Difference in co2 from paintball supplier and beverage co?

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goodsuds

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Ok, I've searched for and read just about every thread I could find on this topic and I came up with about 50% say that "co2 is co2" and the other 50% say to use only "beverage" grade co2. There seems to be a lot of conjecture about oil, silicone and the possibility of benzene being in non-beverage grade co2, but I can find nothing to support that.

Here is my dilemma. I don't have a full keg setup, I'm using a Tap-a-Draft with fittings so I can use a regulator and standard co2 tank. However, I don't have room for a 5lb co2 tank and so I'm looking at a 20oz tank. Dick's Sporting Goods will refill the latter for about $4. Or, a local beverage company, CR Frank, will charge $13 to fill any co2 tank up to 20lbs (not bad if I had a large tank). The latter is supposed to be filtered and "beverage" grade.

Does anyone have experience using a sporting good store or paintball supplier to charge their tanks? I'm looking for firsthand experience, preferably with a sporting goods store like Dick's or Sports Authority. Obviously I want to avoid ruining my beer with oil or other pollutants, but I also don't want to poison myself either.
 
I used a pawn shop that refilled CO2 bottles for paintball for a while b/c they were the only place close to me that refilled. Never had an issue with it. Now I swap my bottle at a local propane and propane accessory seller that started swapping bottles for welding. I do not know what grade of the paintball stuff, but I know I'm getting welding grade from my new place. Welding grade is clean stuff that I don't worry about.
 
Hi

We use bulk CO2 at work. They pull up with a truck every couple weeks and fill up the tank out back with it. According to the guys who haul it in, you should not use it for food. I can certainly tell you that at times there *is* crud in it. Funny white powder is the most common. Strange smells seem to come and go with the stuff.

The gotcha is that it *may* be food grade in any given load. The difference is the source the stuff comes from. If you are in an area where *all* the bulk CO2 comes from a brewery, you likely are fine no matter where you get it. If there's a paint factory one way up the road and a nerve gas plant the other way ... watch out. I know of no easy way to check the stuff after the fact, so it's a "trust me" sort of thing.

Bob
 
Yeah, I'm sure in most instances it's probably fine to use bulk co2. I just hesitated because of the threads where people would chime in and mention a terrible experience.

I called my LHBS and they said that most of the co2 in St. Louis, no matter the application (welding, beverage, paintball, etc.) comes from AB. Makes sense considering they probably generate tons of co2. I think maybe I'll fill a paintball tank and carbonate some water first to see if it changes the taste or smell at all.
 
I use both paintball tanks and a 20lb bulk tank. I have not noticed any difference in my beers no matter which tank is used. I typically get my paintball tanks filled for free at events I go to. My bulk tank I get exchanged at the Airgas distributor down the road from my house.

Side note, when I got my 20lb tank from a friend it still had co2 in it from 1982. I used it to carb 5 kegs before it ran out. They all tasted fine as well.
 
Yeah, I'm sure in most instances it's probably fine to use bulk co2. I just hesitated because of the threads where people would chime in and mention a terrible experience.

I called my LHBS and they said that most of the co2 in St. Louis, no matter the application (welding, beverage, paintball, etc.) comes from AB. Makes sense considering they probably generate tons of co2. I think maybe I'll fill a paintball tank and carbonate some water first to see if it changes the taste or smell at all.

Hi

If indeed you know the source of the CO2, you are fine regardless of the label.

Bob
 
Chemically... CO2 is CO2.
The issue comes in regarding the purity & the equipment used to pressurize it.
If it's being used in an industrial process it might not matter, in food it most likely will.
 
No one mentioned it, but you can get a 2.5lb tank. It's about the same size as a paintball tank but has a standard valve like the 5lb.
 
I've been using co2 from Dicks Sporting Goods for several years now and have never had any issues. The 100 plus people who have tried my homebrew from my rolling kegerator haven't suffered any ill affects either except for the ones who drank my 10% ABV Skeeter Pee and didn't listen to my warning about how strong it is!
 
I get my tank filled at cr frank's and never had a problem with my beer. Never tried the paintball shops around so I can't compare the two.
 
My imperial nut brown is now carbonated with a old paint ball co2 tank that i filled at my gun store that the owner warned "might have oil in it". So far its good with no off taste.... other than I am now off the taste of Bud light!
 
+1 on the 2.5lb tank. I use one and the liquor store in town that does a lot of keg business swaps them out when empty. It fits in the fridge easily.
 
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