MSamu
Well-Known Member
Question I have a friend who just gave me a multi tap Keezer and a couple kegs. Would a 5lb tank be large enough for 2 to three kegs at a time?
Sure! I run a six faucet keezer with a 5 pound cylinder. I typically dispense 20 kegs +/- before it's time for a refill...
Cheers!
I'm in the 20# camp too for the same reasons. $30 gets me a refill or a swapped tank, which seems to be the going rate around here now.Im firmly in the 20LB camp for the economy of refills. It's about 50% more money for 400% more gas. If portability is a concern, get a second tank at 5LB. It will be a good backup when that 20 eventually surprises you a year and a half later.
- how far off normal am I here in my CO2 mileage?
- what is a typical fill-up pressure (at room temp) for a CO2 tank? I'm wondering if the local shop is stiffing me to get me to come back more often.
Thanks
You can weigh your canister to see if you are getting shorted, there should be a tare weight marked on the tank. Some time the place I get CO2 from will give me 10 or 20lbs on top of what is left is in the tank, other times they fill to 10 or 20lb over the tare.Sorry to bump a slightly old thread, but I don't think a whole new one is needed for my question.
I've been kegging for about 8 months and I really dig it after bottling for 3 years. One thing that has kind of been bugging me though is that I don't seem to get nearly the "mileage" out of my CO2 that many on here claim to get.
I'm already a few kegs into my 3rd 10lb tank. Here is what I have achieved with all that CO2:
- (6) half-filled 5gal cornies, which were stovetop extract batches I brewed last winter to get a range of beers going on the kegerator quickly, carbonated and served.
- (12) full 5gal cornies, carbonated and served
- all sealing/purging duties for new kegs
- the odd blast of gas to push sanitizer, etc. around.
That's all. Based on what I read here, I feel like I should still be on my first tank. I have checked for leaks multiple times, at every single connection. Not only that, but I've monitored the HP gauge on the regulator for multiple days straight (with photos to be sure) and not seen it decline on its own.
Questions:
- how far off normal am I here in my CO2 mileage?
- what is a typical fill-up pressure (at room temp) for a CO2 tank? I'm wondering if the local shop is stiffing me to get me to come back more often.
Thanks
I rarely leave CO2 connected as I irrationally fear tank drainage by the Leak Poltergeists. I have a 20lb tank and it goes 12-18months, but I only make about 14-20 5g batches a year.
I do keep a 2nd 10lb on hand at all times to protect against empty tanks at inopportune times. I just went downstairs and weighed my spare tank using a luggage scale and it weighed exactly tare + 10, so at least I can rule out unscrupulous business practices on the part of the shop.
Ah well, I'm not going to fret much about it for now. I guess I'll just monitor the mileage I get when I start using the kegerator tank for serving only, turning it off when not in use, while a separate tank is used for carbonating.
Having the gas on or off to the kegs should not make a difference if you have no leaks.
Agreed, but I guess my feeling is that I probably do have a leak somewhere even though I haven't found it after checking multiple times. It's the only answer that really makes sense if guys here are getting just as much mileage (or more) out of 5lb tanks that I am getting out of 10.
I did get in on a local bulk-buy of used kegs, I wonder if a few of them have bad seals...? I use keg lube on the lid and whenever I fill a keg I seal it with ~40psi and check for leaks around the lid and posts. To date, I've never seen one.
Saying this, I guess it makes me realize I forgot to mention the "sealing" part when I was listing my CO2 usage. I just kind of lump that together with the purging process. Maybe that has something to do with the low mileage? The headspace is so small, it seems hard to believe it would matter that much.
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