How long does a 5lb CO2 tank last?

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I depends on how much you purge with and how carbonated you like your beer. I'd say 10-12 is a realistic goal.
 
I average 5 to 7. Although I don't always have a keg hooked up to the tank will drinking on it. Usually wait till barely any beer comes from the tap then hit it with some gas.

I do this because I server from the fridge in the kitchen, but my regulator is in the deep freezer hook up to a manifold to carb 4 kegs at a time.

This also include pushing cleaner through beer lines for cleaning.
 
I've heard roughly 10ish. Give or take depending on how you use the co2. I use mine like 509 for cleaning, sanitizing, force carbing, serving. I call it a win if I get over 7-8.
 
It also can depend on how your tank was filled. Some places fill with a pump and others just equalize off of a larger tank.
 
I don't leave the gas on all the time for serving. I pressurize with 12-14psi and take it off the gas. I get 6-8 pints before having to hit it with a little more. This seems to help with conservation a bit.

Purging should be next to nothing....I carb with chilling my keg down, doing the 30psi for 24hrs trick and then pressurizing to serving psi. My force carb doesn't seem to take longer than 24hrs. If it's not re-pressurizing for serving or on the gas for that 24hrs, my tank is off and not hooked up.

I'm keeping a spreadsheet with my notes of what I've done for each keg on this tank. I'm on keg #2 with this tank. So, we'll see what I get off it. I'll report back when it's done.
 
Isn't it supposed to be done by volume and not weight? Or is it all the same?

According to the guy at the fire extuinguisher co. who fills mine. (They also service the medical industry with various gases)A 5lb tank has a capacity of 5lb of Lyquid Carbondioxide(CO2). Same for 20lb, 50lb, etc.
:off: He also said there is no such thing as food grade CO2. The only difference is the glass lined container is food grade.
 
When I just had the one five pounder, it would last for six kegs, including purging 6 carboys for secondary fermentations and six kegs for filling, then carbing the kegs, plus keeping serving pressure on a six keg keezer (clearly, six is a lucky number for me ;) )

I've since invested in a separate carbing/purging system with its own five pounder and regulator. The extra benefit is if the keezer system kicks I can borrow the carbing system tank until I get the former refilled...

Cheers!
 
:confused:

Is this just serving beer?

Including purging, carbing to 11-12psi, and serving, I'm lucky to get 5-6 kegs with my 5lb tank.

No, that's carbing and serving. Of course I keep my pressure around 9-10, I turn off the gas late in the keg, and I have a gas in jumper that I use to purge new kegs with residual pressure from empties whenever possible (which is most of the time since I keep a good pipeline going).
 
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