sictransit701
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My local homebrew shop closed. My co2 is empty. Where can I get co2? We have a welding shop that has co2 tanks. Will those work?
co2 refill
- Thread starter sictransit701
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Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Where are you located, specifically?
It is possible your welding shop can refill your cylinder.
Fire extinguisher companies often have on-site refill capability as well...
Cheers!
It is possible your welding shop can refill your cylinder.
Fire extinguisher companies often have on-site refill capability as well...
Cheers!
OP
OP
sictransit701
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Jackson Mississippi
Google “compressed gas suppliers” in your area. There are probably more than you think. Some will refill your tank, others will exchange yours for a full one. If you do an exchange and have a shiny, aluminum tank, you may get a steel tank that looks like it’s from the Korean War era. But, you’ll have CO2.
What @grampamark says.^
Call a few of those to get the lay of CO2 land such as pricing, fill on site, swaps, etc.
It can vary more than one would expect.
Also check the stamped-in hydro-test date. If expired (past 5 years), some may charge for a retest when swapping, others may not.
Call a few of those to get the lay of CO2 land such as pricing, fill on site, swaps, etc.
It can vary more than one would expect.
Also check the stamped-in hydro-test date. If expired (past 5 years), some may charge for a retest when swapping, others may not.
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sictransit701
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Should I ask for beverage grade or food grade co2? Don’t want to be poisoned.
AFAIK, there's only one grade of CO2 commonly sold in the US and it's beverage/food grade.
Now a tank's history (or cleaning procedure after hydro testing) may play a role in purity, maybe there's someone here who can chime in on that.
FWIW, the 20# tanks I've been getting here from Praxair are swapped, and have a "Beverage Grade" sticker on them.
FloppyKnockers
Well-Known Member
Here's a chart of different grades of CO2. The purity count is obviously the percentage of pure CO2. The 'other gases' column is not anything that will kill you. There's no yoursuperdeadammonium in there - it's just air. The same air that you breathe. One factor that distinguishes between food grade and industrial grade is that they purge the food grade bottle before filling, industrial grade (welding supply) they don't.
I get my CO2 from a local welding supply or Airgas. All depends on where I am with the cert stamp. Never any off flavors or chunks of demons coming out of the industrial grade one.
I get my CO2 from a local welding supply or Airgas. All depends on where I am with the cert stamp. Never any off flavors or chunks of demons coming out of the industrial grade one.
^Math-challenged table^
There are lots of ,[32.052316400573396,-90.30428941030797]]]places to obtain CO2 in Jackson MS...
Cheers!
There are lots of ,[32.052316400573396,-90.30428941030797]]]places to obtain CO2 in Jackson MS...
Cheers!
Whisky River
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Oh man, now we have to have Doug recalculate how many purge cycles it would take to properly purge a keg with super critical fluid grade co2
beren
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A lot of liquor stores around here will swap a 5 gallon tank as well
Kinda a touchy subject:
Food Grade CO2 vs CO2.
After my 20# tank ran low I swapped it out for another 20# tank at a local Gas supply house. I called them yesterday and talked to someone there ad asked about Food Grade CO2 and he said dont worry about that because there’s no difference. Well when I went there today to swap it out…the guy saw a small tag on my old cylinder that said "Food Grade". He asked if I wanted food grade and that it was almost double in price. I told him that I heard there was no difference. He asked where I heard that from and I said from a worker here when I called yesterday. I asked as what the price was for Food Grade and he said about double and $41.
I said go ahead and give me the Food Grade. I figured that all the time and effort put into brewing a good Keg of beer that I may as well go the extra cost. What they do is put a sticker on it saying Food Grade. So I really don’t know for sure what I have. I use the 20# tank for refilling my 5# tanks. (Bought a transfer hose on Amazon) to do this. Anyways I feel better that it says Food Grade and also received a nice shiny new Aluminum cylinder made in 2021 and got rid of the old one manufactured nearly 23 years ago. (1998).
Cheers
Food Grade CO2 vs CO2.
After my 20# tank ran low I swapped it out for another 20# tank at a local Gas supply house. I called them yesterday and talked to someone there ad asked about Food Grade CO2 and he said dont worry about that because there’s no difference. Well when I went there today to swap it out…the guy saw a small tag on my old cylinder that said "Food Grade". He asked if I wanted food grade and that it was almost double in price. I told him that I heard there was no difference. He asked where I heard that from and I said from a worker here when I called yesterday. I asked as what the price was for Food Grade and he said about double and $41.
I said go ahead and give me the Food Grade. I figured that all the time and effort put into brewing a good Keg of beer that I may as well go the extra cost. What they do is put a sticker on it saying Food Grade. So I really don’t know for sure what I have. I use the 20# tank for refilling my 5# tanks. (Bought a transfer hose on Amazon) to do this. Anyways I feel better that it says Food Grade and also received a nice shiny new Aluminum cylinder made in 2021 and got rid of the old one manufactured nearly 23 years ago. (1998).
Cheers
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redrocker652002
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In the South San Francisco area we have an Airgas store. I want to say, I switch out a 5 pound tank and it cost me about 50 or 60 bucks. I could be wrong, but I don't think so. Never mentioned if it was food grade. Guess I will have to ask next time.
How difficult is it to refill a tank? I would not be against having a 20 pound tank and filling my 5 pound up if it saves me a couple of bucks and isn't too tough.
How difficult is it to refill a tank? I would not be against having a 20 pound tank and filling my 5 pound up if it saves me a couple of bucks and isn't too tough.
Not one of my three tanks (2 x 20lb, 1 x 5lb) are labelled food grade, and I'm not dead yet. I usually exchange at the LHBS unless I have time during the day to hit up our local welding supply store, which is cheaper.
The LHBS that used to be near me did tank fills/swaps. They would send them to the welding supply a couple miles up the road and bring them back for the customer to pick up a week or two later. Of course, they added their markup. Not sure how that's convenient, as you could bring your tank to Airgas and have it done in one, for less.
A 20# cylinder (food grade) cost me $41. Double the cost for regular co2 I was told.
I refill 5 gallon tanks from it. You can easily buy hoses to do this and save money. You have to flip the 20# tank over before transferring or if you can get a 20# tank with a siphon tube you can transfer upright. Nice to have refills available.
50calshooter
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Yes, your local welding shop is a great place to swap out CO2 tanks
That is an expensive sticker!
I seem to recall guy at the welding store saying they bulk stock only one grade for multiple uses because it's cheaper that way than trying to maintain two or three different bulk stock of different grades. But, I don't remember the grade he said. I'm sorta presuming one of the higher grades food or beverage since those also work for industrial grade. Again though, a 20lb lasts me a long time so it's been a while since that exchange.
Being in Colorado with legalized marijuana, I have been getting my CO2 refill at a hydroponics shop. It’s about half the cost of the LHBS and I’ve had no issues with my beer.
Ditto in Mass.. ~$10 for a 5lb and ~$25 for a 20lb swap. aluminum only on the 5lb tanks, but they will sent the steel ones out for you.
beren
Well-Known Member
From what I understand the biggest difference with ‘food grade’ vs industrial is the possibility of a little oil getting transferred, and a lack of paperwork that the fda wants.
I use Airgas and American Welding Supply. I don't know about Airgas, but AWS keeps all their CO2 bottles together, and they know people are using it for beverage dispensing. They grab the closest bottle.
As for cartridges, different story. I gave a really interesting flavor to a lager using a CO2 cartridge made for pellet guns. Not a happy accident, as Bob Ross would say.
As for cartridges, different story. I gave a really interesting flavor to a lager using a CO2 cartridge made for pellet guns. Not a happy accident, as Bob Ross would say.
