I'm not sure that this is the right place for this question. So if this is the wrong place fir it, I would like to apologize in advance. I'm installing an underbar 5 lbs. CO2 tank to feed a DrinkMate soda maker. With a pressure gauge built into the bar backstop, so that I can see how much gas is left in the tank. But I've run into a bit of a snag. I bought an adapter kit, so I have the connectors for the tank and DrinkMate ends of the line, and 1000 PSI pressure gauge (a 5lbs. CO2 bottle is supposed to be about 900 PSI full), along with the connection hardware up to the compression fitting. But the kit I got is using 6mm plastic pressure line, and I'm having trouble finding T, L, and gauge connection pressure fittings that will work with the line that my kit came with. The DrinkMate end of the line is a fast release, so replacing that end with whatever will be relatively easy. The tank connector end is a standard part, so it can also be swapped out for a more readily available type of high pressure line as well. My question for the form is this. Would you recommend replacing the 6mm plastic tubing with something more durable and/or easier to find fittings for? Or alternately, is there a solution to this conundrum that I am not thinking of? I've adding an image of the project plans to this post. But the picture keeps coming up broken. So here's a link to it instead. https://imgur.com/a/ZeKFXb2
A couple of things: Most important is the pressure gauge on a CO2 tank does not tell you how much gas is remaining, only the pressure of the gas in the headspace. Sound confusing? Here's a detailed explanation: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/how-many-kegs.276617/#post-3497275 Running a high pressure line from CO2 tank to the soda maker is not practical. We are talking 900+ psi and you don't want to be using plastic tubing for that. For example, natural gas transmission lines operate in the 1000 psi range and they are high carbon steel. Also, I'm pretty sure Mr. DrinkMate isn't built for a high pressure input. But the work around is easy: place your regulator at the gas tank. Then run low pressure gas (15 - 30'ish psi) to the soda machine. This requires simple gas tubing which is cheap and easy to work with. Plus, your fitting/connections/clamps are readily available and simple to install. In the event of a failure no one will die from a low pressure line rupturing. This will eliminate placing a gauge remote from the tank but that's of minor consequence as this gauge doesn't really tell you much. You'll always have to bend over to read the gauge but to know the real quantity remaining will require weighing the tank. Many keggers have a back up tank just for the convenience of not worrying about running out. You didn't ask, but a 5 lb'er is not very economical. With gas tanks, bigger is always better. Something like a 20 lb'er is only slightly more expensive but refilling is a bargain compared to the pip squeak . . . and obviously it lasts four times longer. I use CO2 to push beer and can get a year+ from my 20 and have a 5 as a backup.
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate your input. The 6mm line I referred to is what came with the kit that I bought, and according to the product description on Amazon and the manufacturer's sites, is supposedly rated to 4500 PSI. But it seems like a weird gauge to find fittings for. So I guess its got to go, since the regulator will use more standardized parts. Which was the really the question in this post. While it is disappointing that the gauge will not be as useful as I had initially hoped. I still plan to add it to the system. Because, A: I've already paid for the thing and I can't imagine needing it for anything else in the near future. and B: because it will add an interesting (albeit nearly useless) touch to the look of the bar. The 5lbs tank is what would fit in the space I had, and was readily available in my area. I would have used a larger tank if one would have fit. But you work with what you've got. Also, it's a DrinkMate, it already takes us more than 6 months to go through a standard 14.5 oz. SodaStream CO2 bottle. So it's going to take around 3 years to go through that much CO2. At which point efficiency becomes something of a moot point. I looked it up, and a DrinkMate's operating pressure is 55 PSI (probably should have started with that honestly). So good idea on the regulator. It'll be a bit more plumbing. But as you suggested, it will be using off the shelf parts. Which should make everything much easier to assemble. I got started on this project because someone I know did something similar, using a direct line between a 20lbs bottle and a DrinkMate. Which he says has been performing normally. But I will pass on the info about the prescribed operating pressure. As that seems like a recipe for a blowout when the valve eventually fails under pressure.
That 6mm plastic line is one tough hombre. The regulator to fit a CO2 tank will have a CGA 320 connector and should universally have all openings at 1/4" NPT. The high pressure port on many (but not all) regs will have a left hand thread. This is sometimes marked with a "slash" on the nut, but I've seen some left-hand'ers that didn't have the "slash" . . . so be ready for this to bounce in either direction. This is a Taprite HP gauge, cost is less than 20 bucks. You can see it's clearly marked left hand thread but not all are so clear. The idea is to prevent you from putting a low pressure fitting (i.e. LP gauge, barb, whatnot) on the high pressure side. Oh yeah, if you want to be a purist, use yellow tape. With low pressure it's easy to use a 1/4" threaded nut with a barb fitting, some tape, and just clamp a hose around it. I've got some pressure lines that haven't been touched in a decade, all they do is just work. But you're talking pressure approaching 1000 psi . . . my gut feel is a mere hose clamp will fail. I would be hesitant to be in the room when the master valve is opened the first time. If any other forum members have experience with high pressure gas fitting please chime in. Truthfully I'd just rig the gauge to where it always reads something like 950 and just surface mount it (not connected) and tell everyone that's the tank pressure. I mean you're giving them free soda water . . . just dare them to complain. If those Sodastream bottles last that long why not just stick with that and save a lot of dough and aggravation? If you decide to use a CO2 tank it must be mounted vertically. I realize your drawing is just a rough sketch, but you have the tank at an angle. This potentially would allow the liquid carbon dioxide to enter the reg which you really want to avoid.
I would note that the markings on this gauge reinforce the common misunderstanding of the high pressure gauge. Some edits I would recommend: The green band marked "FULL" should read "At least one drop of liquid CO2 remains" The white band should read "Not enough gas for tonight's party" The red band looks good, but it's redundant, as the condition is self evident.
Sadly, as with the workforce, I've pretty much retired from homebrewing. I 'donated' most of my equipment to fellow brewers in my brew club. I remain active in that I still attend the occasional meeting, judge homebrew competitions, volunteer my services at beer events, go along on the occasional pub crawl, and still respond to some of the posts on this forum when the mood hits. But I've definitely deemphasized my participation in the hobby, focusing more on the banjo, coffee roasting, and smoked meats. Part of the reason, no doubt, is that I can buy whatever beer styles I like now, even at the local grocery store. The need to brew is not nearly as keen as it once was. That said, I still maintain my 4 faucet bar in my mancave and am more than willing/able to discuss beer, much to the chagrin of my family. Life remains good!
Well that is good news to hear Mike. I am really in the same situation, only instead of working less I work more because I have a Senior going to college (and if you have not heard, college is expensive). My beer brewing, beer drinking and general attitude towards beer has been to shrink everything down to the basics. I was brewing SMASH almost exclusively, mostly trying to get a great classic. That's the opposite of how I started in the mid 90s. Then it was try all of the malt/hops/yeast. A traditional style not messed up with stupid adjuncts? Maybe some of us just ran out of desire to make great homebrews every weekend. Yeah, it was 3 or 4 times a month October through April. Bonkers. Around 2018 to 2020 local brewers began to do the same. Not all, but many. So now I am fairly content to drink my Saison and the local. Cheers. Please drop into Homebar more often. We need the traffic!
