I was just curious. What would be the minimum amount of equipment I would need to Carb my beer with CO2? What would be a rough estimate of cost for the equipment? I'm brewing my first beer and I'm going to bottle Carb this batch, but the future brews I think I would like to do in a keg.
CO2 pricing question
- Thread starter CodyClay
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trekie86
Active Member
I don't know cost but you'll need a keg, CO2 tank, regulator, and tubing. Depending on what you get, you may need fasteners and a dispenser as well. Make sure you have good seals/gaskets on your keg.
Keg Connections seems to have pretty decent prices for a basic keg setup. Only thing after getting it is having to get the CO2 tank filled, but a quick check of your local directory for welding supplies should get you there. I fill my 20# tank for about $17. Filled it last June and still have plenty of gas to last through until next June. I picked up 2 5-gallon ball lock kegs from a CL posting today for $40 each, 2 back in June for $35 each, my 20# tank cost me $100 shipped, regulator was $45, gas line and beer lines with picnic taps are about $14 each. Time saved by not cleaning bottles, then sanitizing them and the filling and capping.... Worth every penny I spent on kegging!
Thank you so much. That's what I needed to know. I'm on a buget, so I'm going to buy everything over time. I've been looking on YouTube at making a kegerator. Are there less expensive ways to chill the brew? I suppose I could just go from the keg to bottles. Lol. Almost defeating the purpose.
It is definitely one of those things that you can do on the cheap with patience. Scavenging a used chest freezer, kegs, regulators, etc on CL can get you a pretty long way. I, of course, have no patience so I didn't go that route 
I think I remember seeing some promos (possibly keg connection or somewhere else) for a $130 beginner keg setup. This is one keg, smallish co2 tank, 2 gauge regulator, and picnic tap. I would suggest that you try to think ahead a little in this department though. Consider how many taps you want to have and think about whether you'll want to keep different kegs at different serving pressures. It will be cheaper and easier in the long run if you buy a dual regulator now vs getting a single one now and a dual later (this is the one thing I wish I had done differently with mine). Also think about a slightly larger co2 tank (I love my 10lb) to make your life easier with fewer refills if you plug multiple kegs into it.
As for kegerators/keezers...I spent $150 on a new chest freezer at Costco, but a lot of people find these used on CL. Beyond that, it is pretty easy to build a basic keezer without any bells a whistles (~$40 temp controller, a few dollars on wood, insulation or foam, hole bit for your drill). This can obviously get more expensive if you want.
I think I remember seeing some promos (possibly keg connection or somewhere else) for a $130 beginner keg setup. This is one keg, smallish co2 tank, 2 gauge regulator, and picnic tap. I would suggest that you try to think ahead a little in this department though. Consider how many taps you want to have and think about whether you'll want to keep different kegs at different serving pressures. It will be cheaper and easier in the long run if you buy a dual regulator now vs getting a single one now and a dual later (this is the one thing I wish I had done differently with mine). Also think about a slightly larger co2 tank (I love my 10lb) to make your life easier with fewer refills if you plug multiple kegs into it.
As for kegerators/keezers...I spent $150 on a new chest freezer at Costco, but a lot of people find these used on CL. Beyond that, it is pretty easy to build a basic keezer without any bells a whistles (~$40 temp controller, a few dollars on wood, insulation or foam, hole bit for your drill). This can obviously get more expensive if you want.
gr8shandini
Well-Known Member
Keg Connection is good on both prices and customer service. Highly recommended.
Call your local welding supply place before you order a bottle, though. A lot of places just run swaps instead of filling bottles. Mine will do a fill, but they make it a pain in the ass whereas I can just swap a 5 pounder at any time. Anyway, if you're doing a swap, the pretty polished aluminum jobbie that you paid good money for is going to be come a ratty old steel tank the first time you run out of gas. Better just to buy from the welding shop. However, on the plus side, if you run a swap, you never have to pay for a hydro test.
As for chilling the beer, the chest freezer may be more efficient in the long run, but you can always find an old fridge for cheap to free on craigslist and it won't need any carpentry or a temperature controller. Also, bottling from a keg isn't as silly as it sounds. I do it all the time when I want to take a sixer to a friend's place. Look up "BMBF" on this site and you'll see how you can do it on the cheap.
Call your local welding supply place before you order a bottle, though. A lot of places just run swaps instead of filling bottles. Mine will do a fill, but they make it a pain in the ass whereas I can just swap a 5 pounder at any time. Anyway, if you're doing a swap, the pretty polished aluminum jobbie that you paid good money for is going to be come a ratty old steel tank the first time you run out of gas. Better just to buy from the welding shop. However, on the plus side, if you run a swap, you never have to pay for a hydro test.
As for chilling the beer, the chest freezer may be more efficient in the long run, but you can always find an old fridge for cheap to free on craigslist and it won't need any carpentry or a temperature controller. Also, bottling from a keg isn't as silly as it sounds. I do it all the time when I want to take a sixer to a friend's place. Look up "BMBF" on this site and you'll see how you can do it on the cheap.
