Inline co2 Filter

[brewNYC]

Has anyone tried installing these on a keg supply line? The website says that it can be used for that purpose, but I have a hard time believing this little thing will stand up to 30psi of pressure.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/sanitary-filter.html

 

[IslandLizard]

It's just a paper HEPA filter AFAIK. I doubt a CO2 tank needs to be filtered. Besides, if your tank is contaminated it should be returned, or it's time for a trade-in. I doubt much can live in a CO2 tank, anyway.

Most brewers use that little filter when racking out of a carboy, to filter the incoming air, or blow air into it to start a siphon using a racking cane. It goes on the side nipple of a carboy cap. I still have one of those filters from way back in the days.

 

[brewNYC]

It's just a paper HEPA filter AFAIK. I doubt a CO2 tank needs to be filtered. Besides, if your tank is contaminated it should be returned, or it's time for a trade-in. I doubt much can live in a CO2 tank, anyway.

Most brewers use that little filter when racking out of a carboy, to filter the incoming air, or blow air into it to start a siphon using a racking cane. It goes on the side nipple of a carboy cap. I still have one of those filters from way back in the days.

Yeah, that’s kind of what I figured. Seems like a lot of people use them for oxygen injection as well, but I suppose that’s a much lower pressure. It’s $5, the kind bars use for co2 filtering is $150. I guess you get what you pay for.

Typically, you are correct, food-grade co2 does not need to be filtered. I was thinking about doing a mini set up with a paintball tank, which would just be filled with industrial co2 at a sporting goods store. Although non-food -grade co2 seems to be widely used by homebrewers, it is not tested for harmful substances such benzine, which could be present in hazardous quantities if the co2 was collected as an industrial by-product. To me, even a remote chance of getting a very nasty chemical in my beer is not ok, so I always want to filter or use food grade. Looks like the filter idea is going to be prohibitively expensive, so maybe I should just stick with using the 5lb tank of food grade co2 from my home brew shop.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yeah, that’s kind of what I figured. Seems like a lot of people use them for oxygen injection as well, but I suppose that’s a much lower pressure. It’s $5, the kind bars use for co2 filtering is $150. I guess you get what you pay for.

Typically, you are correct, food-grade co2 does not need to be filtered. I was thinking about doing a mini set up with a paintball tank, which would just be filled with industrial co2 at a sporting goods store. Although non-food -grade co2 seems to be widely used by homebrewers, it is not tested for harmful substances such benzine, which could be present in hazardous quantities if the co2 was collected as an industrial by-product. To me, even a remote chance of getting a very nasty chemical in my beer is not ok, so I always want to filter or use food grade. Looks like the filter idea is going to be prohibitively expensive, so maybe I should just stick with using the 5lb tank of food grade co2 from my home brew shop.

You may be able to get "beverage grade" CO2 from a gas supplier. Fire protection services are a good resource too.
One of my 2 LHBS sells CO2 for $3.90 a pound! Great price for 2.5# tanks, not so for 5# or over. I can get my 20# tank filled or swapped for under $30 pretty much anywhere here.
From what I read recently, all CO2 is the same grade and pretty pure at that. It's the certification that comes with it (where it has been, how it was stored, transferred etc.) that jacks up the price. Same for O2.

I very much doubt that little filter can filter out benzene or any molecules. It's more to filter out dust, germs, bacteria, things of that magnitude.

 

[brewNYC]

You may be able to get "beverage grade" CO2 from a gas supplier. Fire protection services are a good resource too.
One of my 2 LHBS sells CO2 for $3.90 a pound! Great price for 2.5# tanks, not so for 5# or over. I can get my 20# tank filled or swapped for under $30 pretty much anywhere here.
From what I read recently, all CO2 is the same grade and pretty pure at that. It's the certification that comes with it (where it has been, how it was stored, transferred etc.) that jacks up the price. Same for O2.

I very much doubt that little filter can filter out benzene or any molecules. It's more to filter out dust, germs, bacteria, things of that magnitude.

That’s a good point, it may not be possible to filter out mixed chemicals, so the filter is probably pointless from that perspective.

Beverage grade co2 must be 99.9 percent pure, as opposed to 99.5 percent pure for industrial. This is insignificant. What is significant is what the remaining .1 or .5percent of the contents are allowed to be. Beverage grade co2 is tested for health hazards like any other food. If you look at the FDA regulations for food-grade co2, you will notice that some contaminates, such as benzine, are virtually not allowed (maximum amounts of a few parts per million). Industrial co2 is not tested this way, so, theoretically, it could contain .5 percent straight benzine - which would really ruin your day. This is probably unlikely. I would guess it’s more common for it to contain something that makes your beer taste off, then you spend way too much time and $ trying to fix your process to get rid of the funky taste, when it’s really coming from your co2. Either way, I like to use food grade stuff to make beer, it just makes sense to me.

Thanks for the advice on the filter, I may get one to start siphon lines. Cool little toy fir only a few bucks!

 

[brewNYC]

Sorry, mid-quoted above. ISBT or FSST regulations for food-grade co2, rather than FDA regulations.