Co2 Tank Sizes Choosing The Right Sized Cylinder –

Co2 is a critical component of beer, and so are the right co2 tank sizes. Co2 gives beer its lively taste and figures greatly in head retention and overall character. It's also important to understand the co2 levels you use when dispensing your draft beer. As a result, co2 gas will have a significant impact on the aroma of your beer. To say co2 is important to the art of dispensing beer is an understatement.

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Runfeng.

In this post, we will talk about the different sizes of co2 cylinders. What to know regarding the co2 tank size you should have for your draft beer system, and how to pick the best size.

Co2 Adds to The Beer Profile

There are more reasons why co2 is important for dispensing beer than just carbonating your beer. You may not realize that co2 has a significant impact on flavor as well. Each brewery will vary its co2 levels and amounts based on the style of beer being made. Beer quality testing companies use this knowledge to test beers against known standards. Using co2 levels as part of tests done on certain aspects of the beer itself.

What Size Co2 tank Should I Get?

Now that you understand co2 is very important to the quality of your beer, it's time to start talking about co2 tank sizes.

The first thing to discuss when looking for a co2 tank is the co2 tank size, which should be based on how many kegs you intend to dispense from your beer system.

The most common co2 tanks used for home beer dispensing are 1 lb co2 tanks and 5 lb co2 tanks. It's important to realize that co2 tank sizes and co2 cylinder volumes are not the same things, though co2 gas is calculated in pounds.

A 5 lb co2 tank has a volume equivalent of 300 liters of co2. Which means it can be used for dispensing at least 3-4 full-size kegs worth of beer (depending on how much co2 you like in your draft beer).

A good rule of thumb is to assume 1 lb of Co2 to dispense a 1/2 barrel of beer according to Micro Matic.

I also like using this chart below to help determine what size cylinder to get depending on how many kegs an establishment expects to pour.

Carbonation is fairly simple. Some say that all you have to do is take a CO2 tank for a keg, connect it, and that&#;s it! Well, not exactly. When it comes to using a CO2 tank for beer carbonation and homebrewing, there are quite a few nuances you should be aware of, from choosing the right size to making the proper connections.

That&#;s why you&#;ve got Beverage Craft specialists to let you in on all of these nuances. Let&#;s take a look!

What Sizes Do CO2 Tanks Come In?

When choosing for a  CO2 tank, one of the first things you have to decide is what size you need. For our, homebrewers&#; convenience, there is a wide variety of CO2 tank sizes - from really small, compact ones to really big, almost-impossible-to-lift ones.

Here are some of the most common CO2 tank and CO2 bottle sizes found on the homebrewing market. You'll see the width and height in the brackets to give you an idea of the CO2 cylinder size and whether you can fit it where you want it to be:

• 2½-pound cylinder (3½&#;&#;W x 18¼&#;&#;H)
• 5-pound cylinder (5¼&#;&#;W x 17½&#;&#;H)
• 10-pound cylinder (6&#;&#;&#;W x 20&#;&#;H)
• 15-pound cylinder (6&#;&#;&#;W x 26&#;&#;H)
• 20-pound cylinder (8&#;&#;W x 27½&#;&#;H)

Naturally, you don&#;t need to buy a new CO2 tank every time your old one runs out of gas. Most homebrewers refill their tanks - this can be done at a draught beer store, welding supply store, fire extinguisher store, or any other place in your area that sells CO2 equipment.

What Size CO2 Tank for Homebrew

If you&#;re still asking yourself &#;what size CO2 tank should I get?&#; we can help you out with a few common tips. The basic idea is this: what size CO2 tank for keg you should get for your brewing equipment depends mainly on three things:

1. the type of kegs and beer (and therefore, pressure) you are using
2. how often you would like to refill your CO2 tank
3. how comfortable you are with a particular keg size and weight

Plus, there&#;s the price factor as well - obviously, bigger tanks will cost you more. For example, if your homebrewing equipment features corny kegs (5-gallon capacity), a small 2½-pound CO2 tank will dispense for about 7 to 11 kegs while a 10-pound CO2 tank can last up to 44 kegs.

How to Use a CO2 Tank: Tips and Warnings

Learning how to use a CO2 tank is not really difficult. The two most common problems you might run into are connecting the tank properly and setting the right pressure. Let&#;s see how it&#;s done.

Want more information on co2 dewar tank? Feel free to contact us.

To connect your CO2 tank for beer, you need to do the following:

• connect the CO2 regulator to the CO2 cylinder and securely tighten the tank nut to prevent gas leaks
• attach the CO2 gas tubing (aka &#;the air line&#;, usually red) to the CO2 regulator outlet nipple and secure it with a clamp
• connect the other end of the gas tubing to the CO2 pressure inlet nipple on the keg coupler and secure it with a clamp as well

Now it&#;s time to open the CO2 cylinder valve. When you do so, open it all the way to be sure there are no leaks. After that, it&#;s time to move on to the pressure settings - for most beers other than stouts, 12 psi should be perfect.

Setting the right pressure for CO2 tanks for  kegerators is important because it prevents over- or under-carbonation and generally ensure the keg remains perfectly balanced throughout its service life.

What Is the Pressure in a CO2 Cartridge?

CO2 cartridges are tiny little containers made of steel, filled with 100% pure CO2. How much pressure does a CO2 cartridge hold? Typically, it&#;s around 900 psi at room temperature however, it may decrease when the ambient temperature is low and increase when it&#;s hot.

To check the gas pressure on your CO2 tank, take a look at the primary and    secondary regulators. The primary regulator shows the output CO2 pressure while the secondary regulator shows how much CO2 you have left in the tank.

For a better pour, you can use the  flow control faucet to reduce foam and the pressure reducer to accommodate various styles of beer.

How Many Kegs You Get Out of a CO2 Tank

Now, to the practical side of the question. If you want to know, for example, how many kegs will a 5-pound CO2 tank will dispense, please refer to the table below.

Here, you can see the approximate number of kegs that can be dispensed using a certain type of CO2 tank and how much is a CO2 tank for a kegerator is going to last you.

 2½ Pound Cylinder   5 Pound Cylinder   10 Pound Cylinder   15 Pound Cylinder   20 Pound Cylinder  Homebrew

(5 gallons)

7-11 15-22 31-44 46-66 62-87 Corny keg

(5 gallons)

7-11 15-22 31-44 46-66 62-87 Sixth barrel

(5.23 gallons)

7-11 14-21 29-42 44-63 59-83 Quarter barrel

(7.75 gallons)

5-7 10-14 20-28 30-42 40-56 Half barrel

(15.50 gallons)

2-4 5-7 10-14 15-21 20-28

How Long Does a CO2 Cartridge Last for Serving a Keg?

So, how long do CO2 cartridges last? Again, it all depends on the size of the keg. If we&#;re talking a quarter barrel of draught beer (7.75 gallons), it will take about half a pound of CO2 to dispense it.

However, if you, like most homebrewers, prefer to use 5-gallon kegs ( Corny kegs), you will be able to dispense about 31 to 44 kegs of beer with a 5-pound CO2 tank.

What about portable cartridges? How long do CO2 cartridges last keg-wise? Well, one 16-gram CO2 cartridge will last for about one third of a Corny keg. A larger-size, 68 grams cartridge will last you from 1 up to 4 kegs.

We recommend keeping CO2 cylinders out of the fridge to avoid a decrease in pressure. For example, dispensing a regular North American Lager (like a Budweiser, Miller, or Coors) is half a pound for each half barrel keg provided the CO2 is stored at room temperature.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of co2 dewar sizes. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

You May Be Also Interested In