In the long run a 20lb tank is cheaper than a 5lb tank. At my fill station (Roberts) the difference between a full 20 and a full 5 made the 20lb a no brainer. I got a 20lb tank cheap too.
New to kegging. What size CO2 cylinder should I get?
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bracconiere
Jolly Alcoholic - In Remembrance 2023
Nano kegsLOL
is that the one where you keep your shot glass?
I have a 20 lb and a 5 lb cylinders. The 20 lb stays hooked up to my kegerator and the 5 lb is a back up and also used for taking a keg to a friends for a party with picnic taps. Lol
I have a 5 pound cylinder inside my kegerator. So I have two 5 pound cylinders, as one is a back up in case one goes empty. I also have two 10 pound cylinders as this tank is what I use to transfer beer and purge oxygen, and also force carb in my tall refridgerator. One of them is also a back-up when the first one goes empty. Lastly I have a 20 pound nitro cylinder that I use to serve my nitro beers. No back-up for that one yet. So I have 5 cylinders total.
John
John
I have two 20lb tanks and one 5lb; that one came with my first kegerator. I bought the first 20lb from a friend of a friend that was selling some kegs for $10. The 2nd 20lb tank came with the new kegerator we got earlier this year. I keep the 5lb tank full for field trips and also as a backup. When it was the only tank I had I got 3 months out of it, both force carbing and pushing beer. The 20lb tank lasts me about 7 months if I don't have any leaks.
For someone just starting out kegging I would recommend finding a 20lb; as said above, the original outlay in $$ is higher, but it will pay for itself in the long run in terms of how long it lasts compared to a 5lb tank. I pay $22 for a 5lb exchange at my local welding shop, and $28 for the 20lb. HUGE savings in having the 20lb. Hell on my back though when I go to exchange it.
Also noted above, some kegerators don't have the option of running a line outside it for the co2; as long as you are careful, and know where the coils are in your kegerator, drilling a hole for the co2 line is easy. Rubber grommet (or duct tape if you're cheap and lazy, like me) will keep the cold air from escaping. Co2 tank outside the kegerator=more room for kegs inside the kegerator. Win! Also easier to keep an eye on the gauges.
For someone just starting out kegging I would recommend finding a 20lb; as said above, the original outlay in $$ is higher, but it will pay for itself in the long run in terms of how long it lasts compared to a 5lb tank. I pay $22 for a 5lb exchange at my local welding shop, and $28 for the 20lb. HUGE savings in having the 20lb. Hell on my back though when I go to exchange it.
Also noted above, some kegerators don't have the option of running a line outside it for the co2; as long as you are careful, and know where the coils are in your kegerator, drilling a hole for the co2 line is easy. Rubber grommet (or duct tape if you're cheap and lazy, like me) will keep the cold air from escaping. Co2 tank outside the kegerator=more room for kegs inside the kegerator. Win! Also easier to keep an eye on the gauges.
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I do this as well-but I use naturally produced CO2 from fermentation. I have a ball lock port on my Anvil7.5 (added it) and a ball lock jumper hose (DIY) that I use for this.
Fermentation of a batch produces something like 40x the volume of CO2 of the batch (200 gal+/-) so at high krausen I swap the air lock for a stopper and put on the jumper and purge a Star San filled keg with the fermenter. Use the free CO2 you’re already making!
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bracconiere
Jolly Alcoholic - In Remembrance 2023
now i'm pretty sure i drink more then you....i get 10 months out of my 20lb tanks only filled with 18lb co2.......? i'm starting wonder, do you double check your tank on a scale when you get it home against the TW stamp? i know my last swap only had 13lb's in it, and plan on bringing a scale with me next swap to at least get the tank with the most in it!
I found a 20 lb'r for $80 with a good hydro test that's got 10 lbs in it still. Picking it up this Friday! I'm excited! Thank you all for your help around this subject. I really do enjoy and love this community, and having been helped directly from it makes it mean so much more to me. Thank you!
bracconiere
Jolly Alcoholic - In Remembrance 2023
good score!
if you thought a 5lb'r pushing 28 kegs was a lot, that thing will last you years between swaps! (as long as you don't get any leaks! )
I'm too lazy when it comes to maintaining my kegs. About every 5 I get a leaky o-ring, and lose more co2 than I should. And I tend to skimp on the keg lube because I HATE trying to get that pernicious substance off my hands. Also sometimes I can't find where I left it last....
Also can't remember, do you force carb? I do, and tend to overcarb my kegs on occasion. I've thought about going the "natural" carb method, but I like having drinkable beer within 48 hours of kegging....
bracconiere
Jolly Alcoholic - In Remembrance 2023
that's a play on words, right? i got a scale acurate to the tenth ounce and burst carb by weight recently!
still working out the kinks though....
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william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
i started kegging about 5 years ago. I bought a 10# tank because it was the biggest that would fit in my keezer. No idea how long it lasts because I have not yet refilled it
jseyfert3
Well-Known Member
This reminds me of my planted aquarium. I was planning on doing two 20 gallon planted aquariums with CO2 injection. Got a 20 lb CO2 tank. Only ever got one tank set up, but the CO2 ran that tank for 2-3 years before I took the tank down, and it STILL had over 10 lbs of CO2 left.i started kegging about 5 years ago. I bought a 10# tank because it was the biggest that would fit in my keezer. No idea how long it lasts because I have not yet refilled it
I eventually convinced myself after another 5 years I'd never set back up my tanks, and sold my tank and reg and some filters and other supplies for $100 to a coworker. Then I kicked myself HARD for doing that when I got into kegging this spring and had to buy a new tank and regs.
Still went with a 20 lb tank for keghing though!
Alrighty! I finally got my new 20 lb'r home, and the guy threw in an industrial counter-flow refrigerant condenser... What the hell am I going to do with this thing? It's a Standard Refrigeration Company SCH-12... Should I start building a kegerator with it?
Edit: I think it's actually a counter-flow heat exchanger.
Edit: I think it's actually a counter-flow heat exchanger.
bracconiere
Jolly Alcoholic - In Remembrance 2023
reading the first part, you took the words out of my mouth.....sounds like maybe a glycol system for your new kegerator possibly....you can live the dream run taps to every sitting space in the house.......(personal dream of mine!
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I have a pair of 10lb tanks. IMO, having at least 2 tanks is almost essential. If not essential, then extremely damn convenient.
First of all, the obvious: it gives you some redundancy. If a tank gets unexpectedly drained by a leak, you can still pour beer until you get a chance to head out for more CO2.
Equally important - for me, at least - is to have a dedicated "serving tank" of CO2 where my active serving kegs are kept, and then have another as a general-purpose "utility" CO2 tank to use for whatever else. For this one I built a small/simple cart with casters and a manifold with 3 lines, and it just kind of hangs out in the brewery area of my basement. Some examples of things it gets used for:
- to facilitate the liquid purging process during packaging
- to seat keg lids during packaging
- to feed CO2 into fermenter headspace while dry-hopping or inserting racking cane
- to "pre-carbonate" kegs separately from the serving setup so they're ready to go when a tap opens up
If I had to go fiddle around with my serving CO2 tank every time I was doing any of these tasks, that would be a monumental PITA, especially since my serving kegs are in a different area of the basement.
First of all, the obvious: it gives you some redundancy. If a tank gets unexpectedly drained by a leak, you can still pour beer until you get a chance to head out for more CO2.
Equally important - for me, at least - is to have a dedicated "serving tank" of CO2 where my active serving kegs are kept, and then have another as a general-purpose "utility" CO2 tank to use for whatever else. For this one I built a small/simple cart with casters and a manifold with 3 lines, and it just kind of hangs out in the brewery area of my basement. Some examples of things it gets used for:
- to facilitate the liquid purging process during packaging
- to seat keg lids during packaging
- to feed CO2 into fermenter headspace while dry-hopping or inserting racking cane
- to "pre-carbonate" kegs separately from the serving setup so they're ready to go when a tap opens up
If I had to go fiddle around with my serving CO2 tank every time I was doing any of these tasks, that would be a monumental PITA, especially since my serving kegs are in a different area of the basement.
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