Portable CO2

[kraizter]

I've been looking into all the options with smaller co2 systems. It would be helpful to have one place to post pros and cons from the people who use these different set ups.

With all the options it's challenging to narrow down which route to go paintball, 74g, mini regulator, etc.

Thank you to anyone who can share their set up and explain what they like and/or dislike about their portable carbonation gear and how they use it on the go!

 

[DVCNick]

I haven't done much traveling with homebrew yet (bottles only so far) , but planning to take kegs to a couple parties this holiday season, and currently am just planning to tote a 5lb CO2 tank along as well.

I already have it; it is cheap, and it isn't that much more bulk compared to a keg anyway.
I looked briefly at the mini-regs and small one time use cartridges (the same ones that power BB guns, etc) but overall the total cost of such a setup doesn't strike me as worth it when I'm just planning to carry a keg somewhere and then sit it in a fixed location anyway.

If I was humping the thing through the woods all day or something, it might be different.

 

[bracconiere]

tote a 5lb CO2 tank along as well.

the few times i've traveled with kegs, i toted a 20lb'er......most of the time i'd just fill a few 1 liter soda bottles though.....

 

[balrog]

I use 20# at home
I bought a paintball 20oz, adapter, another regulator and manifold for dispensing up to 4 on remote. I love the 20oz paintball tank.
I got a 5# for backup and would much prefer to travel with the paintball than the 5#
The paintball tank and gear goes in the tennis bag and all I have to do is take that over my should and a keg in each hand, and pretty soon, nobody noticed how bad I am at tennis.

 

[IslandLizard]

I bought a paintball 20oz, adapter, another regulator and manifold for dispensing up to 4 on remote. I love the 20oz paintball tank.

Do you fill it yourself, or get it filled? I was quoted pretty high prices for CO2 fills of those, like $0.60 per oz! That's $12 for only 20 oz.

I schlepp a 20#, but most in our circle of brewers bring a 5# tank to events. I've seen the mini cartridge dispensers showing up more often lately. There's something I hate about disposing so much good hard material for a puff of CO2.

 

[balrog]

Dick's Sporting Goods, fills 20oz paintball for $5 I think.

 

[balrog]

Do you fill it yourself, or get it filled? I was quoted pretty high prices for CO2 fills of those, like $0.60 per oz! That's $12 for only 20 oz.

I schlepp a 20#, but most in our circle of brewers bring a 5# tank to events. I've seen the mini cartridge dispensers showing up more often lately. There's something I hate about disposing so much good hard material for a puff of CO2.

I bought one of those mini regs and large co2 carts and was underwhelmed, especially when used in cold weather. It is VERY finicky and almost useless.

 

[501irishred]

I use 20oz paintball bottles in my 4 tap kegerator and love it. I built it to be mobile enough to take tailgating, camping etc, and didn’t want the extra weight. It’s $4 to fill at Academy sports. That’s still a lot more per once than a bulk fill, but one bottle is typically enough to push all 4 kegs (I carbonate with a 20lb cylinder in a garage fridge). With 3 bottles, there is never an “emergency” needing gas, and it is much easier finding someone that will fill a 20oz during the time of day that I’m off (academy, any paint ball supply...).

 

[HopSing]

I've started researching this too. Current plan is to purchase a 2.5 or 3 gallon keg and use a 10 gallon water jug to keep it cool. For CO2 I plan to use a Soda Stream canister. I've read some sites that say the paintball tanks might not be food grade. Not sure I buy into the fear, but I'm sure Soda Stream are food safe and they make adapters to convert from Soda Stream to the standard CO2 threads.

I bought a CO2 fill station to fill my 10# tank from a 20# tank since the cost to fill the 20# tank is only $3 more, so the fill station will pay for itself eventually.

 

[pvpeacock]

20 lb tank at home with dual regulator and multiple splitters in my keezer;
5 lb tank at home for back up; and,
20 oz. paintball with mini regulator for travelling with my rolling cooler. I also carry two spare CO2 cartridges that work in the mini regulator just in case.

 

[501irishred]

I've started researching this too. Current plan is to purchase a 2.5 or 3 gallon keg and use a 10 gallon water jug to keep it cool. For CO2 I plan to use a Soda Stream canister. I've read some sites that say the paintball tanks might not be food grade. Not sure I buy into the fear, but I'm sure Soda Stream are food safe and they make adapters to convert from Soda Stream to the standard CO2 threads.

I bought a CO2 fill station to fill my 10# tank from a 20# tank since the cost to fill the 20# tank is only $3 more, so the fill station will pay for itself eventually.

what kind of fill station do you have? That would be even more convenient to to fill at home vs academy. Plus it would probably save me $100’s of dollars a year from not having to go to the gun counter to fill my tanks. My wife thanks you in advance for any advice you can give in this area....

 

[pvpeacock]

I'm curious as well. I heard that it is not as easy as you would think and there are significant risks.

 

[HopSing]

what kind of fill station do you have? That would be even more convenient to to fill at home vs academy. Plus it would probably save me $100’s of dollars a year from not having to go to the gun counter to fill my tanks. My wife thanks you in advance for any advice you can give in this area....

I've been meaning to post a thread about how I'm refilling my Co2 tanks. Take a look here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/filling-co2-tanks-at-home.672069/

~HopSing.

 

[gnef]

I use 50# tanks at home, so my 20# tanks feel pretty portable to me!

I don't bring kegs around very often, but I do have three jockey boxes (a 6 pass, a 5 pass, and 2 pass), so I always bring two 20# tanks with me, to make sure I have a backup.