CO2 Tank Deal

[nepats52]

For those of you interested in a CO2 tank, Kegconnection.com has them on sale. 5# for $44.95. I just bought a kegging system through them and had this added to my order. Best deal I could find on the web.

I haven't posted here yet, but I've been reading and learning quite a bit since I started brewing this summer. (On my third batch).

Thanks to everybody for the great info.

Here's the link:

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Cat...ponents:CO2+Cylinders:CO2+Cylinders,+Standard

 

[JesseRC]

I love Kegconnection, but let me offer some advice before anyone buys one, especially if you are just getting started in kegging.

Call the places where you live and find out prices and availability for filling a 5#. The 5#'s are great, but they are rare. So alot of places dont have available ones for swap.

Its even harder to find places that do fills. Just do your homework and accept the fact that this shiny clean aluminum co2 bottle might have to be swapped if you cant find a fill station.

You'll find that 20# bottles are pretty abundant and easy to swap. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Sigafoos]

But if they're marked with Pepsi (like the one I got from CL is) then most places won't touch them. I lucked out and found a fire extinguisher/safety shop that will fill with no questions asked, but the big co2 swapping franchise here told me I was screwed.

 

[Spyd3r]

But if they're marked with Pepsi (like the one I got from CL is) then most places won't touch them. I lucked out and found a fire extinguisher/safety shop that will fill with no questions asked, but the big co2 swapping franchise here told me I was screwed.

Can't you just grind that pepsi stamp off?

 

[kornkob]

Setting aside the ethical implications of destroying the stamp of the cylinder's owner, grinding the side of a high pressure container might be unwise. You'd be better off using some bondo to fill in the stamp and then painting the whole thing.

I take my tanks to a fire extinguisher place and they test, fill and mark them for me. No exchange. I like that as I have the bottoms of my steel tanks painted with plasti dip to prevent rust rings in my kegerator.

 

[ajwillys]

I love Kegconnection, but let me offer some advice before anyone buys one, especially if you are just getting started in kegging.

Call the places where you live and find out prices and availability for filling a 5#. The 5#'s are great, but they are rare. So alot of places dont have available ones for swap.

Its even harder to find places that do fills. Just do your homework and accept the fact that this shiny clean aluminum co2 bottle might have to be swapped if you cant find a fill station.

You'll find that 20# bottles are pretty abundant and easy to swap. Just my 2 cents.

+1 to that. Every place around me that 'fills' tanks charges $40-$50 for a fill, even at 5 lbs. If you can find a place that turns them over all the time (welding shops for the most part), they will swap 20 lbers for chump change. In my case, $15. It takes less time and is cheaper than filling. Of course, the 20 lb tanks are expensive but the savings add up.

EDIT: The last time I went in to exchange, they gave me a shiny aluminum 20 lber that I'm sure someone paid a pretty penny for only to exchange it for a junky steel tank.

 

[kornkob]

But don't jump to conclusions-- call around and do the legwork: filling a 5# tank in the Madison area is about $15 at a fire extinguisher place.

One piece of advice: when you call don't mention brewing--- it is not relevant to your request. Sometimes a small business owner presented with information that they don't understand will default to 'NO' because that is the safer and simpler answer. Just ask for what you want: "Do you do fills of 5# CO2 tanks? How much is that? How long is the turn around? Do you do in house hydro testing or do you send them out?"

Anecdote: The fire extinguisher service place I get fills I was originally told didn't do them ever by other local brewers. When I called I didn't mention brewing and merely asked for what I was wanting in a clear and professional manner.

A couple fills later one of the workers asked if it was for brewing and I told them it was. They were fine with that, they were just curious. They asked a few questions about what I did and how it was used and why and they still service all my tanks. They complimented me on the paint job and plasti dip base on my tanks.

The only thing that is a little annoying about them is that they insist on having a fire extinguisher inspection tag on each tank but that's a minor issue. I save them and reattach them before I take it in.