Keging and Co2 usage

[JonGoku]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place or if this should go in techniques, but I was wondering how much Co2 should I expect to use during the carbonating process?

I have a 5lb tank inside a fridge at 40F carbing 5 gallons of beer at 12psi. As the Co2 gets absorbed into the beer, the Co2 tank will continue to deplete. What percent of a 5lb tank should I expect to use by the time the beer reaches it's carbed equilibrium?

TIA

[brahn]

Between carbonating, serving, and pushing miscellaneous stuff like sanitizer around you'll probably be able to serve 5-7 kegs on a tank.

[JonGoku]

Thanks, I'm suspicious of a leak then... hrm

[maltbarley]

CO2 is a very small molecule so leaks are common. A spray bottle with Star San (don't buy the bottles that Brent does) is also handy for finding leaks. Just spray all your connections and look for bubbles. But, what makes you think you have a leak?

[lars]

I've also had much better luck with quality Co2 tubing. Not the junk they sell at Lowes. You want the thick tubing meant for co2 or beer.

[backyard brewer]

The biggest improvement I found to making leak-free gas connections is to always make hot connections and use Oetiker clamps.

Dip the end of the tubing in boiling water, even if you're not stretching it, then make your connection. The soft vinyl will conform to the barb better. Oetiker clamps grab the tubing more uniformly.

[brahn]

I've had issues once or twice with the MFL connection between the hose and the QD not being tightened well enough. If that's your problem be thankful it was on the gas end and not the liquid end.

[kevinham]

The nut connecting the regulator to the tank was a problem for me once. Went through two tanks before I realized that thing didn't have to just be really tight, but crazy tight. Might just be my regulator.

[JonGoku]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I'm estimating I have gone through about a 1/4 of a tank in 4 days so it definitely sounds fishy. I will check all the fitting again and redue the soap/starsan bubble test.

My tank was bought used and was not full to start with so now I am out of Co2 I think and need to get the tank exchanged or refilled. One catch is the hydro date is expired and so I either need to get the tank exchanged at a place that forgets to check the date a lot, or get it retested. Any suggestions? Brian or Brad you guys are pretty local to the Stanton/Buena Park/GG area, where do you guys go?

BTW for Starsan sprayer I use a hand held 1/2 gallon pump spayer. Works really nice. Looks kinda like this:

[backyard brewer]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I'm estimating I have gone through about a 1/4 of a tank in 4 days so it definitely sounds fishy. I will check all the fitting again and redue the soap/starsan bubble test.

My tank was bought used and was not full to start with so now I am out of Co2 I think and need to get the tank exchanged or refilled. One catch is the hydro date is expired and so I either need to get the tank exchanged at a place that forgets to check the date a lot, or get it retested. Any suggestions? Brian or Brad you guys are pretty local to the Stanton/Buena Park/GG area, where do you guys go?

Are you determining this by weight or by pressure? The pressure of CO2 fluctuates wildly. At room temp it'll read about 850 psi. At 40* in a kegerator it'll read about 500 psi. Couple that with the fact that CO2 is a gas over liquid it's impossible to use a pressure gauge to measure the volume left until you have used up all the liquid, at which point it only takes a couple pints to go from 500psi to no psi. In other words, the pressure will read the same through the entire tank until you're minutes from being out and temperature has a much bigger impact on that reading than the actual volume does.

Try places that only exchange CO2 and don't fill it. Take it when they are busy and they probably won't look and just swap you bottles.

[JonGoku]

Are you determining this by weight or by pressure? The pressure of CO2 fluctuates wildly.

I'm a noob at this. I am determining this by the needle in the regulator gauge.

Try places that only exchange CO2 and don't fill it. Take it when they are busy and they probably won't look and just swap you bottles.

Any suggestions on what places would be like this? I have no clue where to begin other than Steinfillers (they aren't technically busy, just slow )

[lars]

There is a Praxair right by the Bruery. They are exchange only.

[brianc]

Brian or Brad you guys are pretty local to the Stanton/Buena Park/GG area, where do you guys go?

I usually go to Mr. Kegs in Huntington Beach. They refill onsite, and they do the hydro test (they have to send it out for that though). It also looks like they have raised their prices since the last time I had to fill my tanks. https://www.mrkegs.com/index.php?cPath=89

[kevinham]

Welding supply stores usually have CO2 at good prices, and unless they are a welding and gas specialty store (like Mobile Industrial Welding Supply in Anaheim where I go for refills) they are usually exchange only in my experience.

[BrewMasterBrad]

I have had good luck with making friends at the welding supply store near my house. Tell them you make your own beer and they will be very interested and will tend to be very lax when it comes to charging you for things and checking test dates on tanks. I take my gas guy a couple beers every time I go in there and he routinely gives me free CO2 exchanges and free propane. Once, Lyn gave me an expired tank he found at work and I exchanged it for a new tank, no questions asked. Homebrew is better than money.