5lb or 10lb?

[Dinbin]

Getting my parts together for my first keg set up. Im planning a chest freezer set up with the co2 tank mounted outside and 4 corny kegs in the chest. I want to go with two taps so i can have 2 kegs conditioning while Im serving the other two. My question is which size cylinder should I go with? I plan on force carbing, and service from the same cylinder. The 5lb is more space effective but i can fit a 10 behind the freezer if I need to. I guess the short question #2 is how long can I expect a 5lb cylinder to last me with regular use? Same question on a 10 pounder.

Up till now I've only bottled, so any info or tips from you old school keg guys would be great.

 

[Iordz]

I'd say got with a 10lb, in this case the bigger the better. If you can get a 20lb, even better. I use a 5lb, but that's only because I got it cheap and it fits in the kegerator with the kegs. I'm not sure how long it will last since I just got into kegging, but the way I see it, the bigger the tank the more use you get out of it, and it's cheaper to refill compared to a 5lb.

 

[david_42]

To answer your question, I have a four tap system, one of which is soda water at 35 psi. With a #5 bottle I get about 25 kegs.

 

[gnef]

I am a big fan of having more than enough so if anything happens, you are still ok.

if you have the money for two five pound tanks, that is what i would go for. if you can only get one tank, go for the ten pound tank. if you can afford two ten pound tanks, go for that. etc.

i personally have 7 tanks, ranging from a 50# to a 2.5#, with most of them 20#. i do not expect to ever have all my tanks empty. if anything ever happens to one tank, i always have a spare ready to put into service.

 

[Dinbin]

I think its gonna be the 10#. Thanks guys. I think I may take the advise and get a second tank later for back up.

 

[pjj2ba]

Definitely go with the 10lb. It should cost only a little bit more to get filled. Mostly what you are paying for the the labor. It costs me $12 to fill my 5 lb and $15 for my 10 lb.

 

[Ol' Grog]

Ten all the way.

 

[uuurang]

go as big as you can handle!