buying kegs - I swear I searched - CO2 fill in Seattle

Hey!

First, I am sure that this has been covered in other threads, but my searching did not find anything. . . please point me in the right direction!

I want to start kegging. 2 homebrews at the same time. I think I will buy this: Brew Logic Dual Tap Draft System- with NEW Aluminum CO2 Tank :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies - two corny kegs and new alum 5 lb CO2. I have been googling over an hour now for some place in Seattle to fill/refill the CO2 tank and have not found a definite source for this. I have found: Alexander Gow Fire and Safety Company - Marine, Industrial, Commercial Fire Equipment and Suppression Systems and AAA Fire and Safety, Inc. - If you're not up to code just give us a call. that are pretty close to me.

Should I get a shiny new CO2 tank for ~$50 from midwestsupplies to try and get it filled, or should I just plan on exchanging CO2 tanks with the shops when I need a refill. Or is it a wash since I will need to buy something from a local shop to start? Sorry, I am confused.

I think it's a wash and just exchange mine since I don't wan't to wait a day for the refill. If the company will refill it quickly then keep the new tank. I now have 2 though so if one runs out there is no rush to fill. That Midwest price is pretty good. You will be happy with the dual regulator.

Call around before deciding on doing exchanges or refills. Seems that the most places these days will only exchange. I only found one shop out of about 10 that I called in the Portland area that would refill. Of course I did that after I purchased the tank and now have to go a bit out of my way, passing several other shops, to get my tank refilled.

Have you checked craigslist yet? There are always some decent deals on there. If you want to keg two cornies at once it would be pretty simple to just get a T and pipe hose to the two of them. Need different pressures, add a gauge and a valve.

The setup from midwest is nice though, im just finishing up grad school so all purchases I make are in a tight dollar, lol.

Just a little fyi, you can check out paintball stores also, they can refill CO2 tanks and seem to be more abundant than other places. You do have a local Airgas shop (welding supply) phone # is (206) 682-2880 and they are located:
4401 Airport Way South,
Seattle, WA 98108
Dont know if that is close to you but its in Seattle. Hope this helps, call in advance and find a time that they are not busy usually they will fill a CO2 tank for you on the spot, no waiting. Paintball stores always do.

Sounds like your in the EXACT same situation i found myself in when i got my kit you are talking about. I have the aluminum tank, and MOST of the shops i have found want to swap, if you don't care about keeping your tank then i would probably just buy a tank at a local HB shop and then you can swap out your tank anywhere. places around the area (not sure where your located) that will fill are...

*Airgas or praxair (cant remember) fill station in Fife
*a little place in Renton that will fill but it takes 2 days to get your tank back when they send it off.
* A little paintball shop in Puyallup where i get mine filled
* action paintball i think its called in Kent kinda pricey
*There is a fire extinguisher place in west Seattle kinda over by safeco that will do filling from what i hear as well.

There are a lot of places that will direct swap and if i had to do it over again i would probably get the beat ugly steel tank so i could just swap it and not have to think about it. luckily i found a place local that can fill for me, but depending where your at, you may have to drive a bit. Im sure there are more places to get it filled but im in the south end and stopped looking once i found a local place to get mine taken care of.

Hope this helps a bit.

Oh and you'll like that system, it works great, i haven't had any issues at all.

I also live in Seattle. For a CO2 refill I go to AAA Fire & Safety Inc. They charge about 10 bucks for a 5# tank and it takes about 3 minutes. For a re-fill I go to Cellar Homebrew in North Seattle. You can do an exchange there for about 20$. For purchasing kegging equipment I suggest going to Bob's Homebrew in Wedgewood or Cellar Homebrew in North Seattle. They are both solid stores and it is always best to support your LHBS.

I've heard that Central Welding in Ballard will fill it for you (Central Welding Supply - Home Page), but honestly, I can think of very few times I've swapped out at my LHBS (Larry's in Kent) and not received a CO2 tank that looked darn near new.

For me, I'd rather put that extra time into brewing my next batch than driving to get a fill-up.

Thanks everybody!

This info really helps!

I had NO idea that some LHBS would swap a Co2 tank. That is really good to know . . . all I had ever read was to take it to a welding shop.

I can't wait to get a draft system going. My wife knew I wanted a draft system and she almost got me a Krups BeerTender for Father's day. Krups BeerTender | Williams-Sonoma I am so glad that she mentioned to the clerk that I was going to use it for home brew, and he told her that it would not work for that, only for Heineken. Disaster averted. She told me to just buy what would work. It's cute that she thought she could get a homebrew kegging system from Williams-Sonoma.

I am in Seattle as well.

I bought a shinny new 10# CO2 tank and dual pressure regulator off Kegconnection with keg and everything. Can't say enough good things about them. I got them to include the 2way manifold, so I can have two kegs at serving pressure and one at higher pressure for carbonating.

I get my 10# CO2 tank filled at AAA at North lake Union, as it is close to where I work. It is the only place I found that does refill. It is about $15 for a 10# tank.

I think Larry's Brew supply in Kent does CO2 exchange, if you are looking for an LHBS. They also have kegs and kegging setups, if you want to go local. But again: Can't say enough good things about Kegconnection...

Hommel Homebrew

Exchange them at one of the many LHBS in the area - most of them will exchange for aluminum rather than steel beaters. You can sometimes get aluminum from Praxair or Central if you explain that it's going into a humid environment (inside your kegerator) and you don't want rust stains.

aaa refills tanks, no exchange.

Kilted Brewer said:

Call around before deciding on doing exchanges or refills. Seems that the most places these days will only exchange. I only found one shop out of about 10 that I called in the Portland area that would refill. Of course I did that after I purchased the tank and now have to go a bit out of my way, passing several other shops, to get my tank refilled.

Click to expand...

Not sure who you're using. Steinbarts will refill 5# tanks only.

aaa (next to ponti seafood grill) is much easier to use than the other places I've gone to for a refill. Alexander Gow says that they do it, but never have anyone working who knows how.

Prax air in Fife, filled mine in 10 min for $12 tax included. (dang taxes, got to pay for CO2 Tax... Dear god! WA soaks you for everything)

5 kegs, force carbed and still going on a 5#der.

Just went to Praxair at 4442 27th Ave W, Seattle. They wouldn't refill, but they exchanged my empty 5# tank for a nice shiny filled one for $25.34 including taxes. Maybe not the best deal, but they were nice.