Cost of CO2 or Nitro

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John Long

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So I have a kegerator and I want to start kegging.

After I buy a corney keg how much am I looking to invest in CO2? Also, can I buy Nitro to carbonate my beers instead of CO2? Is there a good place to buy used CO2 canisters? A place in town was selling full CO2 canisters for $200. These appeared to be 5 gallon canisters, maybe 4.

I live in Washington state.

Thanks!
 
CO2 carbonates your beer, and most people use it to dispense. Some people use beer gas, about 75% Nitrogen and 25% CO2, to dispense Stouts (as well as some other beers) through Stout faucets that have a restrictor plate in them. You cannot carbonate with Nitrogen.
 
$200 for a filled co2 tank and they're 5 lbs? wow, i'm glad i don't live in washington. I can buy a 10 lb tank and have it filled for $70 in Ohio.
 
I pay $25 to refill my #5 tanks which I own and use to bring to parties etc. I bought my first tank at around $80, the others I think I paid $150 for.
I pay $20 to refill a #20 tank that I "rent" from a distributor and I use on my keggerator.
Of course everything is expensive here in Hawaii so you should be able to do much better.
 
look for a fire safety shop in your town, ask if they sell co2 bottles and fill them. Koetter near me has co2 extinguishers in 10 and 20 lb tanks for sale, newly hydro tested and full for about $60 and $80 if I remember correctly. $12 to fill a 10lb.
 
I purchased two different 20# tanks from a local welding supply. The first was filled with beer gas (75%-nitro/25%-co2) and it cost like $85.00 if memory serves me. The second was filled with straight co2, it cost me $65.00.

Now these were 20 pounders and used, but certified with good dates and refillable from anywhere cause I own them. $200+ for a five pound tank is absurd even if it is filled. Keep looking or rent one until you find a good deal somewhere.

Salute! :mug:

Edit: Reread OP and the indication is a five gallon canister. This may be a 20# tank. Is it brand new? If so, it may not be out of line, but is still pretty high a price to pay when you can find better.
 
my neighbor gave my a korny keg and a tank of co2 the tank measures about 16 in x 6 in around would this be a 5lb tank? i cant read any stamped numbers
 
To the OP... I'm in Seattle and can get a 5lb tank filled from a fire/safety place for under $10 including tax. They will sell a new filled 5lb tank for $70, iirc, so about $60 for the tank. $200 is a total ripoff, unless it's a much bigger tank.
 
Yeah, the $11 shipping seems to be their standard rate. My 10 lb tank's shipping cost was $11 to KY.
 
a 5 gallon tank must be huge! I have a 20 lb tank and it's smaller than a 5 gallon corny keg. I bought my tanks off craigslist for a song, that's always a good place to start looking.
 
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