Did I overpay for CO2?

[TravelingBrewer22]

ust filled up my 7lb CO2 tank and a local welding supply in STL and they charged me $21. it seemed high to me. what have u guys paid for fills? last time I think I paid 13 or something.

 

[nate456789]

just did local tank exchange for 5ibs of co2 and it was $18. this was at the LHBS.
might be a couple bucks more there than at the welding shop. I don't remember. but it was more convenient to get it there.
Plus it helps support my local LHBS.

 

[JuanMoore]

Prices vary quite a bit by location, so unless you get some responses from people in STL, you won't truly know if you overpayed. Around here a 20# tank is ~$24, 10# is ~$19, and a 5# is ~$15.

 

[onthekeg]

I pay $28 for 20 lbs in MN, which seems high. Especially with everyone complaining about all the global warming and excess CO2 in the environment..

 

[FireBrew63]

You didn't get raped. $15 for a 5# exchange at LHBS.

 

[TravelingBrewer22]

ok cool. just checkin around. thanks everyone

 

[CountryRootsBrew]

Paid $17.38 for a 20lb fill on Friday.

 

[maffewl]

$15 for my 7lb tank here in TN.

 

[turkeyjerky214]

I get mine filled at CeeKay (Hampton and Manchester right by 44). It's about $20 for my 5#. They said it's the same price for a 10# fill as well.

 

[cerna348]

At a fire extinguisher company, I pay $8 for a 5lb refill. two minutes in and out.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

The cost of CO2 *itself* is minimal. It's the handling/manpower that you pay for.

M_C

 

[SuperSynapse]

It cost me $35 to swap out my 20 lb tank. Food grade, biologically produced CO2 (in a glass lined tank) from my LHBS.

Don't get CO2 any other way. You don't want the petroleum derived CO2 or CO2 in a rust tainted steel tank. Make your beer food grade.

 

[TravelingBrewer22]

that's seems a little hardcore dude. the brewery I work at uses CO2 from those rusty steel tanks

 

[camiller]

It cost me $35 to swap out my 20 lb tank. Food grade, biologically produced CO2 (in a glass lined tank) from my LHBS.

Don't get CO2 any other way. You don't want the petroleum derived CO2 or CO2 in a rust tainted steel tank. Make your beer food grade.

Industrial users of various gases have higher requirements for purity. Don't ruin your beer with mere "beverage grade" gas, use the good stuff instead.

Kidding aside, I once looked up the different purity levels for beverage vs. industrial vs. medical grade co2, beverage grade IS the least pure of the three.

Oh, and "biologically produced"? CO2 is CO2, One carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. Unless your CO2 has some magical ability to lift up rust particles, glass lined tanks make no difference unless it runs completely empty then gets cold enough to draw liquid back into the tank, implying an improperly set up system and ruining your regulator along the way.

 

[kappclark]

You didn't get raped. $15 for a 5# exchange at LHBS.

5LB Tank exchange in Brattleboro is around 15 .. did a refill for $22 ... never again

 

[ErieShores]

I exchange 20 pounders for $24, so yeah, that seems quite high.

 

[turkeyjerky214]

I exchange 20 pounders for $24, so yeah, that seems quite high.

As others have said, it's more about the time/effort to fill. The time difference between filling a 5/10/20# tank is pretty negligible. That's one of the big plusses of having a bigger tank.

When I got mine, KegConnection didn't have 10# tanks so I got the 5. Seriously considering upgrading in the not too distant future.

 

[BrewPirate]

Just paid $21 for a 20# fill. $17 for a hydro. In Norfolk, Virginia.