N2 tank has a CO2 reg fitting- confused

[mymbtheduke]

I got a No2 tank a few months ago on CL. It says 75% NO2 and 25% Co2. 2000lbs at 70 degrees. I never looked at the regulator connection but when I went to put my Nitro reg on it, it was a male to male connector. I took my Co2 reg off my Co2 tank and put it on the Nitro and it registers 1500 lbs at 38 degrees (it was in the frig). Is this a legit Nitro tank? Have I been taken by this sale on CL?

Thanks for answering. I am new to Nitro and their isn't too much on the web.

 

[jonp9576]

it is not very common but there is no real difference in the tanks or the valves for nitrogen or co2. its all just the connections.

if its at 1500 psi its either nitrogen or nitrogen co2 mix. you wont get co2 up to 1500 psi under normal conditions.

 

[jonp9576]

we have numerous customers that only have one cylinder and they dont want to have the valve changed, so we just put the beer mix into their co2 tank. it wont hurt anything.

 

[mymbtheduke]

Good. Thanks for taking the time. I connected it to my keg of Murphy's Stout clone and will let it sit for a week at 30 lbs and 38 degrees. Can't wait to use my stout faucet.

 

[jonp9576]

when i hooked up my beer gas system 30 psi was real high. i ended up going down to just about 20. but 30 is a good place to start,

 

[mymbtheduke]

Hmmmm, maybe I'll back it down to 25. I can always turn it up again.

 

[bmckee56]

20# is about right for Stout. Everyone eventually finds the right pressure for their systems. I have 3 tanks now all with CO2 fittings on the tank and one of them holds beer gas mix. I actually changed out two nitrogen regulator connections to CO2 connections so all my regs would fit my tanks.

Salute!

 

[mymbtheduke]

How will this work when I turn it in for a refill at Airgas. I want to show up and get a replacement. Not drop it off and come back. They are 20 minutes from my house.

Do I ask them for a standard Co2 tank and fitting with beer gas?

 

[jonp9576]

call before you go and see. you might have to leave it there and have your cyl filled. what area are you in?

 

[mymbtheduke]

I am in MD. I go to the White Marsh Airgas.

Frankly, I prefer to get a normal Nitro tank cause I already have a No2 Reg. I wonder if they will charge me more for the tank swap.

 

[jonp9576]

they shouldnt, but i wouldnt be surprised if they do. the nitrogen valves do not cost much more than the co2 valves.

 

[bendavanza]

Where I live, in Dallas, TX, there is only one Airgas location that will fill 75 no2/ 25 co2 tanks, and they only do that (fill) on fridays. I drop off on thursday, pick up friday afternoon. It's just not a gas mix used for anything else so it's more work for them.
On my system, with 8' 3/16 beer lines and a guinness faucet, I run 30-40 lbs but my gauge could be screwy.

 

[Shay]

Where I live, in Dallas, TX, there is only one Airgas location that will fill 75 no2/ 25 co2 tanks, and they only do that (fill) on fridays. I drop off on thursday, pick up friday afternoon. It's just not a gas mix used for anything else so it's more work for them.
On my system, with 8' 3/16 beer lines and a guinness faucet, I run 30-40 lbs but my gauge could be screwy.

Where is the airgas located at? It will be quite a trip from Oak Cliff, but Garland Welding fills beergas.

 

[GreenwoodRover]

I used Airgas in Chicago for my beer gas mix. I had to call ahead they day before so they could get a cylinder in (they didn't have any readily available and didn't fill that gas type at my location). I called the next day to make sure it was there and just swapped like normal...

 

[mymbtheduke]

That will be my plan. Call ahead and wait for it to come in. Airgas is great and cheap.

 

[Brewin_CRAZY]

Jonp9576, is this common to fill CO2 tanks with 75/25 Ni/CO2 and is it legal? Because I would love to not have to purchase a nitro reg and tank as I have two CO2 regs and Cylinders.

 

[GreenwoodRover]

(although i'm not jonp)...
If you're near an airgas they will swap for you you just have to specify the type of valve connection (male vs female). There are several places that will also fill them while you wait here in IL. So my guess is that yes it is legal.

 

[jonp9576]

its common practice and its legal. there is nothing wrong with it. the cylinder is the same, so the safety on the valve is rated for the cylinder.

 

[bendavanza]

Shay-
The airgas I use is on Joe Field Road right off Harry Hines.
2615 Joe Field Rd Dallas, TX 75229-4602 - (972) 620-6215

 

[cabot]

Sorry to be ignorant, but what you folks are saying is that I can ask my local gas people to fill a co2 cylinder with a beergas mix, and use my Co2 regulator with it?? Negating me having to purchase a Nitro tank and nitro regulator??

 

[jonp9576]

yup. the only problem with it is that some beer regs only go upto 30 psi and some systems need more than 30 psi to run the nitrogen mix.

also, the beer regs that go upto 50 psi are operating out of their normal range at that pressure so it might wear on the internals of the reg sooner

 

[Shay]

Thanks bdavanza.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I use 35 psi for my stout faucet.

BTW, the chemical symbol for nitrogen in its molecule form is N2.

 

[bendavanza]

Sorry to be ignorant, but what you folks are saying is that I can ask my local gas people to fill a co2 cylinder with a beergas mix, and use my Co2 regulator with it?? Negating me having to purchase a Nitro tank and nitro regulator??

Some gas companies will and some will not, depends on who's running the show. Every place is different. Some shops have no interest in filling a mixed gas that they do not normally deal with.

Yuri- I think I remember you posting that you use argon/co2 mix?
-Ben

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I actually use pure argon after force carbonating with CO2. It works just like nitrogen, but it's a little more expensive. The minor increase in cost per fill is negligible since I already own two argon tanks (with no desire to purge them and refill with N2).

 

[chuggs]

Broward-Nelson is my Beer Gas supplier in South Florida. He uses CGA 320 valves on all his Beer Mix tanks. I have a CGA 580 valve (Nitrogen/Helium/Argon) on my tank. He has to send it out to be filled. I think a lot of Fountain suppliers like using the C02 valved tanks because thier clients don't have to buy extra regulators to serve Guinness or Bodington's using the Beer Mix. They only have to hook up the tank and change the faucet, and keg coupler...and they'r in business.

 

[chuggs]

yup. the only problem with it is that some beer regs only go upto 30 psi and some systems need more than 30 psi to run the nitrogen mix.

also, the beer regs that go upto 50 psi are operating out of their normal range at that pressure so it might wear on the internals of the reg sooner

I can't speak of every regulator but I'm very familiar with the IMI Cornelius brand.

They sell 30, 60, 100, 160 psi primary regulators...and the only difference between them is 1) the pressure relief valve, 2) the pressure indicator gauge, 3) the spring inside, and 4) the color coding of the label and the plastic collar on the pressure relief valve. The rest of the internals are exactly the same...so you won't wear anything out. They work just fine.

I set my Beer Mix at 28 psi anyway in the kegerator....the only time I have to dail it up higher is when I'm running the stout through a Jockey Box coil.