Dual regulator vs single w/splitter

I'm going to start kegging and have bought some 2.5 gallon kegs. I'm building the portable cooler keg system and am thinking about just moving the CO2 tank and regulator from home to the cooler when I, infrequently, take the show on the road.

So I'm thinking that I could get away with a 2.5 pound CO2 tank, which would fit in the cooler, and a single regulator with a splitter to service both kegs. In the cooler setup, that should be A-OK since I'm just using the CO2 to dispense already-carbonated kegs.

At home, is this still okay? I figure that when carbonating a keg, I'll just shut off the other valve and jack up the pressure, then back it down to dispensing pressure and open the valve up again.

Sound reasonable? I figure down the road I'll get a more permanent home setup with a larger CO2 tank (and larger kegs) but for now, will be be functional to carb kegs and serve beer, at home and on the road? Thanks for your help.

 

If possible, buy once and be done with it.

I do both force carbing and serving from a single regulator + tank. Its just a matter of connecting/disconnecting the kegs.

I'd go 5 lb on the tank and get one of these + the right disconnect for your road-show:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/soda-keg-co2-charger.html

 

blah

 

Thanks for replying. I'm not sure how you dispense two different beers at the same time without either a dual regulator or a single regulator with a splitter? And I'm going to be dispensing two beers at once either at home or from the cooler. Plus, the charger makes the whole setup too tall to fit in the cooler, it's a tight fit height-wise.

 

You'd need a charger for every beer you are dispensing when you go portable. Sorry I didn't realize you were going portable with more than one beer (silly me, I thought 5 gallons would have been enough for one sitting!)

Its your call on charger vs. tank; but lugging any tank along on a portable rig would have been a dealkiller for me...but that is me. I hate dealing with tanks even at home, but its a necessary evil.

 

Do your self a favor and do a 5LB co2 tank for your home system. You may have trouble swapping a 2.5 (not sure how common they are) plus you'll have a hell of a time keeping co2. Force carbing uses a lot of gas. That's why I dispense with a 5lb and carbonate with a 20lb. Also it costs almost the same to swap a 20 as it does a 5, so I'm sure a 2.5 would be even more $$$

Get an adapter and a paintball co2 cylinder for your portable. [This]

It allows you to convert your regulator to a pin style for the paintball cylinder). Use your primary reg and a manifold or y splitter.

Unless you plan on serving different pressures. Then you'll still need the manifold or splitter as well as a secondary reg. (too complicated IMO for a portable)

I keep my portable simple everything fits in the cooler. You want to make it easy to haul.

I have tons of regulators from a bulk buy I did. I've been selling them off. Some were dual primary, so I split them and made some portable regulators for paintball cylinders. You can do the same.

 

I've thought about the 20oz paintball tanks, but (call me crazy, I know I call myself that) I don't want to get a refill from a sporting goods store where the CO2 can be contaminated and contain oils, solvents, etc. I want food-grade CO2 from a homebrew shop or a welding shop or a beverage supply shop. And I'm not sure it's cost effective to have a 20oz tank refilled at those places (or that they have the fittings) And it's not that much cheaper - $20 for a tank, $15 for the adapter, and that's about what you're at for a 2.5# tank, which I can use inside too. Remember I'm only carbing up 2.5 gal kegs here so 2.5# will last twice as long as with 5 gal kegs.

My real concern is about the regulator - other than running two beers at different pressures (not currently in my gameplan) is there any downside to running a single regulator and a splitter/manifold ? Doesn't seem to be, but I'll save money and room in the cooler if i go single.

 

Seriously? You clearly have some research to do before spending your money. I tried to help you not waste it, but my experience is not enough... Co2 is co2 there is no such thing as "food grade." Where would oil get into your co2? That doesn't even make sense.

You're heading in this direction


When if done properly you could've done this

This is my setup. Everything is inside nice and neat.

You have these notions of idealism in your mind that are in fact going to cost you. You don't use the portable much, but you'll use your home system more. You're going to carbonate your beer with the smaller tank and spend more money (gas to drive and $ to refill) filling the smaller tank. A few fills, the co2 cylinder and adapter would be "paid for"

I'm not even going to get into the errors I've already noticed in your decisions (from the build thread with those other kegs you got on the "cheap", the larger cooler that doesn't work and the extra money (and jimmy rigging like using a heat gun to shape the cooler?) you're needing to get it to "work"). You clearly have your mind made up on the direction you want to take this.

With that said Just use a splitter or manifold

 

Wow, why the aggression? Modifying gear to make it work, isn't that what you did with your cooler? Sheesh, thanks for the help but maybe let cooler heads prevail. I'm trying to figure out what's right for me and my needs and preferences. I have no idea why you are giving out the negativity. My plan is to end up with a nice and neat cooler with everything contained within. Perhaps you are missing the gist of my project. I asked about the limitations of going with a splitter and you tear into me for thinking about how I should modify a cooler to fit my equipment?

 

No aggression... Just pointing out facts my friend. You're working on having the same final output as I have posted in the photo above, but you're taking a whole other "blind" approach probably in the effort to save $$$ yet it's costing you more. I gave you solid advice, but your concerns of things like "oil" in the co2 are made up and shows you have research to do.

I'm helping you... Trust me. Take it for what you will.

And for the 3rd time. Just use a splitter. Unless you want to have different pressures (you don't)

 

Sigh. You used kegs that I couldn't find for the price I paid for my kegs. Thus I must use a different cooler. One that others have used successfully. I don't know what you're referring to honestly. I'm so far spending $30/keg and a $30 cooler. Now I need to add a CO2 tank and regulator, and some faucets. Please explain to me, oh portable cooler kegerator guru master , how I'm wasting money? And don't compare your Craigslist haul -slash- reselling venture to my setup as that's not available for me to do.

 

Lol $30/keg plus how much to swap the posts (since pins won't work) plus the shipping... I'm guessing you're closer to $50/60 per keg. I paid about $10 more shipped for my cooler off walmart (amazon has it too)

Plus I'm betting a 2.5lb cylinder will be a PITA to get swapped, so you'll have to find someone to fill. That can also cost more sometimes and be a pain to find. I haven't seen many 2.5, so I'm speculating here... And when hydro comes you won't be able to use someone like airgas to swap it for the cost of gas. You'll have to pay to hydro it.

So ya I have a few bucks more, but still a much cleaner product (plus if I were to sell it probably a better resale value). You're going to see what a pain that "portable" set up will be to haul when it's full of 6 gallons of beer. Moving it around kegs all sloshing around inside... You'll end up having to move it all separate and then assemble it while my party has already gotten started

The few extra bucks seems worth that to me.

 

Ok price out your system for me to buy. And explain how your cooler's beer doesn't weigh as much and yours doesn't slosh around. Is your just a jockey box? If not, do you not have two kegs inside? <confused>

 

Where do you get $30 kegs?

You need a y connector OR a manifold. I would get a 4-way manifold so you can use it down the road.

 

I'm using the 3 gal cornys from Adventures in Homebrewing. $125/4 kegs.

Thanks - that's good advice. I have four kegs and might want to dispense all at once someday.