surfingpl said:How long does a 5lb co2 bottle last for kegs?
surfingpl said:Also, is there a difference between steel and aluminum bottles?
what?! I've had to replace mine twice and I haven't even gone through five kegs (i force carb, at 40 psi for a day or two while shaking periodically)
I would imagine that this is a bit of an anomaly and I hope that it does not happen anywhere else but:
I've gotten my aluminum tank filled twice at the local beer distributor and both times I had to refill within 2-3 kegs (all 1/4's of commercial). I chalked it up to a leak in my system but after inspection I didnt see any bubbles using the soapy water method. So I went back and talked to the guys to see what they use to refill (these guys are a little shady, but the only place that "fills" CO2 around me.
Turns out they dont fill the tanks correctly. I weighed my tank when I got home from the third fill and it was less than 1 lb more than the tare weight. So I asked them, 'how do you fill your tanks, do you weigh them to make sure its 5 lbs?'.
"No, we have a 100 lb tank that we hook it up to. Since your tank only holds 5 lbs, it will pressurize until its full."
"Ok, that makes sense, is your 100 lb tank's output on the bottom, so that it is filling liquid"
"No, it doesnt need to be. CO2 is CO2."
I tried to explain to him that if you are only pressing gas into the the smaller tank, CO2 will stop when the pressure equalizes, not guaranteeing that the 5 lb tank will be full. But they didnt want to hear it, they told me that that's how theyve always done it and have never had a problem.
So I put down the case of yuengling I was going to buy and walked out. I will not be patronizing this distributor anytime soon.
I called around and talked to another distributor that has always been a go to for some of the harder to find craft beers (about 25 minutes away from my work). They said that they fill tanks and ensure that they will be full. I'm gonna check them out when my current 1 lb of CO2 runs out.
Yeah, I think I am going to go for 5lb for now. And as far as steel vs aluminum, I'll probably just get whatever costs less. I can always get 2 tanks in case one runs out I guess. I would like to try my hand at making a kegerator from a small fridge like the sanyo I have seen posted here. Thanks
You know what, I bet its the temperature difference. It was about 90 degrees yesterday, then the tank cooled to 40 degrees over night. Any thoughts?
I haven't been to a lot of gas shops to refill my tanks, but the last one I went to charges about $16 to refill 5lbs or $19 for 10lbs... If this is typical, (I got the idea that is it) those of you who go through a lot of 5lb tanks may want to consider going to a bigger tank, it wouldn't take too long to pay for itself. I suppose they have to make so much in labor to fill each tank and the cost of the gas is small by comparison.
And make sure you go to a reputable shop to do it. I found (what I believe is) a good one in Long Beach, near my work to refill mine - they do medical, welding, etc. (I found that a lot of places won't refill, they only exchange. - Yes, I have a "pretty" aluminum tank.)
I paid $8 to fill my 5lb tank at a local welding supply shop.
I paid $8 to fill my 5lb tank at a local welding supply shop.
Wow, where was that?
I believe a a steel cylinder is good for 10 years before it needs to be re-hydro tested while an aluminum cylinder is only good for 5 years.
I would imagine that this is a bit of an anomaly and I hope that it does not happen anywhere else but:
...
I called around and talked to another distributor that has always been a go to for some of the harder to find craft beers (about 25 minutes away from my work). They said that they fill tanks and ensure that they will be full. I'm gonna check them out when my current 1 lb of CO2 runs out.
I realize I'm replying to an old post, but I'm new to kegging and am also in Pgh. Is it typical for beer distributors around here to refill CO2?
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