CO2 canisters - beverage vs industrial quality

My local welding shop has standard industrial CO2 cannisters available, and say that they can special order a "beverage" quality gas as well... is it worth the premium price for the "beverage" quality? I know that CO2 is CO2, but perhaps there is more clenliness or less contamination in the bevy one?

Thanks

Usually the " beverage gas" is a mixture of nitrogen and CO2. It's mainly for dispensing over very long lines to keep foaming down. Others beers such as Guinness use Nitrogen as well.

Some folks also call it "beer gas".

Not worth the expense in my book but to each his own.

But it could be that they are just trying to get someone to pay a premium for CO2 in that case it's definitely not worth paying extra.

They have "beer gas" as well, the N2 mix. The beverage grade gas is just CO2, but I guess packaged to food consumption standards? Maybe it's just a sham. Anyone else heard of that?

Beverage grade is the same CO2, just handled a bit differently. My welding shop finds it amusing.

david... so... there is a difference then, if it is handled differently? Does anyone think it should matter much?

Save your money or send it to me. Get the industrial stuff its the same stuff.

The only difference praxair has for beverage grade is that they pump the tank to hard vacuum before filling. So go with beverage grade if you're concerned about the possibility of a tank's worth of air being mixed in with your CO2. Even if you leave the valve open after you take off the regulator, you're unlikely to get much air entering the cylinder, as CO2 is heavier than your garden variety air.

Then again, they don't charge any different for the beverage grade at my praxair. It just takes another 10 minutes or so.

mrkeeg said:

david... so... there is a difference then, if it is handled differently? Does anyone think it should matter much?

Click to expand...

Nope. I use welding CO2 for beer, and have injected welding CO2 into aquariums for 4 years (for high light, planted freshwater aquariums, a lack of CO2 can lead to algae)