upon. It's a difficult problem to point out when first starting out, but here are two ways there is an imbalance of carbon dioxide in the beverage system usage. Over-carbonation beverages leads to having excessive foaming and wasting beer, while under-carbonation leads to having flat, unsellable drinks and dissatisfied customers.
• Operational Problems
  • Without the proper management of carbon dioxide within the beverage system in place, having inconsistent carbonation can ruin a customer's experience and damage the brand's reputation. Poor CO2 regulation will also lead to a lot of downtime and maintenance issues in the long run.
• Safety Concerns
  • CO2 is odorless and tasteless, which can be a very hazardous gas when built up in confined spaces. It's important for any restaurateur to have safety protocols and safety training in place to prevent any dangerous incidents like an incident back in 2018, where a draught installer unfortunately passed away from asphyxia due to carbon dioxide exposure.
  • If you're a new restaurant owner, read our CO2 checklist requirements to get you started.
    

Optimizing CO2 Use: How Restaurants Can Save Money & Improve Quality

Regular CO2 Monitoring & Leak Detection

Investing in CO2 monitors prevents unnecessary refills, improves safety, and helps businesses avoid financial losses due to CO2 gas mismanagement. Many businesses don’t realize they have leaks because they don’t monitor their CO2 usage, leading to unnoticed inefficiencies and higher costs. In beer pour optimization, monitoring CO2 levels is essential for preventing over-carbonation and excessive foam waste, ensuring consistent quality and reducing product loss.

Tracking your tank fill levels is now easier with the Aerosphere® Level Indication Unit (LIU). This device integrates seamlessly with your CO2 tank to log the current fill level. For managers overseeing multiple locations, the LIU offers cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, enabling real-time data logging of tank fill levels across all sites. This helps identify leaks, ensures accurate fill tracking, and even assists in scheduling your next CO2 refill.

From a safety standpoint, CO2 monitors are crucial for detecting dangerous leaks indoors before they become a hazard, protecting employees and customers from potential overexposure. Our Complete Aerosphere® CO2 Monitoring System provides all the requirements needed to regulate CO2 monitoring and detect any silent leaks across the United States. 

Proper Beer & Soda System Maintenance

Proper beer and soda system maintenance involves regularly checking for worn-out seals, leaky regulators, and faulty couplers to prevent potential issues. Additionally, cleaning beer lines is essential to prevent foam buildup and ensure the smooth flow of beverages. These maintenance steps are crucial for maintaining product quality, preventing waste, and ensuring the system operates efficiently.

At CO2 Monitoring, our CO2 compliance services go beyond providing products. We also offer comprehensive maintenance to ensure your carbon dioxide detection system operates at its best. This includes identifying potential CO2 leaks, as well as the installation and upkeep of your CO2 detection meters, among other services. Our technicians are available to travel to any state, providing essential services such as site surveys, drafting, and permitting, ensuring your CO2 monitoring setups are running smoothly and efficiently.

Staff Training on CO2 Handling & Beer Pouring

Proper staff training on CO2 handling and beer pouring is crucial for ensuring safety, delivering quality service, and reducing waste. Owner-operators and managers must take responsibility for educating staff on recognizing CO2 leaks and the symptoms of overexposure. Additionally, bartenders should be trained in the correct pouring techniques to minimize foam waste, preserving both the taste and presentation of the beer.

Understanding how CO2 levels impact different beer styles, such as lagers versus stouts, is crucial for preventing both over-carbonation and under-carbonation. Proper training ensures that staff can maintain the right balance of carbonation, preserving the beer’s flavor and overall quality.

The Secret to Better Drinks & Bigger Profits

CO2 is the unsung hero of the beverage industry. While often overlooked, proper CO2 management is essential for restaurants and bars to maintain public safety, product consistency, reduce waste, and ensure customer satisfaction. Without the right balance, businesses can face financial losses, operational mismanagement and of course- safety hazards.

By investing in CO2 monitoring, maintaining beverage systems, and training staff on proper handling, restaurants can optimize their CO2 usage, improve efficiency, and create a better experience for their customers. Whether it's preventing leaks, ensuring proper carbonation, or maintaining equipment, effective CO2 management is a smart investment that benefits both businesses and consumers.