I'm going to buy a CO2 tank in the near future and eventually get into kegging. However, I also want to use it to purge with CO2 for now into my bottling bucket and secondary when I do extended bulk aging. I imagine the technique itself is simple, but how long do you purge for and are there any other tips anyone may have?
Nothing really tricky here . . . when I bottle a 12 ouncer I hit it with 4-5 seconds of CO2 before filling, then another 1-2 seconds in the neckspace (4'ish psi). For a 5 gallon carboy I let it fill for about 30 seconds, then a good 5-10 seconds in the neckspace. The carboy purging becomes more critical when it isn't near full (i.e. 3 gallons of beer in a 5 gallon carboy), that's when I hit it a little harder. You could make an argument that the initial squirt of CO2 is unnecessary as the liquid forces most of the gas out . . . but it's the way I do it. To the best of my knowledge you can't really purge an open mouth bottling bucket, my technique is just to work fast and avoid splashing. When you get your kegs you will learn "burping". Related; decide now if you want to "own and refill" a CO2 bottle or "buy and swap" the cylinder. Pros and cons either way and your local distribution method usually tips the scale. Also, compare the economics of a 5 lb'er versus a 10 or 20 lb'er (you'll probably end up going larger). You will enjoy having CO2 around, lots of uses besides carbonation . . .
No decision to be made here. My supplier will fill or swap -- same price either way. When I bring my shiny aluminum tank, I'm inclined to get it filled unless he's got one just as pretty to swap. With my ugly steel tank, I'm more likely to swap and save a few minutes. no argument there! Also, consider a second tank. You get precious little warning when you're out of gas.
