question about kegging

[Otis Brews]

Another Newbie question about kegging....I am just assembling equipment to start kegging 5 gallon batches. I was wondering the cheapest way to getting the Co2. Where do most of you get it? Is it best to buy your own tank or rent? 5 or 10 lbs? I live out in the sticks and even have a hard time finding anyone who carries co2. Sorry for the dumb questions but I am sick of bottling.

 

[Minbari]

Check welding supply stores. You can get a 5lb tank, filled, for about $120. Then refills are $20.

5lbs should last 6mo to a year depending on how many batches you do

 

[Otis Brews]

Thank You Minbari - that is what I needed to know...I will start searching.

 

[Zambi]

Or you could spund ir add sugar to carbonate.
You will still need CO2 to pour though, but your cylinder will last a lot longer

 

[Sandy Feet]

Had a discussion about this with the HB store. Mine doesn't refill. Those that do can't get them full. The welding supply company is right down the road from my HB store. $14 for a 5lb exchange. The initial regulator and tank you can get at the HB store. Those are not all that cheap. Once you have those, exchanges are reasonable.

 

[Minbari]

Had a discussion about this with the HB store. Mine doesn't refill. Those that do can't get them full. The welding supply company is right down the road from my HB store. $14 for a 5lb exchange. The initial regulator and tank you can get at the HB store. Those are not all that cheap. Once you have those, exchanges are reasonable.

I got mine at CK gasses. They supply the tanks and refills are exchanges.

Keep in mind, if you own your own tank that you have to do the yearly VIP inspections and 5 year hydro test and most tanks have a 15 year lifespan at which time they drill a hole in it. If you go with the supply place they do all that

 

[Donoroto]

While owning your own tank is great, 'renting' one from the welding place is just fine too. Kinda like 'renting' a propane tank from the local hardware store - hand back the empty, grab a full one and go.

 

[Craigerrr]

I own two 10 pound tanks, but bought into an exchange program at my home brew shop.
I still own the tanks, but I no longer have the headache of certification, and having to eventually replace them.

 

[philjohnwilliams]

I get my 10 pound tank filled at a nearby fire extinguisher service company. $36 per refill.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Another Newbie question about kegging....I am just assembling equipment to start kegging 5 gallon batches. I was wondering the cheapest way to getting the Co2. Where do most of you get it? Is it best to buy your own tank or rent? 5 or 10 lbs? I live out in the sticks and even have a hard time finding anyone who carries co2. Sorry for the dumb questions but I am sick of bottling.

Your research will pretty much decide whether you buy & fill or rent & exchange. For me both places I checked did refills but not exchanges. So, I bought a 5 lb CO2 cylinder. Since refilling/exchanging an empty tank sounds rather inconvenient for you, you may want to opt for a larger tank. The best option, if money is no object, is to get two tanks. When one goes empty, you can use the other and refill/exchange the empty one at your convenience.

 

[Sandy Feet]

I bought a tank, but exchanged it for another when it ran out. Just like propane.

 

[MrStacy]

Had a discussion about this with the HB store. Mine doesn't refill. Those that do can't get them full. The welding supply company is right down the road from my HB store. $14 for a 5lb exchange. The initial regulator and tank you can get at the HB store. Those are not all that cheap. Once you have those, exchanges are reasonable.

I always suggest poking around Facebook marketplace to look for used CO2 cylinders on the cheap. I got a 20 lb. Cylinder for free when I bought a kegerator from a guy. I also picked up a 5 lb cylinder a few months ago for $50. It had a good regulator and was completely full, so no exchange needed.

 

[Br3wDud3]

When you're looking for a cylinder, try to keep these things in mind. The bigger tanks (10lb - 20lb) will cost you more upfront, but on a unit cost basis (i.e., $/lb to fill), they are much cheaper to fill, so in effect they end up paying for themselves. On the other hand, carting around a 20 lb tank is not fun, so you have to weight the benefits (pun intended). If you are completely new to kegging and want to learn about it, I use this site as a good reference: https://boomchugalug.com/pages/kegging-instructions-for-the-beginner-home-brewing. It also has a great chart for force carbonating. Good luck!

 

[Minbari]

When you're looking for a cylinder, try to keep these things in mind. The bigger tanks (10lb - 20lb) will cost you more upfront, but on a unit cost basis (i.e., $/lb to fill), they are much cheaper to fill, so in effect they end up paying for themselves. On the other hand, carting around a 20 lb tank is not fun, so you have to weight the benefits (pun intended). If you are completely new to kegging and want to learn about it, I use this site as a good reference: https://boomchugalug.com/pages/kegging-instructions-for-the-beginner-home-brewing. It also has a great chart for force carbonating. Good luck!

Depending where you go. Upfront costs nothing more. I upgraded from 5lb to 20lb by just paying the refill costs.

5lb was $28
20lb is $40