CO2 lifespan

[carbon]

What size CO2 tank do you use? How many kegs are you pressurizing with it at a time? How many regulators are involved? How often do you find yourself refilling the tank? How many kegs do you go through before refilling?

I am using a 5 lb. tank to pressurize 3 kegs in parallel with one regulator. I'm set up for four kegs, but the fourth output is currently turned off. The CO2 is lasting only about two to three weeks and I'd like to go longer between fills. I'd also like to expand to 6 taps eventually. I'm just trying to get a feel for how much bigger of a tank I should get. Any input or replies are appreciated.

[brahn]

I use a 5lb tank for two kegs in my kegerator, plus kegging, pushing sanitizer, pushing BLC, etc. A tank usually lasts me 3+ months. I'd look for a leak in your system if you're going through a tank every 2-3 weeks. How many kegs are you going through in 2-3 weeks? A 5lb tank should last for at least 5 kegs, usually quite a bit longer in my experience.

[backyard brewer]

I use a 5lb tank for two kegs in my kegerator, plus kegging, pushing sanitizer, pushing BLC, etc. A tank usually lasts me 3+ months. I'd look for a leak in your system if you're going through a tank every 2-3 weeks. How many kegs are you going through in 2-3 weeks? A 5lb tank should last for at least 5 kegs, usually quite a bit longer in my experience.

+1 I think you have a leak. My CO2 lifespan is similar to Brahns.

[carbon]

It's entirely possible that I just suck at kegging, purging, etc.. and am wasting CO2. I can't detect any leaks in the system, but this does seem like a very short life span for the tank. I have gone through two kegs and replaced them with two more with a third keg having been there the whole time.

[brew captain]

I can typically get through four kegs (pushing sanitizer, carbonating, dispensing) on a 5# tank. One thing I do differently from the others here is that I do not leave the tank open for any duration. I open the tank once or twice a day while carbonating at about 30# until I get the proper level of carbonation. From then on out I just give the keg a quick blast at 8-10# enough pressure just to dispense a few pints. Doing this has radically saved the frequency of my CO2 refills.

Cheers!

[brahn]

I don't know how you'd waste that much CO2 while kegging and purging. My CO2 is always on, I usually carbonate at 30 psi @ room temp, then serve at about 12 psi. Do you use the threaded connectors for your QD's? I had the threads get loosened through normal moving around and lost a whole tank of CO2 over a couple days once. I think the most kegs I ever carbonated and dispensed on one tank was 7, but I typically get at least 5.

[brew captain]

I think I have a few leaky poppits in my keg collection that has led me to not leave the gas on all the time. It has made a big difference in the refill frequency. I must admit that I also had an unfortunate incident (with my first keg actually) where the cobra tap got pinched in the door gasket dispensing all five gallons of beer AND empied the CO2 tank. It made a big beer-sicle around the tank and ruined the carpet in my garage! I was so scarred by that I went back to bottling for a year after that in my dispair!!

Cheers!

[kevinham]

I have a 10 lb tank, and it lasted almost a year before I had to refill. I have a 4 tap set-up, but don't even want to try to figure out how many kegs it was total. Except for when I first hooked it up and there was a leak, draining my tank in 2-3 weeks, I have only refilled it once (about 3 weeks ago) since april last year.

[BrewMasterBrad]

I would say you have a slow leak, and they are hard to detect. I have two 10 lb. tanks and a 5 lb. tank. The one 10 lb. tank in my kegerator is only used for serving and it lasts a really long time (6+ months) pushing two kegs. The other 10 lb. tank is used for all my other utilitarian jobs and for carbonating beers in my chest freezer and it gets exchanged every two or three months. The 5 lb. tank is used for road trips and parties.

[lars]

I usually have two kegs on tap with my co2 always on. My 20lb co2 tank has lasted me several years. I just had it filled a few weeks ago, and honestly don't remember when I first had it filled. I also use it for carbonating, and counter pressure bottle filling. My 2.5 tank usually gets filled at least once a year. But I only use it when travelling.

[JonGoku]

How about the quality of Co2 and is contamination a worry? I just got a used 5lb tank (Thanks Dan) and am slightly worried as I don't know it's history. I guess what I'm asking is does Co2 go bad and do you need a filter?

[BrewMasterBrad]

How about the quality of Co2 and is contamination a worry? I just got a used 5lb tank (Thanks Dan) and am slightly worried as I don't know it's history. I guess what I'm asking is does Co2 go bad and do you need a filter?

I have never ran into a contaminated CO2 canister yet. I have wondered about this and have considered putting a filter on my system, but I have never run into any problems. CO2 does not go bad, but as you say, you don't know the history of that particular tank and whether it was always filled with pure CO2.

[brew captain]

Somebody was falling asleep in chemistry class it would appear.

CO2 is a stable, electrically nuetral molecule that in and of itself can not be contaminated. It is now and always will be CO2 unless converted though some type of catalysis or biological reaction such as photsysthesis. You have nothing to worry about so long as the original container has only been used for holding CO2 gas.


Cheers!

[JonGoku]

So the inside of the cylinders do not degrade either? That is more what I was worried about.

[maltbarley]

In general, oxygen is required for things to spoil. As the cap'n says, CO2 is neutral so you don't have to worry about it's container and the delivery system. My best guess is that the process for storing CO2 (as a liquid due to pressure) prevents contaminates from entering/staying.