# Co2 Bottles



## vh_202 (2/12/05)

hi everyone,

i did a quick search and turned up no results but im hoping itl only need a quick answer. I have just bought a 2nd hand keg setup and am wondering what co2 is suitable for it. I rang up boc and asked and they said that a 10kg bottle will cost 10.60 a month and 40 bucks per refill. will this be suitable for a keg. im only really asking because i went to my local homebrew shop and asked and they said something about beer gas which makes no sense whatsoever as i thought all that was required is just co2. is this beer gas food rated or something?

any help would be appreciated thanks
vh


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## muga (2/12/05)

Food grade CO2 is what you want.

You might want to loook at buying your bottle outright if you are looking at kegging for several years, check out this site for more information http://www.mykegonlegs.com.au


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## vh_202 (2/12/05)

so can BOC provide food grade CO2?

EdIt : Also ive heard whispers about people using fire extinguishers which are much cheaper. is there in anywhere in SA that i would be able to acquire one and where would i be able to refill it.
How long would a 5kg co2 canister last. i drink quite regularly


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## GMK (2/12/05)

vh_202 said:


> hi everyone,
> 
> i did a quick search and turned up no results but im hoping itl only need a quick answer. I have just bought a 2nd hand keg setup and am wondering what co2 is suitable for it. I rang up boc and asked and they said that a 10kg bottle will cost 10.60 a month and 40 bucks per refill. will this be suitable for a keg. im only really asking because i went to my local homebrew shop and asked and they said something about beer gas which makes no sense whatsoever as i thought all that was required is just co2. is this beer gas food rated or something?
> 
> ...




It would be easier to help if u amended your profile to show your location.
Then people from your area/state can reply...


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## vh_202 (2/12/05)

sorry about that i only just signed up. changes have been made


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## Hawko777 (2/12/05)

Hi,

I have a BOC food grade CO2 bottle of gas and it will last you quite a while. It MUST BE food grade. Fire extinguishers, well, MMmmmm, wouldn't touch it myself.
I would just rent the bottle as when you take it back for a refill, they just exchange the bottle. They all keep up the maintenance and safety checks on all their bottles. I dont think the average AHB would bother to get regular checks.
Brew on.
Hawko


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## vh_202 (2/12/05)

how large is the bottle?


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## Hawko777 (2/12/05)

vh_202 said:


> how large is the bottle?
> [post="95142"][/post]​



vh,

Size is a 10kg bottle
Gas codes and bottle code are;

082 and VT respectively.

I use a average amount for brewing, you know, recycling cleaners and sterilising etc etc plus carbonation of course. I made up a brass gas manifold with 4 gas taps with barbs so I can do multiple tasks without having to muck around disconnecting etc.
Hawko


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## GMK (2/12/05)

As you are in adelaide...

PM Me...

I can line you a deal with Mac Mont that uses Air Liquide CO2 Bottles for 9.00 per month rental - 37.50 fill up on 10kg bottle - u can choose Co2 or Cellar Mix.

Alternatively - depending upon who/where u work - i might be able to line u a deal with Air Liquide that has no monthly rental...

Hope this helps


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## Batz (2/12/05)

As interest here , I worked for BOC for a few years

Food grade and industrial C02 are the same product , filled from the same tank.
The only differance is what you pay !

On that subject industrial oxygen and hosiptal grade oxygen are the same too

Food grade C02
Beer Gas
rip-offs
Go industrial grade C02

Batz


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## new2kegbrew (2/12/05)

I am in Adelaide, and went to see BOC on Peachey Road in Elizabeth. I asked for gas for my home brew & the guy knew exactly what to give me. I had to open an account with them, which was about $100 a year. He told me an invoice would be posted out to me for that. Thant was on the 16th of November. He said I'd probably get the invoice in late December. I paid $35.85 for a size D bottle (10kg) of "BEERGAS" - that's what it's labelled as on the bottle, and on my invoice!
I've put through 3 kegs so far, and the needle on the regulator has barely moved! The guy at the brew shop told me I'd get around 20 kegs from a cylinder.

Hope this helps!


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## new2kegbrew (2/12/05)

Batz said:


> As interest here , I worked for BOC for a few years
> 
> Food grade and industrial C02 are the same product , filled from the same tank.
> The only differance is what you pay !
> ...



Thanks for the tip Batz!! How much cheaper is industrial CO2?


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## Darren (2/12/05)

I thought it was more to do with the bottle maintenence. Food and medical grade bottles have to be cleaned when serviced.
cheers
Darren


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## Batz (2/12/05)

Darren said:


> I thought it was more to do with the bottle maintenence. Food and medical grade bottles have to be cleaned when serviced.
> cheers
> Darren
> [post="95162"][/post]​




No Darren , there's not a differance
Bottles are checked at intervals inside and out , a bottle must be perfect , there are no second best for industrial grade gases.

New
I don't think you will save all that much , of course anything is better in your pocket than BOC's

Batz


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## Doc (2/12/05)

new2kegbrew said:


> I paid $35.85 for a size D bottle (10kg) of "BEERGAS" - that's what it's labelled as on the bottle, and on my invoice!
> I've put through 3 kegs so far, and the needle on the regulator has barely moved! The guy at the brew shop told me I'd get around 20 kegs from a cylinder.
> 
> Hope this helps!
> [post="95156"][/post]​



I used a VT (10kg) CO2 bottle and I get more that 20 kegs from it. On average I go through a keg a week and I haven'nt had my gas bottle refilled since about March, and I use it to flush/clean kegs, and to bottle using a CPBF.

Beers,
Doc


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## Fingerlickin_B (2/12/05)

I'm with Batz on this one. 

My bottle reads "industrial" and nobody has been harmed yet.

Granted I would have taken anything at the price though...$0  

PZ.


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## Uncle Fester (3/12/05)

> IOn average I go through a keg a week



Doc,

I donate my right kidney to your cause!

Feel free to collect when ready. h34r: 

M


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## Uncle Fester (3/12/05)

I run a 3.5 Kg CO2 fire extinguisher to dispense. It costs me $14.00 to refill and I own it!

M


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## Darren (3/12/05)

You are probably right Batz,
There must be a reason for the food grade industrial grade classification.
Has to be more than simply profit because I suspect it would cost more to administer the different bottles.
Could simply be the enviroment that it is used in. Industrial bottles would be exposed to all sorts of possible contaminants (argon and other inert gasses when bottles are changed etc). Food grade used in pubs are only likely to be exposed to food products.
Hospital grade bottles have a completely different connection to ensure they are only used in a hospital setting.
You can bet your balls that hospital grade gas has to go through a far more rigorous QC process.
cheers
darren


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## Screwtop (3/12/05)

Possibly not for QLD hospitals. QLD Health - - So long as it's cheap.


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## Beerpig (3/12/05)

Bit of a side track

Is the BOC "Beergas" a mixture of Nitrogen & CO2? Am sure I saw this on one of the bottles

Cheers


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## tangent (3/12/05)

you can different mixes of nitrogen and co2 for your guinness and kilkenney style brews


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## big d (3/12/05)

beer gas is just beer gas.the nitrogen co2 mix from memory is called cellarmix.or something like that.

cheers
big d


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## vh_202 (4/12/05)

mandrakar said:


> I run a 3.5 Kg CO2 fire extinguisher to dispense. It costs me $14.00 to refill and I own it!
> 
> M
> [post="95200"][/post]​



just wondering if you could post a pic of the fire extinguisher fittings etc. is it a CO2 extinguisher or is it possible to adapt a water based one as they both hold pressure.
Also is there any modifications needed to be done to bottle? 
Where do you refill it ?

can anyone tell me the difference between beer gas and having nitrogen in the gas. Does it improve anything?


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## Ross (4/12/05)

Beerpig said:


> Bit of a side track
> 
> Is the BOC "Beergas" a mixture of Nitrogen & CO2? Am sure I saw this on one of the bottles
> 
> ...



I'm sure I remember their beergas is simply CO2 but you pay a premium for it over the normal CO2 - Both come out the same filler tank though  

cheers Ross


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## Wortgames (4/12/05)

Guinness uses nitrogen to produce smaller creamier bubbles, but I think the main purpose for a nitrogen mix is to allow pubs to run higher pressures without overcarbonating the beer. Could be wrong though.

Probably about time for the usual legal disclaimer here too, for the benefit of newbies:

CO2 is stored at EXTREMELY high pressures and it can KILL in the event of a failure. As homebrewers we all like to mess around in the margins, but you must never take your eye off the ball. 

There has been discussion in the past about certain vessels being designed for repeated pressure cycling (ie filling and discharge) and others (eg fire extinguishers) that are designed for only one or two pressure cycles in their lifespan.

Make damn sure you know what you are doing if you plan on modifying anything.

If you don't know what you are doing then let the experts do it for you.

That is all. Carry on.


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## Fingerlickin_B (14/12/05)

Considering Tony from Pub Gas is now charging bottle rent rather than his old one-off deposit I've decided to grab one of these:






Ordered it today, just waiting on stock to arrive  

Figured I've already got the "man size" cylinder, but once it runs out I'll need something else...plus these are a little more portable :lol: 

PZ.


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## Snow (14/12/05)

Wortgames said:


> Guinness uses nitrogen to produce smaller creamier bubbles, but I think the main purpose for a nitrogen mix is to allow pubs to run higher pressures without overcarbonating the beer. Could be wrong though.
> 
> Probably about time for the usual legal disclaimer here too, for the benefit of newbies:
> 
> ...



Yeah I agree Wortgames. I think I'll be using my fire extinguisher until it kills somebody, then I'll get a proper cylinder....provide it's not me who's dead of course.

- Snow


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## Fingerlickin_B (16/1/06)

Whoo hoo, finally got it!  





Might be time to offload some aluminium SodaStream cylinders now methinks...anyone in Canberra want some? (will trade for beer :chug: )

PZ.


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## altstart (26/5/06)

Fingerlickin_B said:


> Whoo hoo, finally got it!
> 
> View attachment 5562
> 
> ...



Anyone know the dimensions of the Mykegsonlegs 6.8 kg cylinder.
Thanks Altstart


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## Fingerlickin_B (26/5/06)

altstart said:


> Anyone know the dimensions of the Mykegsonlegs 6.8 kg cylinder.
> Thanks Altstart



Could measure it later, but I'm at work right now. 

I'm sure if you call or email he'll tell you:
Email: [email protected] 
Telephone: 0422 500 402 (mobile) 

PZ.


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## Chad (28/5/06)

altstart said:


> Anyone know the dimensions of the Mykegsonlegs 6.8 kg cylinder.


Just measured mine and I can tell you it's 175mm in diameter and 690mm high (which includes the handle).


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## Millet Man (28/5/06)

I have just received my kegging setup and picked up a food grade CO2 cylinder yesterday from the local Air Liquide dealer. I opted for the heavy 10kg steel cylinder (must be 30-40kg all up) which was only $15 per year rental, I'm presuming most of you guys paying $100+ have an aluminium cylinder?

Any benefit in the aluminium one other than weight?

Cheers, Andrew.


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## normell (28/5/06)

Millet Man said:


> I have just received my kegging setup and picked up a food grade CO2 cylinder yesterday from the local Air Liquide dealer. I opted for the heavy 10kg steel cylinder (must be 30-40kg all up) which was only $15 per year rental, I'm presuming most of you guys paying $100+ have an aluminium cylinder?
> 
> Any benefit in the aluminium one other than weight?
> 
> ...


Only lighten your wallet quicker :blink: 
I pay $17 /year rent, aint it great


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## Ross (28/5/06)

Millet Man said:


> Any benefit in the aluminium one other than weight?
> 
> [post="129794"][/post]​



No!!! - Unfortuanatey steel ones only available in Vic  ...

cheers ross


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## Millet Man (28/5/06)

Ross said:


> Millet Man said:
> 
> 
> > Any benefit in the aluminium one other than weight?
> ...



Aha, lucky us.  

Another quirky state reg no doubt, probably goes back to colonial times. No wonder everyone else is jealous of Victorians. h34r: 

Cheers, Andrew.


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## [email protected] (31/5/06)

Wow there is sure is a huge amount of range in pricing. I rang around a few places today and managed to grab the following which hopefully helps someone out:

BOC - $120.89 per year rental "VT" size - $45.32 for each refill
Air Liquide - $100 per year rental - $60.50 for each refill
Linde (Local Dealer) - $143.28 per year rental "E" size - $54.93 for each refill 

Actually looking at the figures they all work out roughly the same.


Cheers
Darren


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## mika (31/5/06)

That would depend on how many times you're planning on filling it each year


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## normell (31/5/06)

mika_lika said:


> That would depend on how many times you're planning on filling it each year



I run three taps with four kegs & a 9Kg bottle lasts over a year
glad I live in Vic where rental is only $17/Year


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## justsomeguy (1/6/06)

Just put the prices [email protected] quoted into a spreadsheet to see how they compare.

I created a spreadsheet that graphed the hire prices along with 1 to 12 refills. Dunno who would need to refill every month but anyway...

Based upon the prices quoted BOC was the cheapest for all refill counts checked. This difference becomes more apparent as the refill count increases.

For example:
2 Refills:- $10-$40 saving
4 refills:- $40-$60 saving
6 refills:- $70-$80 saving
12 refills:- $137-161 saving.

Air Liquide comes in second and Linde in third place though Linde becomes cheaper on the 8th refill, though still not as cheap as BOC.

Please note that these are based upon the prices quoted. You may be able to get better prices elsewhere or in different states.

Hope this helps,

jsg


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## KillerRx4 (1/6/06)

Ahh this thread makes me feel lucky with my extinguisher setup..... No rental, $30 fills.


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## Oblomov (1/6/06)

normell said:


> I run three taps with four kegs & a 9Kg bottle lasts over a year
> glad I live in Vic where rental is only $17/Year


Hmm. Why the huge price difference?


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## tangent (1/6/06)

any SA brewers using the fire ext. option?

VH202? Did you go down that path?


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## alfadog (24/5/14)

guys,

I have been having an issue with a triangular pressure valve connected to the outlet of my westway 2.6kg CO2 bottle. I assume there is a tool for it or a special valve to use when refilling. 

My question is: Is there a tool i can purchase (and where from) or is there a place on the north side of Brisbane that can refill this style of cylinder.





Edit: forgot the pic


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## Cervantes (24/5/14)

Uncle Fester said:


> I run a 3.5 Kg CO2 fire extinguisher to dispense. It costs me $14.00 to refill and I own it!
> 
> M


I have a small car fire extinguisher that would be ideal for pairing with a party keg.

How would I go about converting it so that I could fit a regulator?


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## alfadog (26/5/14)

early week bump for post #44! any help would be awesome


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