How Long Does a 6.8kg Gas Bottle Last You?

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Fat Bastard

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Seems that my 12 kegs is well under par for the course. I do use the one bottle for everything though, I'll purge empty kegs with it, and charge them up a bit with it to dispense starsan and pbw solutions during cleaning.

I cant find any leaks in the system, so I don't think it's leaking anywhere, but of course that doesn't mean it's not leaking somewhere I haven't checked. I never turn the gas off either, it's hooked up all the time. The gas guy told me I'd get 9 kegs out of it, so until recently, I thought I was doing alright!
 
FB. Im on my 13th keg with my first bottle of CO2 & i suspect im probably only halfway through. I only use the gas for carbonating & dispense.

Compressed air moves all Cleaning/sanitising solutions for me.
I also never purge kegs of air b4 filling, only after filled. never had oxidised beer although it gets drank pretty fast.

recall someone on here said 50 or so kegs carbed & dispensed from one bottle.
 
Mine last 8-10 months at a guess, two kegs a week at least, usually more. We also use the gas for soda water, she goes through a bottle a day of that stuff. I guess that's closer to 100 kegs rather than 50 although i use 10kg bottles. I have 2 so i can keep a spare and don't have any frightening 'run out of beer' moments. :blink:

I don't purge.
 
I just got myself one of these bad boys, I've read countless times of folks losing whole bottles from leaks that I don't think I'll ever leave it on all the time..
 
I got well over a year from mine. At a guess over 15-20 kegs. I occasionally purge lines and kegs when I remember. Took it back for a refill when the gauge read empty and was told it still had two kilo left.
 
12 kegs? You should get that out of a keg king 2.6kg.

I get 35 - 40 out of 6.8kg
 
There is a calculator on my website based on volumes for CO2 expansion from a liquid into a gas.

Using the calculator 6kg bottle and 18L keg, carbonating to 2.4x plus 1x for dispensing = 49 kegs.
This works out to 122g per keg. There was an old rule a few years back where it said expect 110-130g per keg allowing minimal losses. (varies depending on beer style)

If you use a lot of CO2 to purge and clean, say an extra 1x vol, you will go from 2.4x+1.0x=3.4x to say 4.4x vol per keg.
So 49kegs / 4.4 x 3.4 = 37.8 kegs. Still a long way from where you are.

I leave both my kegerators connected to gas and turned on all the time. I don't use CO2 for purging etc, and I would average about 120g per keg, or a bit over 20kegs for my 2.6kg bottle, and a bit under 20kegs from my 2.3kg bottle.


Even using 50L kegs from a 6kg you should get about 17 kegs.
 
On a related note, does anyone know how much a KK 6kg bottle weighs empty? I've got a party coming up and want to check I have enough gas left in the bottle, would hate to run out half way through.
 
Frothie said:
On a related note, does anyone know how much a KK 6kg bottle weighs empty? I've got a party coming up and want to check I have enough gas left in the bottle, would hate to run out half way through.
Does it not have a Tare Weight stamped on the bottle? Perhaps shoot an email to KK for empty and full specs
 
Do you happen to ever have soda water in them? I've only got a 4.5kg which lasted me 6 months and about 15 kegs, until the Mrs decided she wanted the little 12L party keg to be used for soda water. Since then, it all goes to shit. Serving that stuff at 300kpa sure makes the co2 bottle empty alot quicker :blink:
 
I'd give them a call as Yuri could probably tell you over the phone. When I swapped mine he mentioned there was a slight variance between bottle weights.
Any reason why you couldn't pour a cup or two of hot water down the side and feel for the temperature change? Works on lpg bottles.
 
joshF said:
Do you happen to ever have soda water in them? I've only got a 4.5kg which lasted me 6 months and about 15 kegs, until the Mrs decided she wanted the little 12L party keg to be used for soda water. Since then, it all goes to shit. Serving that stuff at 300kpa sure makes the co2 bottle empty alot quicker :blink:

Do this, saves having keg space wasted and a dedicated tap.



sodabottles1.jpg

Just have the bottle of water cold, click the disconnect on with the reg turned up full and shake upside down for 30-40 secs.

She loves these stainless Keg King caps too, say's the gas lasts right to the end of the bottle rather than the car valve and adaptor system we used to use that went flat.
 
NewtownClown said:
Does it not have a Tare Weight stamped on the bottle? Perhaps shoot an email to KK for empty and full specs
I'll have to check when I get home - I was being interwebz lazy. I have to pop into KK soon anyhow.
 
Frothie said:
I'll have to check when I get home - I was being interwebz lazy. I have to pop into KK soon anyhow.
Don't bother... I just got home and realised mine is a KK and doesn't have a Tare Weight stamped...
 
So, when are you considering that you've run out of gas? I'm going off the red section on the reg, which is at 5000kpa. Full is at a bit over 10000, so I'm probably filling up while it's still half full! Mind you I'd rather be doing that than running out unexpectedly.
 
Fat ******* said:
So, when are you considering that you've run out of gas? I'm going off the red section on the reg, which is at 5000kpa. Full is at a bit over 10000, so I'm probably filling up while it's still half full! Mind you I'd rather be doing that than running out unexpectedly.
A bit tricky to try and gauge how much gas is left by looking at the pressure FB as pressure will be effected by the temperature. Weight is the way to go. Get an empty weight on your bottle next time and refer to that on weigh ins.
 
I wait till beer stops flowing and then swap out the empty with the full spare. That way i know i scrunged the last erg of gas.
 
I am noob to kegging...
I worked out I have got 9 kegs from 2.6 KG
Think I wasted a lot in the beginning, force carb...etc I was under the impression that they would last a shed load more...
A mate who has keg in the fridge......who drinks a shed load said his gas lasted 2 years or so ( I know what he drinks like and thought the tank would last 6 years :) ) I have been there and did not see a 40 litre tank :)
but I reckon from memory he would might have a 6 ltr tank... I can ask... He has Keg in fridge and CO2 outside and says he puts on for 2 days to carb...so no forcing.. I think I should have got the 6L...or go the hire option... use 2.6 has the back up...

I was going to check for a slight leak.. ( I thought it was ok the other day) - Also the keg has toppled over a few times, regulator gauges probably not the best now..

From what I am reading 12 or so is normal for 2.6kg... ?

PS Mate has 10 KG..
 

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