what to do? CO2 tank drained last night

[Ol' Grog]

Geesh, it's not like this has been the week from hell with work/ex-wife/weather/sick child/that "time" for SWMBO, etc. etc. which made it all more enjoyable to wait until Friday night to have a few cold ones. Well, wouldn't you just know it, went to check on it and low and behold, both pressure guages are reading a flat 0. Great. Where I live, nobody fills CO2 tanks and renting one is not an option either. So, what are my options at this point? I got two kegs. One half full and the other one conditioning since last week. I don't know exactly when the CO2 tank went dry, but the kegs were kept cold. I could possibly get it filled tomorrow as SWMBO wants to go shopping in OKC, I'll have to find a place open on Saturdays. At the worse, I can get a new tank by Tuesday.
Prime and bottle the unused keg? Is there still CO2 in it to keep it from oxidizing? Advice my brethren. If ya'll remember a previous post, I think it was those damn pressure release valves. Been having trouble with them, need to give Terry a call.

 

[rdwj]

You're kegs should be fine in the short term. As long as you don't introduce oxygen, you have no problems. You may need to let the kegs sit a day or so under pressure before they're fully carbed again, but you should have no ill effects.

 

[Orfy]

Are there no paintballers / suppliers any where near you?

I use 20z paintball bottles.

 

[Ol' Grog]

Dude, I live in the sticks.

 

[Orfy]

Ok, just a thought.

 

[Ol' Grog]

Thanks though. Does give me an idea, I got to go to Walmart and they may have some CO2 paintball type cartriges.

 

[david_42]

If you're in the sticks, there HAVE to be welding shops, it's required. I have to go about 35 miles to get mine exchanged, so I have two tanks.

But, your beer is just fine. The is no way for air to get into a keg, unless you take the lid off.

 

[Orfy]

Thanks though. Does give me an idea, I got to go to Walmart and they may have some CO2 paintball type cartridges.

Asda (Walmart) Over here sell Soda stream Cartridges.

 

[Wort*hog]

Call Chickasha welding and industrial supply 224-2215

 

[Ol' Grog]

You know, this is funny. I called Fitch Industrial, they have a store here in town but do their tank filling in Lawton, where I work and about 45 miles south of here. I took the day off. Anyway, they told me that NO ONE in town fills CO2 tanks. So just by chance, I called that company you mentioned and you know what??? They fill tanks and cheap too, 18 dollars to fill my 10 pounder. Anyway, I asked the lady there, it is ran by only women, and they said that there has been a "welding" war going on between them. Store is owned primarily by women and they were all pretty cute. They'll be getting my business again. Now, if I can just find the leaks. I had two hose clamps strip on me at the barbed in, but I leak tested it two weeks ago and it held fine. I already called brewmasters and they are sending me new pressure release valves at no charge. If worse comes to worse, I'll just get new lids.

 

[EdWort]

For those living in the sticks, I highly recommend getting a 20# bottle. It will pay for itself real quick!

 

[Orfy]

That's good news.

 

[Ol' Grog]

I here you Ed, you already back from Europe? Anyway, if that 20 pounder would have drained, I'd be crying.
UPDATE: Got the tank and hooked everything back up. Replaced two of the stripped hose clamps. Charged up the system to 30 psi and no leaks. Put the gas on the kegs, the same one I've had problems with is still leaking. That's where it failed. Had an extra release valve and put it on and it still leaked. Torqued it down with some pliers, still leaked. Thought about it for a while as I didn't want to waste beer but I be dog gone if I'm going to drain another CO2 tank. Played with it and then tried this: cut three small pieces of teflon tape and placed them on the rubber of the release valve. I slowly pressurized it up to about 10 pounds, no leaks. I had them set at 17 psi before, but if I can get 10 psi out of it, I'll live. This particular keg as been conditioned already but I don't know how long the CO2 has been off of it. May be drinking flat beer tonight, but I ain't tossing it down the sink. Hopefully brewersdiscount will get the new ones in the mail today and I should have them by Tuesday. But, nothing seems to go to plan here lately. So, what if they still fail???? Bad lid????

 

[gnef]

i definitely agree with getting multiple tanks if you can afford it. since you seem to live in a sparsely populated area, i assume craigslist won't really help you find any good deals though.

if the relief valve continues to leak, it could be the lid. where the relief valve clamps down on to the lide, that metal could be warped? lids can be somewhat expensive to replace. i think around at least 10 from most online vendors. there is an ebay vendor that sells a set of cornelius keg ball-lock replacement parts for about 65 shipped though, for six sets of posts, lids, and dip tubes, which is an excellent price, and if i had more cornelius ball locks, i would jump on it (i have a number of pin locks, and many firestone ball locks, only a couple or a few cornelius branded ball lock)