How much CO2?

[Morrey]

While getting some supplies recently in a LHBS, a fellow who hangs out there and offers free (unsolicited) advice (yes he is a PITA) engaged me in a conversation about kegging. He asked how I go about carbing my beer with force carbing.

I casually told him I typically (given I have adequate time) apply gas at 12 or so psi and leave it in my spare refrigerator set up for carbing and keg conditioning. It typically takes a couple of weeks on gas to get to my target equilibrium pressure. I take it off gas then, and simply keep the keg cool and further condition until I move it to my serving kegerator.

He screws up his face and says loudly, OMG you are wasting tons of CO2!!! Humm. He says "you are all wrong. I shoot the gas to the beer about 35 psi for a couple of days then remove the gas".

But he forces his point that he is saving a ton of gas like this and I am wasting a ton of gas letting it go lo and slo. Really? I am no rocket scientist, but what am I missing here? Provided I am not leaking gas or overcarbing, am I missing something here? Once the beer has equalized, gas is no longer being absorbed and no additional gas used unless conditions change? Am I missing something here??

 

[IslandLizard]

He's wasting more gas than you at his higher pressure, since he has to vent the excess before going to serving pressure. You don't! In a partially filled keg, that excess can be especially large.

 

[agrazela]

Just agree with him and he'll go pester someone else.

 

[Jim311]

CO2 is pretty cheap anyway. But he's wrong.

 

[IslandLizard]

CO2 is pretty cheap anyway. But he's wrong.

Cheap is relative. Someone on here pays $20 for a 2.5# charge.

 

[Morrey]

Just agree with him and he'll go pester someone else.

I'm sure we have all seen one (or more) of these wanna be know-it-all's hanging around the brew stores. If I were the owner of the shop, I think I'd be concerned this guy may be driving business away.

In this same conversation about my alleged gas waste, I stupidly mentioned I occasionally naturally carb kegs by adding priming sugar provided I have the time to let it work naturally. You'd have thought I said I am going to impeach the Pope!!

DO WHAT, he says?? Are you crazy?? All that sediment is going to come out in your glass. Ok dude, you are right...my bad. Like you said, I just shook my head in agreement and paid for my supplies. I am sure he was laying in wait for his next victim to come in.

 

[Morrey]

Cheap is relative. Someone on here pays $20 for a 2.5# charge.

I have a 20# CO2 tank that I keep in my carbing refrigerator for the sole purpose of carbing prior to bringing kegs into the kegerator for serving. My kegerator has a 5# tank that fits inside.

I swap with Airgas in Florence SC. My 5# is $18 for exchange and the 20# is $38 to exchange. It makes sense for me to carb with the big tank where the gas is much cheaper pound for pound.

 

[Jim311]

Yeah if you have limited space, carbing up at room temperature makes sense but it needs to be on the gas at a much higher pressure. But who cares? If nothing else I think it helps keep the keg sealed. I always have more problems with leaky lids and poppets at lower pressures. Then whenever the keg is ready you just throw it in the kegerator and it's ready to rock.