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Author Topic: New to Kegging  (Read 945 times)

Offline DrunkenSteel

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New to Kegging
« on: April 22, 2020, 08:19:02 pm »
I have decided to start kegging and not really sure on what size CO2 bottle I should use. My plan is to have a keezer that will hold up to 3 kegs using a manifold system. Do I need one bottle for the keezer and a separate one for carbonating?

Offline mainebrewer

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Re: New to Kegging
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2020, 04:28:39 am »
I have a kegerator with 5 kegs and faucets.
I use a 5 pound CO2 tank.
I use the one tank for carbonating, serving the beer, cleaning beer lines, purging kegs, etc.
I brew every 2-3 weeks.
The 5 pound tank lasts 3-4 months.
 
"It's not that people are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that just isn't true." Ronald Reagan

Offline jeffy

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Re: New to Kegging
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2020, 05:20:47 am »
Keep in mind that the cost is not proportionate with the size of the tank.  A 20 pound tank costs only a few dollars more to fill than a 5 pounder.
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member
BJCP judge since 1995

Offline MNWayne

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Re: New to Kegging
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2020, 07:08:05 am »
My local welder stocks 20# tanks, so that's the size I use. It takes a few years to run out, but when it's out I can get an immediate swap.
Far better to dare mighty things....

Offline goose

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Re: New to Kegging
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2020, 08:00:13 am »
As Mainebrewer said, you can get by with one CO2 tank to both carbonate and serve.  I did this for years.  I have 6 on tap and use a 20 lb external CO2 tank for the keezer.

A few years ago in invested in a separate chest freezer that I use for both lagering and for carbonating (it is also a backup incase the older keezer croaks).  I keep the second kegs of beer (I usually brew 10 gallons at a time of the more popular ones) in that one and also now use it for carbonating since I keep the temperature in that one at around 33 degrees when carbonating the beer.  My lagering freezer has a 5 lb CO2 tank inside it and it lasts for 6 months or more  The serving keezer it at around 40-45 degrees so the beer is not too cold to numb your tastebuds.  Just remember at a higher temperature it will take longer for the beer to carbonate.
Goose Steingass
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Offline spurviance

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Re: New to Kegging
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2020, 09:07:28 am »
My LHBS has 5lb CO2 bottles that they simply swap out so I use that size.  I have a 6 tap keezer and a single bottle will last around 3 months.  I keep a 2nd bottle as a backup because there's nothing worse than running out of CO2 in the middle of a party...also the pressure gauge that is supposed to show remaining volume is pretty useless.  My backup bottle is also the one I use when I want to quick carbonate a beer.
On tap,  Vienna Lager, Doppelbock, Dortmunder Export, Pale Ale, Porter, Saison

Fermenting, Saison

Offline Slowbrew

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Re: New to Kegging
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2020, 09:56:06 am »
I generally have 2 tanks.  One 20# that is on the 4 tap keg fridge and a 2.5# that use on a rolling cooler I rigged up as a portable kegerator.
I could easily get by with one 20# tank.  The 20#er last more than year most of the time.

I have somehow become the collector of orphaned tanks lately though and now have 2 extra 20# tanks.  I need to find a home for at least one of them.

Paul
Where the heck are we going?  And what's with this hand basket?

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: New to Kegging
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2020, 11:35:20 am »
I have a 20 lb. tank I use as the initial force carb after racking to keg with a 4 line manifold (got the manifold from a friend when a restaurant was being remodeled); then I have 2 ten lb. tanks for serving from a basement keezer (3-4 kegs) and a garage 4 tap fridge, then 2 five lbs. as back ups in an emergency or to take to parties.  I inherited most of the stuff from guys who were not using them for whatever reason and knew that I could find a use for them.  It helps to give away a lot of homebrew....
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline DrunkenSteel

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Re: New to Kegging
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2020, 07:50:28 pm »
Thanks everyone for the good and useful information.