CO2 / Nitrogen Mix

[Hi im dave]

Hi All,

I’m looking for a better CO2 supplier as the paintball shop near me is quoting $140 for a 20 pound refill. I found a beverage supplier but they do a 75% CO2 and 25% nitrogen mix. Does anyone have experience with this? This is their description:

WANT TO REDUCE BEER WASTE AND INCREASE QUALITY?​

Our beer gas is a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide that will effectively assure that the gas content of the beer stays constant, never over carbonating or going flat. It pours perfectly right up to the end!

 

[VikeMan]

If your issue is price, replacing CO2 with "beer gas" is not the answer. Who supplies CO2 to restaurants in your area? I'd look there. Also, local homebrew supply stores and beer distributors.

BTW, the claim in their description is silly.

 

[Jag75]

If your wanting to have beer on a nitro tap get the beer gas . You want a tad bit of co2 in the beer . I get mine from Praxair. Tank last for multiple kegs .

 

[TheBluePhantom]

Agree with Vikeman, the claim is silly. Unless you crank up the pressure, you will have flat beer. And you can't carb with a mix, it messes up the mix and still leaves the beer flat.

Check with welding shops as well. They normally have CO2 and will often carry a beverage grade. They already have the facilities to fill tanks, adding a grade is trivial. And these places are where I usually have to go to get the tank recertified.

 

[Bobby_M]

The marketing paragraph for beer gas is actually geared towards restaurants and bars with long draw systems or jockey box situations with really long cooling coils. In that context it's true because they usually have to turn the pressure up to 20psi to get the beer to pour at all. Of course it would overcarb on pure CO2 and you'd throw a lot of foam away.

No, you don't want beergas on a home kegerator unless you plan to pour Guiness or similar nitro style beers.

 

[Hi im dave]

Thanks all for the feedback!

 

[beren]

Air gas swaps and doesn’t care if your tank is in date or not.

 

[deroosa]

My experience is that suppliers don’t care about hydro dates when the tank has THEIR label on it. This is the trade off of bringing in that brand new tank the first time and getting swapped for a used one. Since they are swapping tanks as long as their label is on it they are taking keeping the hydro récertification upon themselves. If I bring in a tank that has another suppliers sticker then they look for a hydro date. If it’s out of date, then I have to pay the $35 recertification fee and the swap me for another tank.

 

[IslandLizard]

I’m looking for a better CO2 supplier as the paintball shop near me is quoting $140 for a 20 pound refill.

Call around first, and get the lay of CO2 land in your area. Welding gas suppliers are the places to check.

One of the 2 LHBS's here has been charging 30 cents an ounce ($4.80 per pound, $96! for 20#) of CO2 for refills, since forever. That's crazy! I was getting a 20# swap for $26 at Praxair, or something similar for a refill at a semi-local Fire Protection service, as a walk-in, filled while I wait. That price may have gone up a bit lately, exactly how much I'm gonna find out soon... but I expect nothing close to what you were quoted.

 

[VikeMan]

Air gas swaps and doesn’t care if your tank is in date or not.

The Airgas in my area cares. But after you pay them for a hydro test, that cylinder gets an Airgas sticker. Once you have an Airgas sticker, you can exchange that cylinder (or any cylynder with the sticker) out-of-date without paying for a test again.

ETA: At my Airgas, if you have an in-date cylinder without an Airgas sticker, they do a fill rather than an exchange.

 

[Hi im dave]

I just talked to this place again and they do beer gas as well as 100% co2. For beverage grade co2 it’s $40 for a 20 pound tank. Much more reasonable than $140

 

[T Murph]

Welcome to the forum. That looks a lot more reasonable. $40 is what my buddy at AlaBrew in Phelam AL charges to refill a 20 lb tank. I think my local airgas charges $32 but they aren't a homebrew shop with all the other goodies to choose from.

 

[Jag75]

I just talked to this place again and they do beer gas as well as 100% co2. For beverage grade co2 it’s $40 for a 20 pound tank. Much more reasonable than $140

Are you looking for beer gas or co2?

 

[Hi im dave]

Are you looking for beer gas or co2?

CO2. When I first looked them up I only noticed the heading for beer gas.

 

[beren]

The Airgas in my area cares. But after you pay them for a hydro test, that cylinder gets an Airgas sticker. Once you have an Airgas sticker, you can exchange that cylinder (or any cylynder with the sticker) out-of-date without paying for a test again.

ETA: At my Airgas, if you have an in-date cylinder without an Airgas sticker, they do a fill rather than an exchange.

Ah mine only does an exchange, and they told me flat out they dont charge for recerts even though they are "supposed" to. It's good for business i can say