Setting up my new CO2 cylinder bought today - almost empty?

[kwakamat]

hi Guys n gals,

Just went out and picked up my waist height co2 cylinder today from Same Day Beers (Fylde) Ltd.
Wholesaler

It was £17.99 and i returned home to start setting up a system to run a kegerator and force prime my first two cornys (ginger beer should be ready to keg tomorrow.

Imagine my surprise when I attached my brand new regulator to see this reading:

Shouldn't it be in the green bit that says "full" ? :-(

Would love an opinion or two before I ring them in working hours tomorrow to ask why but maybe i'm missing something? The bottle is still heavy but I can't say that that means its full of gas

Help :-(

 

[abeyptfc]

not meaning to sound daft but have you turned the gas tap on yeah?

 

[kwakamat]

Ha! Yes i have, it opens up when you turn it anti-clockwise which surprised me as i was expecting to find that it was shut fully and it opened for a split second with a noise that the cat didn't particularly care for....

I'm not going mental right? This cylinder looks like it hasn't been filled!?

 

[abeyptfc]

i take it theres no hissing coming from it as if gas is escaping?

 

[kwakamat]

Nothing at all fellah - it's locked in nice and tight

 

[Mark1964]

It will be full what you are seeing is the pressure in the keg or in the line

 

[kwakamat]

It will be full what you are seeing is the pressure in the keg or in the line

Thanks for the reply buddy but just so you know - it's not connected up to a keg at the mo. just the co2 bottle into the regulator. The regulator tap is turned off and the co2 bottle is turned on - those are the readings from that.

 

[abeyptfc]

if you take the reg off and open the tap very slightly c02 should come out then you know its not empty!

 

[joe1002]

It's fine mate.  The co2 bottles pressure will be low even when full (I think it's something to do with the co2 being a liquid at pressure). It will stay at that pressure for some time, from memory the pressure on my last bottle stayed high but dropped off quite rapidly when it was near empty.

In short, I think you have a full bottle and not been ripped off.

I may be wrong on this but i think the only way of knowing how much gas is left is to weigh it, but then you need to know how much the bottle weight when empty. It may say on it somewhere?

 

[richc]

I have exactly the same set up and my tank side gauge reads pretty much the same as yours with a fresh tank of co2

 

[kwakamat]

Guys that's fantastic thank you looks like its settled and I can calm down thank god! So I'm gonna be force priming and kegging for the first time tomorrow - thanks for your help, hope I don't screw up!

 

[crofty83]

hi Guys n gals,

Just went out and picked up my waist height co2 cylinder today from Same Day Beers (Fylde) Ltd.
Wholesaler

It was £17.99 and i returned home to start setting up a system to run a kegerator and force prime my first two cornys (ginger beer should be ready to keg tomorrow.

Imagine my surprise when I attached my brand new regulator to see this reading:

Shouldn't it be in the green bit that says "full" ? :-(

Would love an opinion or two before I ring them in working hours tomorrow to ask why but maybe i'm missing something? The bottle is still heavy but I can't say that that means its full of gas

Help :-(

Do you live in the Blackpool are mate. I only ask as you say fylde in your post!

I'm after a CO2 cylinder and wonder where you got it from :-)

 

[kwakamat]

Yeah buddy I'm local - Lytham st Annes! The place named in my first post sell them, they are based on the old tvr industrial estate near Thornton just by T PRINT and laillas foods. 18 quid gets you a can no bother at all. They are air liquide suppliers, listed as retailers on their site just make sure you are clear that you aren't a business so they don't try and flog you loads of other stuff ;-)

 

[crofty83]

Very good. I will be paying them a trip :-)

Just out of interest when I rang BOC they said they did two types of CO2 cylinders, liquid and vapour. Is one better for home brewing than the other?

 

[highlander101]

Looks right. It comes down to the fact that dispensing gas is bottled at a lower pressure (about 700-800 psi) than comercial type gases.
Breathing air, n2 and the like are normally bottled to 200 Bar or ~3000psi, hence why the regulator is shaded like that.

Your bottle appears to be reading 800 psi so, spot on for a full bottle

 

[kwakamat]

Very good. I will be paying them a trip :-)

Just out of interest when I rang BOC they said they did two types of CO2 cylinders, liquid and vapour. Is one better for home brewing than the other?

oh god I have no idea but I would imagine vapour? I told them it was gas to pump beer/soft drinks.

Highlander, that's great info to know many thanks for your reply

 

[Rwilts]

Kwakamat,

did you get an adaptor for your regulators output? If so where from as i am looking for one for a similar reg that has a 3/8 male out.

 

[kwakamat]

Kwakamat,

did you get an adaptor for your regulators output? If so where from as i am looking for one for a similar reg that has a 3/8 male out.

hey fellah, am assuming you mean the barb fitting out the side that the gas line sleeves over? It was supplied inclusive of the regulator I ordered from brewuk - I've found that their kit on there is pretty fecking cheap. I would recommend calling them to ask where you can get one, bet they would supply one!