Best mobile CO2 solution

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412CiderGuy

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Does anyone know of a better alternative than lugging around a massive CO2 tank and regulator with a keg?

I got 2 growler weeks that I love but sometimes I’m trying to bring a few keg and I feel like the CO2 and regulator are just a pain in the ass since it’s so top heavy.

I heard you can use a small paintball CO2 with an adapter but couldn’t find anything on google.

Side note, does “food grade” CO2 even matter?
 
a paintball bottle works great, I have a small regulator that fits the paintball bottle as well as an adapter that converts it to CGA320. They have a fill rig on amazon that I bough to be able to refill it myself. (turn the co2 bottle upside down so that it flows liquid or get a siphon bottle from the gas place.
 
I have one of the little injectors with a trigger as well, it works, but you are throwing a burst into the keg, you just have to make sure that no one touches it but you as the keg could easily get too much pressure, causing foaming, the other one with the gauge, might be best, you can set it and walk away. The little cartridges can become annoying in price, just consider buying them in bulk, to keep the price down. The bigger question that you have to ask yourself, is how often are you going to be carrying a keg places to share and is it worth it.

BTW- the reflectix things that people put in windshields to block the sun will wrap around a keg in two layers, do a good job and have elastic bands that will fit around the keg and they only cost a couple of bucks.

Good luck.
 
I think that if you're lugging around multiple full kegs of beer, then a 5# CO2 and a min regulator aren't a big deal.

Best solution? Problaby this: Aluminum Mini CO2 Regulator

I have a 3g tank with a simple non-regulated CO2 adapter. As long as I control the thing, it works fine. Just put a squirt of gas in occasionally.

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I highly recommend a paint ball tank and mini regular.
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See Paintball 0-30 PSI Brewer's Edge� Mini Regulator

Many sporting good stores will refill your tank which makes it easy. It is also nice to have as a back up if your main tank runs out unexpectedly.

Call me paranoid, but I have a 20 lb. tank for home use, 2 paint ball tanks for travelling and carry a spare canister just in case.
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Last Christmas, at a party away from home, I actually had to use the canister when I discovered that my paint ball tanks were unexpectedly empty. Without the canister, there would have been no beer at the Christmas Party.
 
I have a 9oz paintball cylinder that I use with a single gauge regulator that works very good. I already had the regulator, which I converted with this simple adapter:

https://www.homebrewing.org/Paintball-Adapter-II-left-hand-thread-_p_2638.html
If you don't have an extra regulator they sell a complete unit here:

https://www.homebrewing.org/The-Adapter-II-Paintball-Gauge_p_2635.html

I fill the tank using a fill whip from my inverted 20 lb cylinder. The 9oz tank gets strapped to my keg to prevent it from being knocked on its side.
 
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theres a guy on ebay who has good quality micro regulators for the whip-it style gas cartridges. never seen anything smaller than that.

also think about how you're dispensing. 6 or 7 ft of evabarrier tubing (4mil) and picnic tap work pretty damn well. and super cheap so no biggie if they get damaged.
 
How are you guys filling your SodaStream tanks? Full replacement tanks are ridiculously expensive to buy, aren't they?
We get them on offer all the time here in Norway. They've even come up with a bigger tank. I exchanged two small ones for 2 big ones(like 850gr.).cost me about 180kr, something like 18 dollars.
 
We get them on offer all the time here in Norway. They've even come up with a bigger tank. I exchanged two small ones for 2 big ones(like 850gr.).cost me about 180kr, something like 18 dollars.
Still, relatively expensive compared to 5, 10 or 20# CO2 tanks. My last 20# CO2 tank swap was $26. Lasts me a good year, between liquid purging kegs, flushing fermenter headspaces, transfers, carbonating kegs, and serving. Sure, until it's almost empty, it's a heavy sucker to schlep around to beer events.
 
In my case its all about space. These small tank fit in the fridge and the new ones in top no problem. Also I can get a new one in like 70% of all stores. Bit more expensive, less hassle
 
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