Beer in my CO2 tank

[PintOfPlain]

Hi

My first keg experience - what a mess!

I have a dual regulator. Put one keg on force carb 25PSI.

Decided to do an experiment and carb the other keg through the OUT valve at 10PSI.

Come back later that evening, beer up to half way on all the dial guages! Flooded regulator.

Was a bit of a mystery for a while, where did about a 1/3 of the 10PSI keg go?

Answer - it must be in my CO2 Tank. There is a lot of sloshing around in there. its a 10lb tank.

What can I do with this tank now ? Please could someone advise me if it is possible to save this tank.

I took apart the regulator, cleaned everything, put it back together, hoping it will still work..

 

[elpenoso]

Exchange the tank?

Edit: Unless you live in China then you will have to give up your next born child.

 

[ILoveBeer2]

Exchange the tank?
.

I read this and laughed out loud. Then I thought (with the best Spikoli (Fast Times) imitation) "what a d..k"

 

[PintOfPlain]

Exchange the tank?

Edit: Unless you live in China then you will have to give up your next born child.

Well it just so happens i do live in China!
new tank around $50

 

[Huff360]

Unless the CO2 tank was empty, or really close to it, there is no way the beer made it into the tank. To the regulator, yes, but going through the regulator into the high pressure side seems very unlikely.

The CO2 in the tank is stored as a liquid. Maybe that is what you are hearing sloshing around?

You can take the regulator off the tank, hold the tank upside down and slowly open the valve. It should blow liquid CO2 out, which will just make a big white fog. If there is beer in the tank, it will run the beer out on the floor.

You should put check valves on the output of the regulators. That would have prevented this. Something like this - http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/shutoff-valve-w-check-1-4-mpt-x-1-4-mfl.html

 

[PintOfPlain]

Unless the CO2 tank was empty, or really close to it, there is no way the beer made it into the tank. To the regulator, yes, but going through the regulator into the high pressure side seems very unlikely.

The CO2 in the tank is stored as a liquid. Maybe that is what you are hearing sloshing around?

You can take the regulator off the tank, hold the tank upside down and slowly open the valve. It should blow liquid CO2 out, which will just make a big white fog. If there is beer in the tank, it will run the beer out on the floor.

You should put check valves on the output of the regulators. That would have prevented this. Something like this - http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/shutoff-valve-w-check-1-4-mpt-x-1-4-mfl.html

Thanks for your advice
I screwed off the safety valve nut and yes, I poured out a load of beer!
I think I have a leak in the system, as well as I filled one keg to over the gas in tube and then put that one on force carb 30psi.

I have devised the following method to ensure a total clean of the tank and leave it dry inside, please let me know what you think:

1. fill tank a few times with hot tap water, slosh it around, pour out
2. fill again 1/3 full with hot water
3. get a pot of boiling water going on the stove, put the tank in the pot
4. boil the pot to get the water inside the tank boiling also
5. pour off a bit of the boiling water to rinse off any final residue, then put it back in and boil off totally to get it dry

 

[Rbeckett]

I would be extremely carefull applying heat to a pressure rated vessel. I once recieved a pair of scuba tanks I ordered from California show up with a notice saying the truck had been in a fire. When I contacted the dive senter they said they would ship 2 new replacement tanks immediately and send a call tag for the others. The said they would refuse to fill a tank that had even the slightest hint that it had been exposed to heat above ambient temperatures. Do think carefully if you want a potential bomb in you car or anywhere near your loved ones. It just aint worth the chance if you ask me.

Wheelchair Bob

 

[Frige]

I guess it is possible that you got beer into your co2 tank. If it went completely flat and the keg still had pressure, although I am not sure how it made it past the regulator. In any case once you have the tank cleaned out and drained as much water out as possible rinse it out with acetone or alcohol. Please do not heat the tank. Bad things could happen

 

[PintOfPlain]

I guess it is possible that you got beer into your co2 tank. If it went completely flat and the keg still had pressure, although I am not sure how it made it past the regulator. In any case once you have the tank cleaned out and drained as much water out as possible rinse it out with acetone or alcohol. Please do not heat the tank. Bad things could happen

I live in China. I have a chinese regulator . Brand is Dorado. Don't know if this brand makes it international or not.
But yep, the beer has made it past the regulator.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[PintOfPlain]

I would be extremely carefull applying heat to a pressure rated vessel. I once recieved a pair of scuba tanks I ordered from California show up with a notice saying the truck had been in a fire. When I contacted the dive senter they said they would ship 2 new replacement tanks immediately and send a call tag for the others. The said they would refuse to fill a tank that had even the slightest hint that it had been exposed to heat above ambient temperatures. Do think carefully if you want a potential bomb in you car or anywhere near your loved ones. It just aint worth the chance if you ask me.

Wheelchair Bob

Thanks for the advice Bob.
But I wonder if any difference when the valve is fully open and the purpose is to vent off any steam that is generated inside.
What could happen to the tank?

Regarding your example, I would say its quite common that scuba tanks are left out in the midday sun. They could get quite hot under this scenario.

 

[Rbeckett]

Heat rearrainges the molecular structure of the metal. Those tanks are actually designed to swell and contract ever so slightly and if heated they will not do that properly and the metal may crystalize and become a burst hazard. I know from welding and heat treating metals that they do change properties very easily and sometimes the results are a little unpredcitable even when following the correct procedure. Just be carefull, 50 bucks isn't worth dieing over.

Wheelchair Bob

 

[IslandLizard]

Perhaps you can ask your CO2 supplier how to clean the tank out?

Tanks need to be hydro tested every now and then, every 5 years here in the U.S. They fill them up with water AFAIK and that means they need to get drained and dried too.

 

[thadius856]

I have a chinese regulator .

So do we. And most of our other possessions are Chinese as well.

Might want to put a check valve after the regulator next time.

 

[Don3181]

Regarding the application of any heat to the tank. There is a big difference between the the heat from the sun and fire impingement. Either way, no need to heat anything. I remember reading somewhere about cleaning scuba tanks and it was with simple green and warm water. Just be certain that the tank is empty and take the valve off and clean with simple green solution and rinse with water and dry it very well with compressed air and replace the valve. All that being said, I've never had to do any of this. So take it with a grain of salt.

 

[zymurph]

I've been to a shop that cleans and re-stamps cylinders with the DOT stamp for pressurized gasses, and they were definitely cleaning the cylinders with pretty hot water. Maybe it wasn't boiling, but it was definitely hot. I wouldn't think that 212 degrees would be anywhere near damaging the tank, certainly not like if it was in a fire.