What size Co2 Tank?

[auxair]

Hey guys I was looking into buying a soda keg and all the works to start carbonating in the keg instead of bottling. My question is this, is the 5lb tank big enough for this and as a propellant?

 

[bluemoose]

Yup, plenty big enough. I have a 5 for my 3 keg setup.

 

[auxair]

Sweet! That's what I wanted to know. Now I can start buying parts!

 

[lylo]

The bigger the better,get the biggest you can afford.It is cheaper to refill 20lb ers than 5's.Also it is a PIA running out when you are thirsty, and all of your beer is inside the keg!

 

[lschiavo]

The bigger the better,get the biggest you can afford.It is cheaper to refill 20lb ers than 5's.Also it is a PIA running out when you are thirsty, and all of your beer is inside the keg!

I agree. I have a 20 pounder. I don't have to mess with it very often. 5 works too. That's my backup thanks to Yooper. Go as big as you can both $ and space wise.

 

[elaeace]

I have a 10 pounder...good tank...you'll be good no matter...but if u can hack the price I would go 10 lbs or above!

 

[auxair]

Thanks guys. I'll probably go with at least a ten.

 

[onthekeg]

Get a 20 and a spare. Nothing worse than running out on a holiday weekend.

 

[HopSong]

One thing to consider when choosing a tank is re-certifications. 5# are nice and convenient.. but they run out faster and cost $$ to re certify if you own it. Refills cost almost as much for small tanks as larger as a bit of it is labor.. If you rent and swap.. it'll cost you more in the long run.. like swapping propane tanks.. but.. if you have one 20#er.. you pay for one cert every five years.

 

[D_Nyholm]

Maybe I don't drink enough, but my 5 lb tank lasted about 6 months. That is with purging headspace and using the CO2 to pump 5 gallons of cleaner from one keg into another (multiple, multiple times). I'd say you could get 30 or so kegs emptied (probably more) on just a 5 lb tank. Has anyone actually measured?

 

[Cacaman]

I say start with 5 if your new to kegging. I bought a 5lb and in my noobness with kegging, I had about 3 overnight leaks where I woke up to an empty CO2 tank. Imagine how much it would have cost to refill if they were 20lb!

Once you get a solid kegerator/keezer system down and have 3 or more beers on tap, go 10+ and keep your 5lb for backup.

I bought a new 5lb tank and recertification won't be an issue until a long while from now.

 

[Cacaman]

I'd also like to add this Micromatic PDF chart that shows the amount of kegs that you can get out of different sizes of CO2 tanks.

As you can see, a 5lb will make 28-31, maybe minus 5 (for purging, force carbing etc) total of 23-26. Not bad for a little 5lb tank!

Not to mention, it fits inside the keezer!

 

[D_Nyholm]

I'd also like to add this Micromatic PDF chart that shows the amount of kegs that you can get out of different sizes of CO2 tanks.

As you can see, a 5lb will make 28-31, maybe minus 5 (for purging, force carbing etc) total of 23-26. Not bad for a little 5lb tank!

Not to mention, it fits inside the keezer!

Awesome post! So, 100-150 gallons of beer out of a 5 lb tank...that is a lot of beer!