12g co2 keg pump [QUESTION!!!]

[modderman]

Has anyone ever used 12g co2 cartridges to pump?
I have whole setup with the regulator and tap, I just do not have a co2 tank.
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions: I was going to machine a block that would tap the 3 co2 cartridges and connect to the tap. Would there be any problem with this? Isn't this pretty much the same as using a large tank, but instead using 3 little tanks?


3500 in^3 in a keg (15.5 gallons)
from data I found: at 10in^3, a co2 canister puts out 420 psi.
So I did some calculations and determined I would need 3 so that by the end I could have at least 3 psi in the keg.

[cubby_swans]

Has anyone ever used 12g co2 cartridges to pump?
I have whole setup with the regulator and tap, I just do not have a co2 tank.
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions: I was going to machine a block that would tap the 3 co2 cartridges and connect to the tap. Would there be any problem with this? Isn't this pretty much the same as using a large tank, but instead using 3 little tanks?


3500 in^3 in a keg (15.5 gallons)
from data I found: at 10in^3, a co2 canister puts out 420 psi.
So I did some calculations and determined I would need 3 so that by the end I could have at least 3 psi in the keg.

You're talking about using three 12 gram co2 cartridges to tap a 1/2barrel? You would typically get 1 keg to tap using 1/2 lb of co2. If you had a 20oz tank, I'd say go for it, but 3 (12) gram co2 cartridges will be nowhere near enough co2 to tap a keg. I think you'd need more like 20 of them. You want around 12 psi from the beginning to the end of the keg to tap it.

[whutever]

What you're attempting to do would require 15 or more of a 16g cartridge to push a 1/2 barrel. I use these cartridges from More Beer to dispense from my Corney kegs at our driveway happy hours.

[Scott Zuhse]

Under perfect conditions, it requires 6 tenths of a pound of CO2 to dispense a domestic 1/2 bbl. This would equate to approx. 272 grams.

[BrewGuru]

272g / 12 g = 22 2/3 units....

12g CO2 cartridges are usually around $1/each...

At $23 per 1/2bbl dispensed in CO2 cost alone, this could possible the least economical way to push beer out of a keg!

A proper 5lb CO2 tank setup will cost you MUCH less in the long run.
Another thing to note here is that it is very difficult to maintain the proper level of pressure with these little cartridges, they are intended for special event (1 day only) and remote use.

[tomtom]

Im currently using a 20 oz paintball cylinder ($4 to fill),and it gets me through
a 1/4 and a 1/2 barrel keg with a little co2 to spare.

[rickk1000]

If you want portable, 20 ounce paintball is the way to go.

If you want long term economical, get the biggest CO2 tank you can lift.

It doesn't cost much more to fill a 20 pounder than a 5 pounder, and a 50 pounder isn't all that much more than a 20 pounder. 50 pounders arn't in any way portable though. I have two of them (I MIG weld with CO2 as well). They last years between fillings, but I dread when they need to be filled.

Note that you can fill 20 ounce paintball cylinders from a big CO2 tank yourself. Either get a CO2 tank with a "dip tube" in it so you can get the liquid to come out, or invert a non-dip-tube equipped tank. Adapter fill hoses are available on ebay, and the only other thing you need is a postal scale so that you don't over-fill the tank. It will reduce the 20 ounce fill costs to close to a buck a pound (+-), depending on how much it cost to have your big tank filled.