Kool-Aide mix and Ginger Ale...?

Question

Can you make Kool-Aide with a carbonated beverage? I tried once when I made it in a single serve glass, and it foamed past the rim. A 12 oz. can in a 22 oz. cup= more than 10 oz. of foam! I am begining to think that both of them are highly reactive and that kool-aide mix is made with carbon dioxide, how else could it react that violently? Please post your thoughts.

Another detail, the solution did not mix correctly because some of the kool aide sank to the bottom.

Answer 1

Kool Aide is made to be water soluble, and thus will dissolve in almost any water based beverage. What happens when you add Kool Aid to any carbonated beverage, is that you change the solubility equilibrium of CO2 in the carbonated beverage. Carbon dioxide has a certain solubility in water, and when you introduce an ionic species such as the kool aide or salt, it will drive the CO2 out of solution rapidly, and thus you get the foaming. The key thing to remember is that the species need to be ionic in nature such a salt, or baking soda. If you add sugar, you won't get the same response. Try it in a small glass.....add some ginger ale or any carbonated soda to teaspoon of sugar, and you'll see very little if any fizzing. The take the salt shaker and add just a few grains of salt, and the liquid will begin to fizz immediately.

This is a good example of "the common ion effect."

Answer 2

The problem with adding anything to a carbonated beverage is that it will cause foaming, it is the physical nature of the additive that will affect the amount of foaming. The thing with putting Kool-Aide (or Mentos, as was mentioned) is that they both have lots of surface area (due to the powder nature of Kool_Aide) that act as nucleation sites. Since the Ginger Ale is completely saturated with gas the gas will form bubles at each of the nucleation sites. Those bubles will rapidly form and escape, thus causing the excessive foaming. The reason is therefore due to the physical nature of both objects, not the chemical. If you want to get it to work try disolving the Kool-Aide in a small amount of Ginger Ale, don't worry about the carbonation loss. Then add this syrup to the glass of Ginger Ale. It should mix just fine. Just be careful not to stirr all of the carbonation out as you are mixing it.

Answer 3

Vodka's continually been my fashionable to bypass in ginger ale, although you could also throw in some grenadine or lime alongside with it. yet another threat is Bailey's Irish cream & creme de menthe. (without or with the vodka) sort of a grown up version on an Italian soda.

Answer 4

sugar or any granular substance mixed with a solution containing carbon dioxide will drive off the CO2 out of solution. it's how the mentos in soda trick works