CO2 cylinder advice

[oliver0575]

Hi,
Im in the process of doing my first corny setup, (like most people ive got fed up of leaky king kegs, and bottling large amounts.

Ive found a corny supplier, and other suppliers for the various bits (including norm). However finding a CO2 supplier near me has been a nightmare. The only company within a few miles is BO gases and they want to charge cylinder rental (which I'm not so keen on).
I've managed to track down a fire extinguisher company about 30 miles away that will do a 3.2kg cylinder for £75 (not a deposit, I own it) with £20 on refills/exchanges,
or 6.3kg for £90 and £30 refills/exchanges.
the website is here, ignore the prices they are outdated:
http://bwfire.co.uk/content/view/13/27/

Now I'm only planning on starting with 1 corny but want to go onto 2 or 3 at most in the coming months, unfortunately i don't have the luxury of a big fridge (only a cold garage) to store the kegs in so correct me if I'm wrong but my gas use may be slightly higher as a result, especially if force carbonating?

The other supplier I have just found will do a 10L cylinder (says 20kg weight in the specs) for £50 deposit plus £30 refill. They will delivery to my door next day for about £92 all in. Now they do mixed beer gases (link below)
http://www.gas-uk.co.uk/beer-gas-10-litre-60-40.html
Or pure Co2 (they have told me that the CO2 is food grade when i called them)
http://www.gas-uk.co.uk/carbon-dioxode-co2-10-litre.html

My question is which do people recommend?
I have no objection paying a bit more up front or even necessarily making the trek once or twice a year, but i think the question is which capacity to go for and go for the mixed gas or the beer gas mixture.
If it makes any difference I don't make beer at all, i tend to stick with cider.
thanks

 

[acidrain]

Not being from your side of the pond, I might be off here, but I suggest buying your own tank and having two is even better for when you run out in the middle of a pour.
Then get refills at a fire suppression shop. Don't worry too much about food grade... it all comes from the same place.
I keep a 10 lb, and a 5 lb. as a spare, so I think the 20 KG that you're looking at will be fine.
Here in the states, the gas shop swaps tanks so you always have an up to date tank, and the fire shop just fills it.
When you go to buy your tank, make sure it is within date. Here, it is 5 years from stamped date.

 

[oliver0575]

From the first place that is £90 to buy the tank that is the case. Its dated for 5 years and they simply swap it to a new one when you bring it back. Unless i find anywhere nearer I think that may be the best option. Cheers!

 

[dyqik]

Also try checking welding supply places for CO2 refills if you have them around. If you buy a tank, you can always use it with refills for a while, then take it to somewhere that swaps tanks when the test date gets closer. This is what I do with my propane tank.

If you are happy serving at 10C or so in a cold garage, and have been using a King Keg, I guess you're doing mostly English styles, at least so far? At 10C or so for serving English styles, a fixed weight of CO2 (CO2 is sold by weight - it's liquid in the tank) has more volume and/or generates more pressure than at lower temperatures, so you'll actually use a little less CO2 for pushing than you would if serving ice cold at the same pressure. And for English styles the carbonation level is usually low, so you'll be pushing a little less CO2 out of the tap in each pint if you force carb. You can also use a very low pressure to keep the carb level fairly close to cask beer, and so you don't need much CO2 at all to push the beer out.

If you naturally carb with priming sugar (which actually takes roughly the same time as set and forget force carbing with ales that follow a typical fermentation schedule - about 2 weeks), then you don't use any CO2 for carbonation, so that doesn't count against you.

 

[HolderHouse]

Try your local paint ball store. I get my co2 filled there for half what the gas cylinder exchange places charge. Good luck

 

[oliver0575]

Ive tried all the various places, fire extinguisher suppliers etc. Only 1 place sells co2 and its welding co2 not food grade... Going to go get a big cylinder on monday. A trek every year or so wont kill me

 

[oliver0575]

As for it not mattering whether you get food grade or not i do get that CO2 is CO2 but i would rather not run the risk of making someone ill if a new tank is contaminated.