Is there a difference between beverage grade and food grade CO2?

[Brewmegoodbeer]

Hey guys,

I recently swapped my CO2 tank at Airgas and asked for beverage grade and they gave me "food grade". Im assuming food grade is just as safe, as doing research, both food and beverage grade are 99.9% pure CO2. Is there actually a difference between the two??

 

[xpops]

i've heard from CO2 suppliers they're the same. "CO2 is CO2" i was told by 3 different places.

 

[Maylar]

One of the gas suppliers I contacted said they sell industrial grade, beverage grade, and medical grade. The difference is purity and the price. They quoted me percent purity for each, but I don't remember the numbers. Beverage and medical grade were 99.9 something pure.

 

[Jim311]

Airgas told me that while there is a difference between food grade and industrial grade it's too expensive for them to maintain two different sets of equipment to produce it when they could just use the food grade stuff for every other purpose. Besides, when you're welding or using CO2 for industrial purposes you still need it to be free of oils and other contaminates.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I use good ol' welding co2 from a welding shop. Hasn't givin me any off flavors and I'm still alive

 

[Nagorg]

http://www.co2meter.com/blogs/news/16831989-why-the-grade-of-co2-gas-you-are-using-is-important

"The grading of 99.90% CO2 purity for beverage grade gases is now mandated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA regulations allow for the other .09% of the gas to be made up of other hydrocarbons.
Industrial applications like welding utilize 99.5% pure CO2. In welding, higher purity CO2 produces better welds because the process is heating less impurities in the process. Those impurities have been found to produce less stable welds."

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Hey guys,

I recently swapped my CO2 tank at Airgas and asked for beverage grade and they gave me "food grade". Im assuming food grade is just as safe, as doing research, both food and beverage grade are 99.9% pure CO2. Is there actually a difference between the two??

The only difference between beverge co2 and welding co2 is you're paying more.

Airgas supplies comes from the same factory. Same source. Same contaminates. The purity will fluctuate based on maintenence schedules and testing procedures, and the quality of work staff in the facility. This is true for all gas suppliers.

Don't waste your money on something not guaranteed. Buy regular welding gas co2.