Jeff Flowers on December 16, 2013 84 Comments CO2 is an essential factor to consider when dispensing draft beer and it’s typically the component that has the most questions associated with it. It’s unclear why people are easily intimidated with CO2, but it could be because chemical compounds and subscripts remind them of their high school chemistry class. Without getting too technical, here are the answers to the most frequently asked CO2 questions: 1. How do I know what pressure my CO2 is set at? Your regulator, which is the component that connects the tank to the air hose, will have either one or two gauges on it. If it only has one, then that’s the one you’re looking for. If it has two, look for the gauge that shows a range of about 0-60 PSI (pounds per square inch). This will be your regulated pressure gauge. The number the arrow is pointing to on this gauge is how much pressure is being delivered to your keg. 2. How do I know how much CO2 is left in my tank? This is why it is worth considering a double gauge regulator. A double gauge regulator has a regulated pressure gauge as well as a high pressure gauge, which measures the amount of CO2 left in your cylinder. Without a double gauge regulator, it is a bit of a guessing game. Rather than waiting till you completely run out, it is good to know how many kegs can be dispensed per CO2 tank to know when the best time to refill is. 3. How many kegs can I dispense before needing to fill my CO2 tank? If you’re using a 5lb. CO2 tank, you can dispense 2 to 4 full-sized kegs before having to refill. The cooler the ambient temperature, the closer you’ll get to 4 kegs. 4. What pressure should my CO2 be set at? Most American breweries advise for a CO2 pressure between 12-14 PSI. The brewery or distributor you received your keg from should have a pressure recommendation, and if you receive your keg from a third party, it’s best to call the brewery and ask. An inaccurate pressure can result in either under or over carbonation, which translates to either flat beer or an overly foamy beer. 5. Should my CO2 tank be inside or outside of the Kegerator? Although it doesn’t make a significant difference either way, most CO2 tanks are mounted outside of the refrigeration compartment. This allows for a better use of space inside the refrigerator to fit kegs. Distance between the tank and the keg is not important as long as you have a reliable air hose. What is important is that your CO2 tank remains upright and is kept away from heat sources. 6. Where can I get my CO2 tank filled? Local welding supply stores, locations that fill fire extinguishers, local home brew shops, and sporting stores that sell paint ball guns are among the most likely places to get your CO2 tank filled. Diagram for Regulating Keg Compression: Hopefully this answers all of your CO2 questions. If not, please leave your question in the comments section below and we’ll answer you as soon as we can. Or, call us directly at 1-866-950-8710. This will likely get you an answer quicker. Now, let’s get back to what’s really important – drinking beer. Cheers!
Jeff Flowers says August 5, 2014 at 3:25 pm Hi Jim! We sell a couple different varieties that you can order. The links below will take you directly to them. – 5lb CO2 Tank – 10lb CO2 Tank – 22cu Ft. Nitrogen Tank Please let me know if you have any questions. Jeff Reply
Chris says November 6, 2020 at 4:26 am Jeff, Im new to homebrewing and have purchased everything needed apart from the gas. Im a little confused about the various gas mixes I can use. Im confused which one to get. I will be brewing IPA’s and it will end up in my corny keg and the beer will be delivered via my Kegerator. So do I go for 60/40 or all CO2 ? Reply
Alex says September 29, 2020 at 1:22 am Hi there’s an existing kegerator in the house that I just bought but besides the small fridge everything looks old and dirty including hoses. I started buying everything separately but I’m not sure if I should keep the same co2 tank and it’s valve or replace that as well. What do you suggest. Reply
Jeff Flowers says August 12, 2014 at 10:25 am Hi Bob, Yes, that is correct. Once you have everything set up and all of the lines have been securely attached, you will turn the CO2 tank on, find the right pressure for your beer and keep it that way until your keg is empty. Jeff Reply
ritch says June 11, 2017 at 10:42 pm i use co2 to carbonate my home brew. it takes 4 or 5 days at about 30 lbs of preasure. then when i serve it 30 lbs fills the glass way too fast. i have a shut off valve at the regulator. i shut it off and let most of the preasure out of the keg. i can fill 4 or 5 bottles or glasses. as it slows down i open the valve for 1or 2 seconds and im good for 5 more beers.if your having a party, then turn the regulator down to 4 or 5 lbs and open the valve. i have each keg sitting on a 10 dollar bathroom scale inside the kegerator and have them zeroed out with a empty keg. no suprises. i always know when a keg is about empty. its amazing how accurate it is. a full keg weighs around 42 lbs. dont use digital read out scales because they shut off after a few minuites with no movement and they cost more. you will never again have to lift them to see how heavy they are to guess how much is left in them. Reply
jeff odonnell says November 10, 2014 at 8:39 pm I left my co2 tank on for a week or so and i went back and and now the full co2 tank is completely empty. Where are the easiest ways to detect a leak? Reply
Joe Domiano says May 29, 2015 at 10:35 am Ive had the same issue before. For me since Im doing homebrew kegging, I find that the gas ball locks dont have a perfect seal and if they are not hooked up to a keg, they are a source for a leak. I usually put the valve in the off position just after the regulator. I forgot to do this last week as i was cleaning my beer lines and kegs and now my CO_2 is out again :/ Gotta stop by the welding supply store to refill so I can keg my new batch and carbonate it. Reply
Nate says January 21, 2017 at 7:52 pm You can use soapy water or your StarSan sanitizing mix to look for leaks, it will bubble very tiny bubbles. You don’t have to actually open the CO2 valve unless you are drawing beer off of the keg or shortly thereafter. Once pressure is established, without any leaks, it should hold. Reply
Michael says December 29, 2014 at 6:14 pm I was curious once i tap a keg with CO2 can i keep the co2 off but leave my tap connected ? Reply
dennis says July 24, 2015 at 8:12 pm Yes but you must (Must!!!) Remember to turn the gas back on or you’ll pump the native Co2 out of the tank and all you’ll have is a keg of flat beer. Reply
HUBERT says May 1, 2015 at 8:39 am DO I NEED TO PUT A RUBBER WASHER BETWEEN THE TANK AND THE GOLD NUT? Reply
dennis says July 24, 2015 at 8:10 pm Sure do. Hard plastic if it came w/ it silicone or rubber otherwise. Gas rated Teflon tape on the threads can’t hurt.. Reply
Chris Brunson says October 19, 2017 at 10:00 am Actually, Teflon tape can hurt. Teflon tape is for tapered threads. The CGA-320 connection is a straight thread and uses the seal that you spoke of. Teflon tape on this connection can prevent it from seating properly. (This coming from a gas guy) Reply
Brandon Roberts says May 8, 2015 at 6:19 pm I wasn’t sure about where I was supposed to set my co2 at. Which this site helped me figure that problem out. Also, I’m glad you talked about using a double gauge regulator in order to figure out how much co2 is left in the tank. Thanks a ton! You were a big help. Reply
Joe Domiano says May 29, 2015 at 10:31 am I suggest using the brewersfriend app to determine the amount of CO_2 pressure needed for the type of beer you have on draft. Different beer types should be carbonated at different PSI or volumes of CO_2 per mL. Temperature plays an important role in this so know what temperature your kegerator stores liquid at. You can do this by putting a thermometer in a glass of water and let it sit in there for a few hours to see what temp it equalizes at. Reply
ritch says June 11, 2017 at 10:50 pm my gauge says 200 lbs when full and doesn’t change until. its near empty. when it says 180 and it has clearly dropped your actually as good as empty. Reply
dennis ducker says September 5, 2015 at 7:13 pm Does C02 in a 5 lb tank go bad? I have a tank that has had C02 in it for approximately 10 years…..NEVER BEEN USED. Don’t want to infuse anything bad into a fresh keg of brewski!! Reply
Troy Duron says September 18, 2015 at 1:56 pm I have a double gauge regulator and the high pressure gauge is right at 500 psi (the gauge goes up to 3000.) The beer is coming out too foamy, does this mean my co2 is running low? Reply
Jenny says November 13, 2015 at 5:10 pm Did the soapy water trick looking for a leak in the co2 line. Couldn’t find one. Also had the regulator checked, and it’s fine. Co2 lasts 24-48 hours and I’m on my 4th bottle. its brand new. Please help! Reply
alvaro says November 16, 2015 at 9:56 am how i safely empty a 456gr co2 tank for sending via airplane in mail? which are the procedures for sending a co2 tank via mail airplane? Reply
BBY says April 11, 2017 at 11:06 am Did you receive a reply on how to safety empty a co2 tank? I am looking for a step-by-step process to use to train employees? Reply
Jon says November 29, 2015 at 7:15 pm I just lost another tank of co2 because I did not shut the tank off. The soda keg with ball lock was empty and I believe the co2 escaped through the tap which is a Perlick ss650. Reply
Nick says January 4, 2016 at 4:43 pm My Igloo kegerator I purchased last year has been working fine mostly. Except this past week all of a sudden the beer only comes out of the tap at super high pressure resulting in all foam or it doesnt come out at all. When I lower the pressure it doesnt come out at all. There’s no medium. I dont know if the regulator is bad or the keg is bad or what. Does any1 have any insight? Reply
Jack says October 8, 2017 at 9:46 am The temperature is too low and the keg has frozen. Check the temperature inside the kegerator. Reply
Anthony says February 12, 2016 at 9:17 pm If i wanted to run a longer hose than usual do i need to turn my psi up? Looking to extend my hose probably aboit 30 feet. Reply
Shri says February 14, 2016 at 9:07 pm Could you please advise on how could this kegerator used in making carbonated drinks or even sparkling juices or it’s solely only for beers. Reply
manoj says March 16, 2016 at 3:19 am Sir, If I refill 30 kg co2 in cylinder, how many days can i claim for any waranty from my buer and under which clause. Mr. Manoj Reply
manoj says March 16, 2016 at 3:23 am How many days can a customer claim after refilling of co2 in cylinder & under which clause. Rgds, Manoj Reply
Roger Sheriff says August 11, 2016 at 10:35 am I bought a kegerator used on craigslist and was messing around with the adjustment screw on the regulator. The screw came out and i read that shouldn’t happen. Is my regulator screwed? Reply
Carlis says August 12, 2016 at 11:35 pm Can A co2 tank be filled up were propane tanks are filled up Reply
Pete Conrad says September 7, 2016 at 2:27 am How should CO2 tanks be stored and secured while In and Out if service? Reply
Pete Conrad says September 7, 2016 at 2:36 am The type of gas being filled is taken into account for the type of cylinder and cylinder material. I buy propane for heating as well as cooking. At the refill station, the attendant Always checks the date on the cylinder, that the cylinder is made of Rust Free Steel and there is no visual damage. The Attendant is also looking for a particular valve type. CO2 cylinders have different valve and don’t look the same as propane cylinders. I doubt you’ll find anyone who would put propane into a CO2 cylinder. Reply
Mike says September 12, 2016 at 1:25 pm I am not sure who may be filling the 5lb tanks that the initial article referenced but they must not be full. A 5lb bottle will easily drive 6-8 1/2 kegs of beer . Those are the 15.5 gallon larger style kegs. Certainly if a leak was present it would be less but 2-4 kegs is wrong Reply
Mike yoder says October 6, 2016 at 10:24 pm When I turn my CO 2 tank on the air comes spewing out the turn valve very hard until I turn it off. Is the tank faulty or do I have a something wrong ? Reply
Matt says October 25, 2016 at 9:23 am I got a full CO2 5 lb tank yesterday and went to screw on the regulator and air came out a couple times before I turned it off and tightened the hex screw to where CO2 couldn’t leak out. How long does it take for a full CO2 5 lb tank to become empty when it is left open with free flowing air? Reply
Georgina M. says October 5, 2020 at 8:06 am Where do I get rid of a liquid carbon dioxide tank? And do I get any deposit back? Reply
iqbal says December 15, 2016 at 1:04 am I have available CO2 liquid 9.8 bottols. If any one need this then contact with me Reply
Brian says January 4, 2017 at 12:05 am Trying to figure out where to keep my CO2 and Nitrogen tanks, my only two options are: in the walk in, but I don’t want to take up valuable space, or outside the cooler, which would be in the kitchen close to the stove, Can/Should I build a little insulated wall between the stove and the space for the tanks or bite the bullet and store in walk in? Reply
Tim says January 10, 2017 at 11:38 am If I tap a keg and the co2 tank runs out after a day or two am I screwed? Or can I still save the beer from getting flat? Reply
A.J. says January 18, 2017 at 7:24 pm This article has several incorrect statements. For one the high pressure guage does not measure the CO2 in the tank at all. At a given temp, it will be the same exact reading whether it is completely full or ptactically empty as long as liquid is preaent. It measures pressure, that is all. As soon as the liquid CO2 is gone, it drops into the red. Your gusage has nothing to do with how full the bottle is whatsoever except when dry. Also, your statement about pressure is temperature dependent. You’re doing people a disservice by saying it should be 12psi. What if the serving temp is 45°?? What if it is 31°?? This article is severely lacking. 4 out of 6 of your points are either false or misleading. Also, welding supply houses that have CO2 produced with oil are horrible sources. You will never have a head on your beer, nor can you clean it out of a bottle once it is in there. The point is to ASK the supplier about oil first, if only to check if theirs is produced with it. Reply
A.J. says January 18, 2017 at 7:37 pm If it runs out, your faucet pressure will drop as the dissolved CO2 takes up the headspace, lessening the amount of carbonation as you pour beers until it is flat and stops flowing. Never fear. Put a new bottle on a flat beer and the carbonation will return in a couple to four days as long as the bottle is left on, no leaks, and the temp and pressure stay the same. If you double the pressure, you can recarbonate faster, but until it settles, and to be able to pour without it foaming horribly, turn it back down and let it settle a couple days. Also if you serve right away, it may come out of suspension in the glass faster. A colder temp will help it absorb more CO2 at a given pressure too. Always return to the original pressure and temp so your beer isn’t over or under carbed. There are online charts that show volumes of CO2 for a given temp and pressure. It is a personal preference. Personally I serve many beers at 41 degrees and 10 psi. It gives a softer, more drinkable, mouth feel, although it may not be “correct” for the beer style. Experiment with pressure. Maybe you like softer as opposed to harsher carbonation (8-15psi). Carbonation is temperature dependent, so the same pressure at two different temps will yield higher or lower carbonation. Think Guiness carb level as opposed to Bud Light. Two different pressures at the same temp, or two different temps at the same pressure. Reply
A.J. says January 18, 2017 at 7:40 pm If you have CO2 spewing out the screw adjustment knob, your diagram in the regulator is blown. Lots of regulators are rebuildable with a new diaphragm. Reply
Joe says February 7, 2017 at 4:05 pm Can you use regular air for your beer mister or will it go flat?? Reply
John says February 18, 2017 at 10:22 pm In my opinion it is very clear why people are intimidated by CO2. CO2 is an asphyxiant. All breweries will have CO2 alarms in place in their cellars, what is not clear is the volume required for it to be dangerous, homebrew scale should not be dangerous in most situations but there is always an exception. Also unlike CO meters, CO2 meters tend to be very expensive (CO meter for 10 dollars but 100 for a CO2 meter). Reply
Max Jones says March 21, 2017 at 3:46 pm Until recently, I had no experience with CO2 tanks whatsoever. Recently I started a new job, but I’m slightly intimidated to ask questions about the tanks we work with. I was looking for some basic information online to increase my knowledge, so I’m glad I found this article! I like how you answered how many kegs could be dispensed before needing to refill. I’ll definitely be referring back to this again until I’m more comfortable with what I’m doing. Reply
Brian Berckmann says August 22, 2017 at 5:35 pm Hello. I went out of town for a week and came back and lost all my CO2. So I figured that I had a leak and refilled the CO2 and used soapy water to find leaks which I only found one. So I used teflon tape to stop the leak and retapped the partially empty keg. I got one pint out of it and now no more beer is flowing. HELP PLEASE! Reply
James Edwards says September 25, 2017 at 7:34 pm I have a 5lb CO2 tank and am only getting thru 1.5-2 pony kegs. I have a double gauge regulator which shows the PSI and also when the tank is full. It showed the same for about a month and then all the sudden was empty. It sounds like that is norm for the tank, you don’t know how much air is left unless you weigh it or its empty, but why am I only getting 1.5 kegs? Reply
David says October 1, 2017 at 6:10 am Can I dispense Nitro beers with a portable platform? Does a Kegerator product already exist or can a product be modified to dispense CO2 and Nitro? Reply
Matt Halverson says November 30, 2017 at 11:07 pm I hooked up my kegarator and everything was working fine of the first couple days. i went to use it and the handle seems “frozen” or locked and will not allow me to pull it towards me to dispense beer. i can’t seem to figure out what happened to cause this problem…..any suggestions on what i can do? i have a dual kegarator and after building i only hooked a keg up to one of the handles. i could use the other handle but i am afraid the same issue might happen Reply
Mat420 says December 19, 2019 at 10:55 pm Unless you have perlick or another front seal tap it will always get stuck if u don’t serve a beer for a few days beer is extremely sticky Reply
Christopher Antonetti says December 1, 2017 at 6:25 pm Soapy water in a spray bottle will show you where it’s bubbling and there is your leak. Reply
STANISLAV K FRITZ says December 16, 2017 at 12:46 pm There has been some discussion about “food safe” CO2 and that welding shops and others are allowed to have traces of BENZENE in the Co2. I am curious as to what sources of CO2 — OTHER than industrial are easy to find. Benzene is not a good gas to be consuming all the time, even in trace quantities Reply
L. Simpson says January 19, 2018 at 4:55 pm I would like to know the difference between beergas and co2. Some bars use the beergas and some use co2 mainly because of the cost. Where I buy our co2 it is much cheeper than beergas. Does the beergas make any difference to the draft? Flavor , less foam ? Look forward to your response. Reply
Tim Havera says April 6, 2018 at 9:10 pm My 5 pound CO2 tank only lasts about two days. I’m sure it’s hooked up correctly and I cannot find a leak. Any advice? Reply
Joe Ferrulli says July 16, 2019 at 2:51 pm How can you tell the expiry date of the cylinder What happens once the date is expired on the cylinder Thanks Reply
Kegerator.com says January 17, 2020 at 5:35 pm Hey Joe! I think I can answer this for you. Every Co2 tank will be stamped with a creation date at the top of the cylinder made up of two digits representing the month, followed by a manufacturer mark, and then two digits representing the year. This will be mixed in with codes representing the cylinder type, serial numbers, and manufacturer numbers, so look for that two-digit, symbol, two-digit format. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires that most C02 tanks be re-certified via hydrostatic test every 5 years. While the Co2 inside will not go “bad”, the gas can begin to corrode the tank itself over time, causing it to become unsafe to re-pressurize. If it is 5 years past the date printed on the cylinder, then it has expired, and while it is probably safe to use, you will not be able to refill the tank until it passes another hydrostatic test. Hope this helps, Cheers! Reply
John says April 24, 2018 at 1:00 pm Hi, I am planning to have my CO2 canister outside my keg. If I do this should I run the gas through a Shank or can you just run a gas line through a hole on the keg? Thanks in advance Reply
devendra singh says May 1, 2018 at 10:56 pm how to calculate the co2 cylinder field volume? p1v1=p2v2? Reply
Danny says May 5, 2018 at 2:09 pm How long a 5lb tank last on a keg ? How long a10lb tanks Last on a kegs Reply
Shannon Pringle says July 8, 2018 at 4:50 pm I helped a friend install her commercial sized kegerator. Everything is working fine, I just want to know a safe place inside to mount the co2 distributor. I don’t want to drill into somethinf important by accident. Reply
Thomas says August 12, 2018 at 11:17 am I’m having a problem with my kegerator that I’m hoping you can help me with. As I pour beers the serving pressure drops, but it doesn’t return to normal afterwards. My regulator has a turn knob, so I frustratingly have to turn it back up every time. I’ve also noticed a very slow drop while carbonating a drop (over many, many hours). I’ve soaped the whole thing down. No air leak that I can detect. Any thoughts? All I can think of is the regulator might be faulty? Reply
Lundy says August 27, 2018 at 8:01 pm I have a new kegerator and the temp is down to 34 and the pressyis set to 9. My beer pours so fast it’s stupid. All parts are new but it just pours so quickly that I get foam. It’s ljke my garden house. 5/16 airline and 3/16 beer line. 5ft beer line and it is clean. Help Reply
Mat420 says December 19, 2019 at 11:00 pm It probably just has extra pressure built up inside keg pull the gas release on coupler untill its empty and let it fill back up with 9psi if that’s the pressure it shouldn’t be serving super fast at all if it still is I would guess regulator is messed up Reply
Mark says January 7, 2019 at 4:38 pm I have that problem. I had to cut my pressure down to about 5 psi but I still have head at beginning of pour but not as bad.. try that… I’m still learning tho Reply
Jane kegerator Smith says August 20, 2019 at 9:25 pm I would NOT get my CO2 canister filled by a welding shop or a paintball store. You should ONLY get it filled with FOOD GRADE CO2. You don’t want to be drinking petroleum oil or solvents of ANY kind!!!! Reply
Robert McWhorter says February 5, 2020 at 8:58 pm Hello Jeff – I have a two-tap kegerator. If I put only one keg in the fridge, do I have to do anything else with the other connector? In other words, will the CO2 from the uncoupled connector just leak out if it’s not connected to anything? Thanks. Reply
Kegerator.com says February 6, 2020 at 10:32 am Hey Robert! You’re absolutely fine connecting just the one keg, and you shouldn’t have to do anything with your second coupler as long as it wasn’t stuck in an open position when you disconnected it (and if it’s a new system that you’ve never connected to a second keg, you won’t even need to worry about this). If for some reason your coupler IS leaking, you will be able to identify it by a slight hissing sound as the CO2 escapes, which again is an unlikely scenario if you’ve disconnected it properly. Hope this helps, Cheers! Reply
Jim Dobson says March 11, 2020 at 3:36 am I have an old second hand CO2 cylinder that I bought at a garage sale, but I have my suspicions that perhaps it didn’t belong to the person who sold it to me, if I get it hydrostatic tested to re-certify it will they look up it’s serial number and perhaps discover it belonged to somebody who is not me? Reply
OmeCabs says March 25, 2020 at 10:54 am Hi, in your article you mention of where to get Co2 tanks filled however isn’t there a difference between standard Co2 and Food-grade? Thanks Reply
Bobby says April 9, 2020 at 3:33 pm Is it possible c02 got into my keg? I unhooked my Co2 and now beer is still rocketing out of my tap. Reply
Scotty Johnson says June 4, 2020 at 3:04 pm I am getting a 3 tap kegerator. How important is it to have a 3 gauge 3 output regulator so I have the option to run different types of beer at different PSI. Reply
Nick says June 12, 2020 at 6:45 am If I keep my co2 bottle and regulater in the fridge, then do I have to adjust the pressure i set it to when carbonating my beer? As pressure and temp are related, I would think that I need to drop the set pressure on the regulater if it’s in the fridge, compared to being outside the fridge. Cheers! Reply
Marisela Voliva says July 4, 2020 at 3:14 pm Fantastic post but I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Kudos! Reply
Brian says December 20, 2020 at 1:04 pm I am getting a lot of foam with my new kegerator. I have a Igloo FRB200. I believe I am missing a part they are calling a CO2 Rubber Directional Washer. I can’t seem to find that part online anywhere. Is it called something else? Could that be the cause of the excessive foam? Reply
Kegerator.com says January 4, 2021 at 4:51 pm Hi Brian, We do not carry that model or brand, but believe you may be referring to the probe washer? If so, gas would be entering the beer line and would create a lot of foam. I would suggest reaching out to the manufacturer since it was recently purchased. Cheers! Reply
Scott Cheatham says January 5, 2021 at 1:13 am As a professional diver (dive medic/PSD), I’m use to high pressure tank systems. Why is it that CO2 tanks never seem to break the 1,000 psig mark? Most seem to be between 750-850 psig on average when filled. Is this lack of fill pressure related to the gas’s expansion rates as a safety precaution? Reply
