I've managed to find a way to stabilize my DIY CO2 setup:
First off, using the jello reciepie is a substantial help; much more stable gas production versus sugar water, and simpler (maybe cheaper?) than adding protein powder to it, too.
Still, I've noted that production is more than I need at first, so I've added a rather novel addition to the system.
I use a drop counter for IV bottles as a flow-restrictor and a dosage counter. Instead of using the viewing area to count drops of saline, I filled it with water and use it to count bubbles. The bubble rate is slowed by the thumb-wheel, and a check valve below the viewing area is required to keep the fluid in the vial ... in the vial.
Until the reactor fully pressurizes you'll have to keep closing the flow valve as pressure is increased; eventually you'll hit a settling point.. but i recommend you just vent the gas into the air until then, as you'll be saving up a LOT of co2 in the bottle (one reason I went with the jello solution was to mitigate the mess of an explosive failure, jello bounces, sugar water sticks). A nice afterthought is the some of the IV droppers have a vent button, that serves as a high-pressure blow-by device in this application.
bug a nurse/doctor friend of yours to get one for you, and give it a shot!
In the picture, you'll note the round-sided bottle. when not under pressure, this bottle is square.. where the tubing goes into the bottle there is a slow leak that I made with a pin - to mitigate against excessive pressure.
First off, using the jello reciepie is a substantial help; much more stable gas production versus sugar water, and simpler (maybe cheaper?) than adding protein powder to it, too.
Still, I've noted that production is more than I need at first, so I've added a rather novel addition to the system.
I use a drop counter for IV bottles as a flow-restrictor and a dosage counter. Instead of using the viewing area to count drops of saline, I filled it with water and use it to count bubbles. The bubble rate is slowed by the thumb-wheel, and a check valve below the viewing area is required to keep the fluid in the vial ... in the vial.
Until the reactor fully pressurizes you'll have to keep closing the flow valve as pressure is increased; eventually you'll hit a settling point.. but i recommend you just vent the gas into the air until then, as you'll be saving up a LOT of co2 in the bottle (one reason I went with the jello solution was to mitigate the mess of an explosive failure, jello bounces, sugar water sticks). A nice afterthought is the some of the IV droppers have a vent button, that serves as a high-pressure blow-by device in this application.
bug a nurse/doctor friend of yours to get one for you, and give it a shot!
In the picture, you'll note the round-sided bottle. when not under pressure, this bottle is square.. where the tubing goes into the bottle there is a slow leak that I made with a pin - to mitigate against excessive pressure.
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