Pat’s Backcountry Beverages has created not only a portable carbonator, but also a full line of concentrated beverages, including beer and a variety of soda flavors like cola and root beer. To create the carbonation, Pat’s uses a solid mixture that has been exposed to pressurized carbon dioxide gas, causing tiny high-pressure bubbles to be trapped inside (think Pop Rocks). Once exposed to water, the solids dissolve, releasing the carbon dioxide to be pumped into your drink. This makes it perfect when you’re hiking as it means that you need only carry a lightweight powder around with you.
To operate, load the carbonator cap with water then pour the eco2Activator packet in the reaction cup and attach it to the cap. Fill the water bottle with water and your concentrate mix of choice. Attach the carbonator cap to the bottle then start the carbonation reaction, pumping in the desired amount of fizz.
Soda and sparkling water are great but I can imagine most of you are interested in how you can enjoy that backcountry beer. With Pat’s innovative brewing process, they can create a nearly waterless beer concentrate that contains all the great flavor, alcohol, and aroma of a premium quality microbrew. Pat’s beer is not dehydrated beer.
Here’s a video on how the carbonator works:
Unlike other concentrate processes, the company does not first make the beer and then remove the water afterwards. Instead, the process starts with almost no water, and carefully controls the environment for fermentation. The result is a concentrated beer with all the same great taste you’re used to in your favorite local brew. All you have to do when you hit camp is add water, carbonate, and enjoy.
The initial production run of the portable carbonator from Pat’s Backcountry Beverages will be available at the end of August early 2013. Since all this seems too good to be true, the beer concentrate is sadly not yet available while the company seeks investment for their brewing operation. Let’s hope Pat’s quickly turns to Kickstarter so we can all pre-order our backcountry beer machines in time for our upcoming adventures.
Photos: Pat’s Backcountry Beverages
If you own a ‘still’, then you can slowly distill off the liquid from a case (or 2, or 3 or 4) to make your own syrup/concentrate. First, because of its lower vapor pressure, the alcohol will distill. Save it, of course – duuuuhhhhh! The water will follow. Careful! The process must be carried out with low temp – low heat to avoid evaporating essential oils ‘n essences. So come on, you moonshiners, use a little finesse. Once you’re down to the syrup or the concentrate, U R N business. Carrying the equivalent of 3-4 cases of brew in your backpack will only occupy a small compartment – well worth the backpack real estate, I can assure you. Don’t forget your home made ever-clear. Adding roughly 0.6oz of ethyl alcohol to a 12oz bottle of your concentrate ‘n rehydrating will get you part way there. All you need is your trusty FiZZ GiZ to add the bubbles for your sudsy treat. Find the details at http://www.fizzgiz.com for a hand-held portable carbonation tool the size ‘n shape of a banana that weighs 3.2-ounces. The FiZZ GiZ carbonator uses 16g beverage grade co2 cartridges. A single bulb will adequately carbonate 4-liters of suds. So, carry on camper community. Don’t go ’round thirsty.