Glass soda syphon

[TomHoward]

Afternoon all

 

I have been tasked with finding a glass soda syphon, as pictured

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/4249/64354075.jpg

 

It seems that these would usually be exchanged, as opposed to being refillable. Are there any tricks or ways of refilling them, so they still dispense at pressure?

 

Otherwise, are these still available to buy anywhere? Adcock drinks seem to still make them, but their website helpfully doesn't list any stockists (despite having a 'stockists' section)

[Jivemaster]

Previously when available they were not home refillable! Also they were deposit paid so should have been taken back for exchange. My assumption is that the were filled through the spout with CO2 pressurised water, you'd be taking a bad chance refilling a glass pressure vessel if they are even available these days -what working pressure would they be filled to????

[kerry davies]

You learn something every day.

I had thunk that any decent wine merchants would have them but a swift google reveals loads in the US and Canada as they are now "kule" but only Erith Playhouse claim to have one for hire. Whether it is charged or not I have no clue.

[Jivemaster]

I suspect that the Pressure Vessel legislation caught them just as it picked up stored pressure fire extinguishers. Loads of red steel fire extinguishers went for scrap as they were not stamped and tested to the pressure vessel regs.

[TomHoward]

Well these gents still claim to make & fill them, however the min direct order is 32 cases - I think that might be more than I need for a single week run. There's a Stockists page, but it has no details as far as I can tell - so I'll give them a call in the morning.

 

I seem to have omitted in the original post that I actually have an empty syphon already - so sourcing one isn't a problem, but I've got no idea if there's any clever well to refill it (perhaps using a bottle of lemonade and a bicycle pump, or similar).

[savage1]

I think the top comes off by compressing the bottom ring and then unscrewing the top.

[dbuckley]

We were lent something very like this by a Brit for a production a couple of years back, he brought it over with him when he came to NZ, and this bottle thing was refillable using the little CO₂ canisters. So they must exists somewhere in the UK :)

[Neil Hampson]

Until very recently we were supplied these glass syphons for the bar, with empties being returned on an exchange basis, we should have held one or two back when we realised that we are now supplied with soda syphons made with a standard 2 litre plastic bottle with the syphon top. Some of the bottles were clearly much older than others, having the Schweppes logos and designs nicely etched into the glass. Sadly they have all been returned to the distributor. It may be worth trying to speak to some of the smaller drinks distributors to see if there are any still knocking around.

[TomHoward]

I have found a manufacturer, but they don't list any distributors on their site. I've found one local pub that seems to use them as well, so I'm hoping there might be a possibility there of borrowing some.

[w/robe]

I have found a manufacturer, but they don't list any distributors on their site.

Time to phone them up then.

I guess it is likely to be a male dominated world so either phone yourself and be their mate or get a female member of stage management to phone and flirt outrageously.

[Jemma]

I'm pretty sure Chichester Festival Theatre has one of these and think it uses the small CO2 canisters (sparklets) which are easily available online.

 

For hiring, contact Katie Beedham via Stage Door on 01243 784437.

[TomHoward]

I have found a manufacturer, but they don't list any distributors on their site.

Time to phone them up then.

I did miss out mentioning that - I tried about three times on Friday but there was no answer all day.

[Jivemaster]

Their www as you linked has a contact for the makers and suggests that you contact them for a local supplier for small orders, it also gives the figures for pressurising your own cylinder but there is a need to make the parts of the connector so likely to buy a case from the manufacturer's agent would be a simpler and cheaper option.

 

Buy a case, flightcase some and put them out on hire for theatre use???

[bigclive]

There's no shortage of those glass soda syphons on ebay. Here's one that seems to be a new retro-style glass one. new pressurisable syphon.

[TomHoward]

RIght all, the conclusion is that we can source them locally through a drinks wholesaler - in our case JV Trading, who have a Lowestoft and Cambridge branch. The min purchase is a case of 6 and £6.99 a bottle, plus a very reasonable £1 deposit on each bottle & the case. (Amazingly they sell for over £30 on eBay..)

 

So £42ish + deposits for a case of six - pretty reasonable really.