Larger c02 tank

[LitBrewing]

I have a converted refrigerator with 5 taps, usually have at least 4 going at a time. Right now I only have a 5lb tank hooked up via line to the outside of the fridge.

Trying to cost-justify getting a 20lb tank, is it a lot less expensive to refill 1 20lb vs 4x5lb tanks?

 

[bracconiere]

i haven't filled a 5lb tank in forever, but i believe it's around the same price for a 'swap' on either. i find it takes ~0.2oz of co2 to pour a gallon, and ~1.2oz to carbonate 5 gallons...purging and fancy transfers, not sure about.

 

[LitBrewing]

I don't know of any place locally that swaps larger tanks so probably will need to refill. I just paid $46 to refill two 5lb tanks, I gotta think it's close to that or even less to fill one 20lb tank and obviously less trips.

I have 3 5lb tanks now, I could probably sell 2 of them to cover the cost of buying 1 used 20lb tank as well. Keep one as a backup.

 

[bracconiere]

i spend ~$27 on a 20lb co2 swap at the welding shop...

 

[bracconiere]

i see there is an airgas in santa anna? you'd probably only need to make the trip every 2-3 years...

 

[MikeCo]

Where I live, it’s much cheaper by the pound to buy 20 lb of CO2 than 5. I like a larger tank just for the convenience of less frequent swaps. I paid about $25 for my last 20 lb swap.

 

[odie]

A larger tank is significantly cheaper.

At the homebrew scale...the cost is mostly labor. A supplier is spending the same labor and overhead to fill or swap your 5# tank or your 20# tank. At such minimal amounts, the cost of the CO2 per pound is almost negligible.

Think of it like...$20 tank hook up fee and $0.25 per pound on the fill...

 

[wepeeler]

I have a 5# and a 20#, and it's $25 for the 5# refill and $30 for the 20# refill. Go figure...

 

[Wayne1]

Look for a hydroponic supply shop. They usually sell CO2 at a lower price.

Here in the front range of Colorado "Way to Grow" shops swap 20 lb tanks of food grade CO2 for $7.99!

 

[mashpaddled]

You'll pay more to get a 20lb tank up front but with time you'll make it back with how much cheaper it is to fill larger tanks. The 5lb is a good backup for when your 20lb blows and you're not done drinking.

 

[BoilerInSoCal]

I upgraded to a 20 lb. when I moved up to my 4-tap. A great decision. Very convenient, with only a few fills in the past couple of years (maybe only 2?).

O'Shea in Laguna Nigel and Windsor Homebrew in Costa Mesa fill tanks. Unfortunately, I cannot recall their current prices (been going up), but the 20 is significantly less per pound than the 5. Windsor is very good at responding to emails if you want to email them asking for their refill prices.

 

[Bobby_M]

The prices for the 20LB tanks in recent months have doubled. I used to get them for about $80 but now they are nearly $180. The refill cost is only 100% more and you get 400% more product. The break even point is going to depend on how much gas you use.