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A bit of a shake-up at my brewery...


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#1 Big Nake

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Posted 18 October 2014 - 03:43 PM

I have been using a 10# CO2 tank to force-carb kegs for awhile. With that 10# tank in my on-deck fridge, I can still put 5 kegs in there, which is nice. On Wednesday, I had 2 kegs of cold, flat beer in that fridge and I started carbing. On Friday (48 hours later) I went to take the first keg off the gas and start carbing the second one. No gas left. I knew because I didn't get any hissing when I connected the QD to the second keg. I also don't know how carbed the first keg was. I sampled it and it tasted slightly undercarbed. ENTER... the behemoth 20# tank that my wife's cousin gave me about 2 years ago. Full. So I had to place that in the fridge and go with just 4 kegs in there because the 20-pounder is so much bigger. I connected the tank to keg #1 to let it go a little longer. How many of you use a 20# tank and how long do they seem to last? I have heard people say that they have been using the same 20# tank for YEARS. Wow. I'm a little intimidated by it and I dislike handling it especially when it's full. Anyway, I had a keg of Oktoberfest that had 1-2 beers left in it so I took that one out of one of the draft fridges and put one of the on-deck kegs in its place so there would only be 4 kegs in there. All good. Cheers Beerheads.

#2 djinkc

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Posted 18 October 2014 - 04:03 PM

A couple 20's one 10 and one 5.  Yeah, the 20's are heavier but it's worth it.  One of my old ones was steel.  Swapped it for a lighter aluminum one.  I bet it's been a year at least since I filled any.  One is about to go but the 10 is sitting there ready to go.



#3 positiveContact

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Posted 18 October 2014 - 05:09 PM

I use my 20# for carbing, getting air out of the kegs, and for downstairs beer fridge serving.  I think my lasts about a year or so doing this job.  my upstairs beer fridge has the 5# which since it only moves beer around lasts quite a long time now.



#4 realbeerguy

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Posted 18 October 2014 - 07:24 PM

about a year & 1/2 with my 20



#5 Big Nake

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Posted 18 October 2014 - 07:28 PM

I serve 4 kegs with two 5# tanks (each one split) and I have a spare 5# for when one goes down and now I have the 10# empty and when I fill it, I might put it into the rotation of 'serving tanks' which would set me up pretty nicely. The 20# tank should last a very long time and what I have learned on filling tanks is that a 5# tank costs $15 to fill and a 10# tank costs $17 to fill so a 20# tank should be around $20 or so. Cheers peeps.

#6 BlKtRe

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 10:02 AM

I have multiple 20's. I force when transferring all my beers and they lasted a good bit of time. Now that I use a 50 as a whole system tank it's even that much nicer.

#7 Big Nake

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 10:18 AM

I have multiple 20's. I force when transferring all my beers and they lasted a good bit of time. Now that I use a 50 as a whole system tank it's even that much nicer.

50# tank? Sweet Jeebus.

#8 BlKtRe

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 10:26 AM

50# tank? Sweet Jeebus.

Cost as much to fill it as a 20.

#9 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 10:35 AM

4 - 5#, 1 - 20#. Ken I recommend closing the ball valve on the gas. Turning on the tank then turning it off. See how long the pressure is maintained. Found out one of mine (regs) is leaking.

Edited by SchwanzBrewer, 19 October 2014 - 10:36 AM.


#10 BlKtRe

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 10:38 AM

I stick with squirting star san. Works every time.

#11 positiveContact

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 10:40 AM

4 - 5#, 1 - 20#.Ken I recommend closing the ball valve on the gas. Turning on the tank then turning it off. See how long the pressure is maintained. Found out one of mine (regs) is leaking.

 

yeah - I never leave the 20# tank open.



#12 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 12:07 PM

I stick with squirting star san. Works every time.

 

Not for me. Took about 20 minutes for the gas to leak out of my reg. I squirted it with starsan and couldn't find the leak. Most leaks you can find that way. A really slow one won't show up. I suspect Ken's got one that isn't easily found.



#13 Big Nake

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 02:33 PM

Oh I definitely don't have a leak... I just used all the gas and needed to bring in a relief pitcher... the big 20-pounder that I have never used. I'm going to take the 10-pounder in to get filled and then I'll use that in the rotation with the 5ers for dispensing.

#14 BarelyBrews

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 03:54 PM

My 20# tanks last around 9 months every time. I have a small tank (3lb ?) its an old paintball game tank. I should get that filled for a backup.




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