CO2 charger

Ok, I recently purchased one of these thingys from my LHBS:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/co2-charger.jpg

I also bought a 12 pack of 12 g cartridges for it from him as well.

I got home, only to discover that the CO2 was your non-food grade, run-of-the mill CO2 cartridge such as you would use in an airgun.

I've been looking everywhere and can't seem to find the food grade ones. I'm a little concerned about the possibility of lubricants and oils that may be in the cartridge f'ing up my beer.

Anyone else use the plain cartridges??

Anyone know a good supply for the food grade ones??

Seems like the same discussion that everyone has about twice a month on "food grade" versus "non-food grade" CO2 that people get from welding supply shops and the like for their regular tanks. Never heard of anyone having an issue using "non-food grade" CO2 in that instance, not sure why it would be any different with the chargers.

well, I put one of the non-food grade cartridges in the charger, and pulled the trigger-- it does smell somewhat of oils. . .

My 5 lb tank CO2, (non-food grade) always smells pretty clean.

I don't have any experience with these charger cartridges in particular-- hoping to find someone that does.

FWIW, I've seen these things sold at almost every HBS I've been to, and I've seen them on every other OHBS website. I am sure they are fine, if they caused major issues, they would not sell them.

MA_Brewer said:

FWIW, I've seen these things sold at almost every HBS I've been to, and I've seen them on every other OHBS website. I am sure they are fine, if they caused major issues, they would not sell them.

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Well, the charger came with a 16 g food grade cartridge, which had no smell at all to it. I'm not worried about the charger per se, just the additives that may be in the airgun cartridges.

Are you using this to push a whole 5 gal corny? If not, maybe you could use your food grade cart to start, then switch over to the non-food-grade ones at the end to see if you can tase a difference.

They also make, for more $$, larger CO2 tanks that are still portable - you can even buy a rig to fill them from your own 5/10/20# Co2 tank. I looked at it, but in the end, it didn't seem worth it.

MA_Brewer said:

Are you using this to push a whole 5 gal corny? If not, maybe you could use your food grade cart to start, then switch over to the non-food-grade ones at the end to see if you can tase a difference.

They also make, for more $$, larger CO2 tanks that are still portable - you can even buy a rig to fill them from your own 5/10/20# Co2 tank. I looked at it, but in the end, it didn't seem worth it.

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Yeah, I've seen those-- I don't know if I'd utilize it enough to be cost efficient. The little cartridge charger seemed like the perfect solution.

I used up the food grade cartridge already. I have a party on the 19th that I've been asked to bring some beer. I'm going to top the keg up with CO2 from my kegerator, then use the charger to push the beer once needed. I haven't used the standard airgun cartridges yet, so I don't know about the taste or flavor effects yet.

www.ebrew.com sells the food grade ones. Sometimes Walmart carries them too. teh package you are looking for has a faux camouflage looking label.

Dude said:

www.ebrew.com teh package you are looking for has a faux camouflage looking label.

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Its not this package is it:

http://morebeer.com/product_images/1/5039.jpg

If so, that's what I have.

As a paintballer....I would be PISSED if there was oil in the co2. there should never be anything other than co2 in co2. Oils are not always interchangeable so they don't pack them with anything other than co2. Im sure there is SOMEONE who packages otherwise (legal disclaimer) but you shouldn't worry about it.

Biermann said:

Its not this package is it:

http://morebeer.com/product_images/1/5039.jpg

If so, that's what I have.

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Yeah, that is the kind that doesn't have oil. Yours does? WTF?

Biermann said:

Ok, I recently purchased one of these thingys from my LHBS:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/co2-charger.jpg

I also bought a 12 pack of 12 g cartridges for it from him as well.

I got home, only to discover that the CO2 was your non-food grade, run-of-the mill CO2 cartridge such as you would use in an airgun.

I've been looking everywhere and can't seem to find the food grade ones. I'm a little concerned about the possibility of lubricants and oils that may be in the cartridge f'ing up my beer.

Anyone else use the plain cartridges??

Anyone know a good supply for the food grade ones??

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Strange, because the charger you show uses 16g cartridges and 12g don't fit it. At least I could not use 12g, all gas would just evaporate as soon as you punch the cartridge. Any way, I keep using 16g cartridges and buy them from http://brewersdiscount.com/item103453.ctlg

http://www.londondrugs.com/Cultures...Accessories;Gadgets&ItemCount=10&CountIndex=5
it's a Canadian site if you have problems type in postal v1y8l4. anyways go to your local department store sears,walmart,kmart doesnt matter find the kitchenware and
look for one of those cream whippers that you put in nitrogen cartridges in. right by those on the self should be a box of nitrogen and a box of food grade co2 that people use this for making there own carbanated water or something along that. oh ya ps you want to get the soda cartridges and not the cream ones. if they are not right beside the itam they might have them upfont or locked up shop around you will find them.

a reserant supply will also have these itams

Dude said:

Yeah, that is the kind that doesn't have oil. Yours does? WTF?

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Yeah, it certainly smells like it has oil in it.

Dude said:

Yeah, that is the kind that doesn't have oil. Yours does? WTF?

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oh, and My charger fits 12g cartridges with no problem. The instructions even mention 12 g to 16 g cartridges.

The whipped cream thing looks like a good idea. We have several kitchen stores in the area. . .I may have to go shop around.

Biermann said:

Yeah, it certainly smells like it has oil in it.

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I rechecked my package (of the same kind) and no where on it does it say it isn't food grade or has oils. I use them all the time on my travel 'rator and it does not affect the flavor of the beer in the least. I think you'll be okay.

I've alos used teh nitrogen ones to see if I could replicate the beergas creaminess. What I did was carbed up the beer with CO2, purged the CO2 from the headspace in the keg, and then pushed all of the nitrogen of two canisters into the keg. It worked nicely. Now I'm not so sure it isn't doing the exact same thing as my stout faucet did with pushing CO2 only though.

Not to be a hippie, but the chargers used for whipped cream aren't nitrogen, they're nitrous oxide. :fro:

Jon_Doe said:

Not to be a hippie, but the chargers used for whipped cream aren't nitrogen, they're nitrous oxide. :fro:

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So what is the difference?

They advertise them for the tap-a-draft systems to be like pushing with beer gas.

Dude said:

I rechecked my package (of the same kind) and no where on it does it say it isn't food grade or has oils. I use them all the time on my travel 'rator and it does not affect the flavor of the beer in the least. I think you'll be okay.

I've alos used teh nitrogen ones to see if I could replicate the beergas creaminess. What I did was carbed up the beer with CO2, purged the CO2 from the headspace in the keg, and then pushed all of the nitrogen of two canisters into the keg. It worked nicely. Now I'm not so sure it isn't doing the exact same thing as my stout faucet did with pushing CO2 only though.

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Good to know. I'm going to try them on the 19th-- I'm going to take a keg or two over to a poker game.

Hopefully we'll drain the keg, and it won't be an issue.