Co2 Cylinder Options

[frogman]

If retesting is required after only 5 years cost still only comes to:
$3.0768 per week.

Then even cheaper after the retesting as I have written off the original purchase price in those 5 years.

At current gas prices and retesting cost of $75 works out to $2.02 per week

Cheers Frogman

 

[MHB]

The testing requirements are:-
10 Years from date of manufacture.
Every 5 years from then on.
Average life expectancy of an Aluminium CO2 bottle is ~20 years.
Re-certifying (locally) $35-$45

I had to invest a couple of thousand dollars setting up the refilling station, so I looked at the legal requirements very thoroughly before I put-up.
So far we have sold nearly 150 bottles, a mixture of Air-Up and Mykegonlegs, feedback is 100% positive.

MHB

 

[frogman]

So it will be under $2 per week

Beats the hell out of worring about possible gas imperfections/comtaminates if you ask me.

FROGMAN

 

[tangent]

so $2 a week= $104
that's what my BOC costs and I get an up to date bottle every time

 

[pokolbinguy]

But tangent it isn't that cheap in NSW

 

[Wortgames]

Don't a lot of the MyKegOnLegs places simply swap cylinders over? I remember there being some discussion around that a while ago, in that some people wanted to customise their cylinders etc and weren't sure if they'd always get [their own cylinder] back.

If they are swapping cylinders over I don't see how they can hold anyone liable for expiry dates, unless they take the approach that 'once you're in, you're in for life' and you never need to worry about it, like using swap-n-go LPG cylinders.

 

[frogman]

so $2 a week= $104
that's what my BOC costs and I get an up to date bottle every time

BOC rental here in Qld $120+ per year.
Plus gas costs.
Using My Keg On Legs your LHBS also makes a little profit.

 

[Linz]

Using My Keg On Legs your LHBS also makes a little profit.

Good point there Froggy...

 

[tangent]

i'm not too concerned what amount of profit my LHBS is making.... actually I prefer as little as possible.

 

[paul]

If you can get your hands on an empty co2 cyl from the same place that you get empty 50 litre kegs from you just hire a cyl from the supplier and a month later return the empty.

This will give you your beer gas and you wont be paying any rent. When the cylinder is empty hire another then return the empty one about a month later.

Rental problem gone.

 

[Ross]

If you can get your hands on an empty co2 cyl from the same place that you get empty 50 litre kegs from you just hire a cyl from the supplier and a month later return the empty.

This will give you your beer gas and you wont be paying any rent. When the cylinder is empty hire another then return the empty one about a month later.

Rental problem gone.

Why not steal a full one then & save yourself the months rental - Paul, I trust your post was as tongue in cheek as mine....

cheers Ross

 

[frogman]

i'm not too concerned what amount of profit my LHBS is making.... actually I prefer as little as possible.

If I felt that way I would be changing my LHBS.
The ones I frequent are not the closest but well worth the extra travel time.

FROGMAN

 

[tangent]

i'd love to change frogman but Adelaide metro isn't renowned for malted grain and fresh hops.
i wish Craftbrewer would franchise here

 

[domonsura]

i'd love to change frogman but Adelaide metro isn't renowned for malted grain and fresh hops.
i wish Craftbrewer would franchise here

lol, doing my best to remedy that tangent (The lack of grain/hops etc)

 

[Wortgames]

If you can get your hands on an empty co2 cyl from the same place that you get empty 50 litre kegs from you just hire a cyl from the supplier and a month later return the empty.

This will give you your beer gas and you wont be paying any rent. When the cylinder is empty hire another then return the empty one about a month later.

Rental problem gone.

Do you reckon (theoretically of course) that this would really work?

Just say, oh I don't know, that somebody had an old BOC CO2 cylinder kicking around - I always figured the cylinders would have serial numbers or barcodes or some other rubbish to reconcile cylinders with customers.

Does anyone know for sure?

 

[paul]

Boc dont do this. When I take my cylinder in the just give you another one without taking numbers down.

 

[bonj]

Don't a lot of the MyKegOnLegs places simply swap cylinders over? I remember there being some discussion around that a while ago, in that some people wanted to customise their cylinders etc and weren't sure if they'd always get their keg back.

If they are swapping cylinders over I don't see how they can hold anyone liable for expiry dates, unless they take the approach that 'once you're in, you're in for life' and you never need to worry about it, like using swap-n-go LPG cylinders.

I have a mykegonlegs cylinder from my LHBS, and my understanding is that they take care of the retesting just like the swap'n'go LPG cylinders. I can't see how they could do it any other way. When you swap the cylinder for a full one, it will have a different date every time.

 

[Wortgames]

I have a mykegonlegs cylinder from my LHBS, and my understanding is that they take care of the retesting just like the swap'n'go LPG cylinders. I can't see how they could do it any other way. When you swap the cylinder for a full one, it will have a different date every time.

It's actually a bit of a grey area by the looks of it - some places will fill your own cylinder, and others will swap, depending on the retailer.

So presumably, if your local retailer swaps, then you have a cylinder for life (unless they keep some sort of record about your original purchase date). If your retailer fills though, then presumably you are up for the cost of retesting after x number of years and for replacement after the lifespan of the cylinder expires.

 

[Batz]

So presumably, if your local retailer swaps, then you have a cylinder for life (unless they keep some sort of record about your original purchase date). If your retailer fills though, then presumably you are up for the cost of retesting after x number of years and for replacement after the lifespan of the cylinder expires.

Can't argue with that B)

Batz

 

[roger mellie]

Do you reckon (theoretically of course) that this would really work?

Just say, oh I don't know, that somebody had an old BOC CO2 cylinder kicking around - I always figured the cylinders would have serial numbers or barcodes or some other rubbish to reconcile cylinders with customers.

Does anyone know for sure?

BOC currently has a global project - (so effectively Linde has a global project) to tag all rental cylinders. So eventually you wont be able to do this. To 'exchange' a cylinder you will need to have an account and the cylinder you swapped will need to be one of the cylinders you originally 'exchanged'. Eventually the project will RFID tag all cylinders instead of the barcode - so ripping it off and pleading ignorance wont work either.

BOC realised that there is a large black market trade in pinched cylinders - so they are clamping down by making it harder to get these bottles filled - and its working well - their cylinder rental revenues are skyrocketing.

And one other thing I noticed from reading this thread. Not all CO2 comes from MT Gambier. Each state basically has a CO2 source. Here in the West it is Kwinana - which takes an off gas stream from an Ammonia plant and cleans is by distillation. There are other plants in Victoria (comes out of the ground in a Hydrocarbon rich stream), Queensland (offgas from a Gasifier), NSW - 2 plants I think - both Hydrocarbon off gas.

All CO2 purity standards are set by Coca Cola - basically as they take most of the stuff. BOC batch measure their tanks to make sure they contain no nasties - of which Benzene is the key one due to its carcinogenic properties. As the CO2 is basically a by product of combustion of Hydrocarbons heavy hydrocarbons (the nasty ones) are present in various amounts.

If a tank of CO2 gets cooked (by impurities) it doesnt go to filling fire extinguishers - it gets dumped.

Air Liquide - the other CO2 supplier may have different standards - but all CO2 that comes from BOC bulk tanks is food grade - as set by Coca Cola.

RM