That horrible feeling...

[FromZwolle]

i just purged and carbed two kegs, burned through ~150 grams co2 doing it. but i know with an aluminum tank the TW is around 25lb's it still ways 40lb's with reg. and the scale was only $25 and a second tank would be $200.....

7 lb CO2 Cylinder - Steel - Recertified | Beverage Elements

Serious value in a steel 7 lb CO2 cylinder. One of our most popular CO2 tanks, with extended capacity, slim size, and affordable price.

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best price i've ever seen for a high quality tank. i can get mine filled for $25, but can't find a swap anywhere.

i have two airgas locations near me, but they will only swap

 

[Imhoppy]

When you just kegged a beer you are really looking forward to, but adding it drained the last of your co2 tank and you have to wait two days for the homebrewshop to open to get a refill. Went ahead and bought a second tank so this will be the ONLY time I ever face this dire circumstance.

Excellent! I bought a second CO2 tank and had it filled BEFORE I needed it. Just like anything involving home brewing, it's better to have too much than enough.

 

[BarryBrews]

i have two airgas locations near me, but they will only swap

The way I see it is if you swap cylinders you are never going to worry about the cylinder being certified or not.

 

[Novacor]

The way I see it is if you swap cylinders you are never going to worry about the cylinder being certified or not.

I got a shiny new cylinder when I purchased my kegging setup. I got it refilled right up until it was almost due for a recertification. Then I started swapping it until I got a nice shiny cylinder back. Now I'm having it refilled again until it's due for another re-cert.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Of all the things that don't matter, the appearance of your co2 tank don't matter the most. I'd be embarrassed to show up with a shiny tank for a refill. Get rid of that silly bling asap ya bloody noob

 

[Knightshade]

THIS

Bottling is the worst. I understand if you're new to the hobby, but after a while and oxidizing all your beer most would cave in and start kegging.

I never bothered with bottling, just based on all the negatives that I read about it. I understand that there are positives. My ex-neighbor (he moved....dammit!!!) across the street bottled and loved it. I went straight to keg. I only keep a couple of bombers around so I can give away stuff occassionally.

 

[jddevinn]

Of all the things that don't matter, the appearance of your co2 tank don't matter the most. I'd be embarrassed to show up with a shiny tank for a refill. Get rid of that silly bling asap ya bloody noob

Only thing more embarrassing than going to the welding store with a shiny CO2 tank is a shiny Argon tank.

I built the #20 pound serving tank + beer gas tank into the bar and the #20 conditioning tank will go into a work table (if I ever finish it).

 

[Mutant]

I haven't bought CO2 lately, but I use (I think it is) a 50 pound tank (5+ ft tall). The last time I swapped it out the cost for food grade CO2 was $35 + fees. If I don't have any leaks, it will last me 18 months and I keep six kegs hooked up, plus use it to transfer from keg to keg, and similar things. My estimate was that it was costing me between $0.05 and $0.10 a day once the initial purchase of the tank was made. I also have a flow meter hooked up to watch if there is a leak after connecting up a new keg, or making changes to something in the configuration. It is just that initial purchase of the tank that hurts. I also use it to transfer to a 5 lb tank so I can be mobile with kegs and beer. A place in (I think) Lodi, CA makes transfer connection hoses.

 

[BarryBrews]

I only keep a couple of bombers around so I can give away stuff occassionally.

I've found the half gallon growlers to be best way to share when friends and family aren't already attached to my keg teats.

I built the #20 pound serving tank + beer gas tank into the bar and the #20 conditioning tank will go into a work table (if I ever finish it).

I saw your initial bar build out. Very nice as is!

 

[DarrellQ]

Arc3 Gases does an exchange, $19.80 for the 5# and $34.76 for the 20# cylinder. Math = $44.44 savings with the 20# cylinder. The #20 cylinder was $134 up front and came filled (of course). How long a cylinder last is highly dependent on pressure transfers, CO2 flushing, beer carbonate level, but should not include leaked volumes. I found disconnecting the kegs, pressurizing the lines and regulator and then turn off the cylinder valve and then check the pressure the next day. It's a yes or no approach, which then can be followed with soapy water if needed. Every time you change the cylinder, close the line out of the regulator and close the cylinder valve after pressurizing the regulator and wait overnight to confirm the new cylinder connection isn't leaking.

BTW I know this is a no-brainer but the cost should always include your time and mileage! When you brew long enough you'll rethink everything looking to save money as well as ways to improve your beer. If you're not already, start buying in bulk and/or online if the LHBS is too far.

Something else to consider.....be sure your CO2 is beverage grade. No one likes that cardboard taste. I personally have never had a problem with the CO2 quality just read about it. My cardboard days were back when I was still bottling my beer.

Thank you so much for your informative response!

 

[Snuffy]

Wow, I pay $25 to refill a 5# tank. Curious what others are paying for a 5# refill? I'm new to kegging and still learning. Unfortunately, despite leak tests with soapy water, it suddenly developed a leak where the regulator screws into the tank and I was only able to dispense one 5 gallon keg with 5 lbs of CO2. $25, ouch! How many should you be able to dispense with 5 lbs?

My LHBS fills em in-house. Last time I filled the 5 pounder it was $12.

 

[Brooothru]

I pay about $20 for a 5 lb tank and about $25 for a 20 lb tank at our local welding shop. You are basically paying for their filling time and very little for the gas. They only do tank exchanges which I consider an advantage as they will always exchange their tanks so you never have to worry about the tank certification. I couldn't care less if the tank isn't always shiny new since it is hidden behind the refrigerator in the basement anyway. I have a 5 lb and a 20 lb tank partly to always have a back up but also to have a smaller one for occasional travel use.

^^^THIS^^^

I used to have a 2.5# tank that fit on the shelf in my first kegerator. I got tired of disconnecting and reconnecting the tank every time I went to force carb a batch, plus I was burning through a lot of gas. So I bought a 10# bottle to have separately for my non-kegerator needs. Then I went to get the 2.5# bottle filled, only to be rejected by the gas supplier since the bottle was out of date for recalibration. Had to take it to a dive shop and wait a week to 10 days for them to perform a hydrostatic test on it. Then I took it to the gas supply shop for a fill.

Not long after that the 10# bottle needed its first refill. I was shocked to find that the 10# fill cost about the same as the 2.5# fill. Also, I became convinced that a bottle exchange made even more sense since the supplier would recalibrate the tanks on his dime rather than mine. I also realized that the 10# tank would pump beer in the kegerator 4 times as long for the same price, and a 20# bottle would last twice as long for my "shop" purposes as a 10#er. The 20# bottle is obviously a bit heavier to lug around the shop, and the 10#er needs to sit outside the kegerator, though it is hidden out of sight behind some beer glass shelving beside the kegerator.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but my "ugly" swap bottles are awfully damn good looking when they last twice to four times as long between swaps/fills for the same price as my shiny bright "new"ones did.