Leaving CO2 at a high psi

[JCasey1992]

Hi guys!

I apologize if this is a stupid question but I am far from an expert on this topic.

I exchange my CO2 tank at my local welding shop and lately have had a string of tanks that have not lasted long at all. My system currently consists of a 5 pound tank of CO2 with a primary regulator that I feed into a 4 gauge secondary regulator so I can carbonate at different pressures.

So here is my question:

If I leave my primary regulator up relatively high (maybe between 20 to 30 psi) to keep all four of my beers to style, how long should my tank last?

In order to better paint the picture, here is what I plan to have on tap shortly:

Pale Ale - 2.5 volumes of CO2
Amber Ale - 2.5 volumes of CO2
Belgian Witbier - 3 volumes of CO2
Dunkelweizen - 3 volumes of CO2

I currently keep my keezer around 40 degrees F.

Let me know if you need any additional information.

Thank you in advance for the help. All your feedback is appreciated.

Cheers!
Casey

 

[day_trippr]

iirc, there's at least 40 cubic feet of CO2 (at STP) in a freshly filled five pound cylinder.
Five gallons of beer occupies ~ .7 cubic feet of volume.

If you're not carbonating your kegs and only using the gas to displace (dispense) the beer, the pressure setting isn't all that significant.

Without doing the math to convert 40 cf @ stp into your dispensing pressure equivalent volume, it's still pretty clear you can dispense a large number of kegs with a five pound cylinder of CO2. I run six kegs in my keezer but carbonate in a dedicated fridge, and I'd guesstimate I can dispense at least 20 kegs on a 5 pound fill - plus do a number of CO2-pushed transfers.

If you're going to carbonate with the same cylinder things are a bit different...

Cheers!

 

[wilserbrewer]

The pressure leaving your primary regulator would not cause you to use any more or any less gas.

The pressure at your secondary regulator will determine the amount of carbonation of your and CO2 usage.

Watch for leaks, they consume CO2 very fast.