mini regulators

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out a good, cheap mini regulator option for pushing a keg with a 20oz paintball tank. My preferred requirements are:
- mini regulator rather than normal sized
- not picky about fine adjustment of pressure, just looking to push beer
- would need to fit it to a 20oz paintball tank (not cartridges)

I saw this on alibaba, $11 with free shipping. Probably too good to be true, but could somebody tell me why, so that I know what to look for in the future?

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/free...-thread-1-4-BSP-SMC-type-air/32264731388.html

Or maybe something like this could work? Thank you all.

 

what's the PSI of a paint ball tank? The reg you linked to is pretty dinky, max of 140psi or so (9.9 kgf/cm2), normal co2 tanks are ~800psi. Here's the data from the website:


AR2000-02 1/4'' BSP Pneumatic Regulator

Specification:
Product Name Pneumatic Regulator
Model AR2000-02
Material Metal, Plastic
Working Medium Air
Max. Pressure 9.9Kgf/cm2
Adjustable Pressure Range 0.05-0.85Mpa
Joint Pipe Bore Diameter 13mm
Joint Pipe Bore Size 1/4"PT
Pressure Gauge Connector Dia 10mm/ 0.39"
Pressure Gauge Range 0-10 Kgf/cm2, 0-1 MPa
Total Size 4 x 4 x 9.2 cm/ 1.6" x 1.6" x 3.6" (L*W*H)
Pressure Gauge Size 4.1 x 2.5cm/ 1.6" x 0.98" (D*T)
Bracket Mount Hole Size 15 x 5mm/ 0.6" x 0.2"(L*W)
Color Black, Gray
Weight 265g
Package Content
1 x Pneumatic Regulator
1 x Pressure Gauge
1 x Install Bracket
Descriptions:
Compressed air pressure regulator with gauge and installing bracket, plastic and metal construction, black red in color.
Air source treatment pneumatic regulator, features 0.05-0.85Mpa adjustable pressure range, 9.9 kgf/cm2 max pressure.
Helps regulate the pressure of air which comes from air pressure machine and provides pressure gauge clean and good air.
Comes with a easy reading dual scale dial pressure gauge, the cap with a push lock is convenient for adjust the pressure.

 

Paintball tanks have a PSI of 3000 psi generally (I think). I thought that the max pressure you refer to (140psi or so (9.9 kgf/cm2)) was referring to the output pressure, i.e.: the max amount of pressure you could push into your keg with this. Does it in fact mean the max pressure that you can put into the regulator?

 

You could use that as a secondary regulator, but you would need to step down the pressure directly from the tank down to maximum of 140 psi.

At room temp compressed CO2 has a pressure of about 870 psi.

Someone has already done this:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paintball-Regulator-Beer-Dispenser-1/

 

Adventures in Home Brewing already has exactly what you are looking for at a reasonable price.


H.W.

 

Thanks for the advice. You helped me realize that many regulators not typically used for kegs can't handle the high pressures output by a paintball tank or 5/10/20 lb CO2 cylinder, and require a pressure step-down via a primary regulator before using them as a secondary regulator.

I found exactly what I wanted at Williams, probably a bit more than I wanted to spend but that's life. And really, at $59.99 it isn't that much more than just a regular regulator.

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/PAINTBALL-TANK-MINI-REGULATOR-P3933.aspx

Nice and compact, no need for lots of adaptors hanging off of it.

 

CO2 has weird pressure temp characteristics due to it's 5th state of matter (super critical fluid)......... The other four states are solid, liquid, vapor, and plasma.

I bought a new paint ball tank yesterday..........which they filled for me as part of the $25 purchase price. A fill is an absurd $4.50........ Around noon today I thought of it sitting in my car in the sun......... I opened the door and grabbed the tank and tossed it in the shade. I don't know how hot it has to be to vent......and I don't really care to find out.

They are a great size. Mine lays in the fridge next to my two Tap-a-Draft bottles on a wood support to slope it slightly. I have a MIG regulator attached. I don't use an "adapter". I simply removed the mixed gas stem which has 1/4 NPT thread, and screwed in a paint ball fitting which I had drilled and tapped to fit 1/4" pipe, connecting them with a nipple just like the original. It's not nearly as compact as the unit Williams Brewing now offers.....but that wasn't available a week or two ago.............But it was cheap as I have a collection of regulators I've accumulated over the years. This was a very compact one, and I removed the full size gauges, plugged the high pressure gauge port and put a compact gauge on the low side. The high side tells you nothing useful with CO2.......


H.W.