Why would you use high pressure CO2 cylinders
There are so many benefits to a low pressure bulk CO2 system, we don’t know why anyone would use high pressure canisters!
Tri-State Carbonation Service specializes in low-pressure Bulk CO2 Systems. These CO2 systems are ideal for restaurants, bars, fast food, breweries, stadiums, arenas, and swimming 
pools. Establishments serving beer and carbonated beverages will experience significant cost savings by utilizing bulk CO2. Bulk CO2 will provide consistent carbonation without having to constantly change out high-pressure CO2 tanks and CO2 cylinders.
We offer Bulk CO2 in a variety of size tanks and cylinders. TCS evaluates each customer’s CO2 usage and refill the Bulk CO2 tank BEFORE it is empty. This allows managers and employees to focus on running their businesses instead of monitoring CO2.
Take a look at just a few of the differences between bulk low pressure carbon dioxide and high pressure canister CO2:
The Material and Weight
CO2 bulk tanks and cylinders tend to come in different sizes depending on their application. The 2 most common material used are aluminum and steel. The weight varies based on its material and whether or not it’s empty or filled.
Bulk tanks are stationary tanks made out of 100% stainless steel. These tanks come in many sizes to meet your needs. Their size and capacity lead toward greater distribution flexibility and lower delivery frequency. CO2 canisters or cylinders are high pressure tanks that are exchangeable. They can weigh upwards of 100 lb empty and 200 lb full. Your staff is expected to move these canister to change tanks when they empty. Risk of injury to staff and facilities tends to be greater with this option. Imagine your 125 lb bartender trying to successfully switch out a cylinder during peak business hours on a Friday night. You’re getting the picture.
The Grades
Grades – what the cylinder is specialized for and the purity of the gas. Most CO2 cylinders are usually meant for either medical, research or industrial purposes. CO2 cylinders should be used specifically for what it’s designed. The reason for this is the gases purity. The types and amount of impurities in the CO2 determine not only its grade, but how it’s transported, stored, and handled.
There’s a common misnomer that there is no difference between beverage-grade and industrial-grade cylinders. If you expect your end products to taste the way you
intended, then you will make sure that both your gas and tanks are beverage grade. There are 9 recognized grades of carbon dioxide. The highest is research and the lowest is industrial. We’ll save this for another blog post. Suffice it to say that beverage grade CO2 is 99.9% pure. After reading about the differences in just these few aspects, why would you continue to use a high pressure tank system? If you are interested in make the switch, reach out to us at 866-763-2427 or complete the form below. We look forward to helping you simplify your beverage delivery system.
What to know about blended gas
Carbon Dioxide + Nitrogen = Beer Gas
There are only two types of gas that are used in beverage systems – carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2). Some might argue that there is a third called beer gas – a blend of carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
The most used gas – carbon dioxide. From carbonating soda to sparkling water to pushing beer for draught systems, CO2 does it all and it’s always used in beer systems when serving draught beer
All beer is carbonated. CO2 provides two purposes:
- it helps push the beer out of the keg and,
- in the headspace of the keg or the serving tank, it helps maintain proper carbonation levels.
Just keep in mind that carbon dioxide is very soluble in liquid. That whatever beverage you serve under carbon dioxide pressure, it will eventually carbonate and you will get a sparkling water, soda, tea, coffee. The purity level of the carbon dioxide is also very important. Tri-State Carbonation Service only sells beverage grade CO2. This ensures that with properly balanced equipment, the beverage you serve is how it was intended.
Now for Nitrogen (N2). Nitrogen is a gas that is very insoluble compared to carbon dioxide. That means it is hard to get a liquid to absorb the Nitrogen. Typically, you use nitrogen for one of three purposes:
- to allow high pressure when dispensing the beverage through something that’s restricted like a beer tap;
- to allow enough gas pressure or a high pressure to push the liquid over a very long length of beer line; or
- to serve nitrogenated beverages like Guinness.
Sometimes beer lines run up to 120 feet from the keg room to the bar. This is where nitrogen would be used in combination with carbon dioxide to push the beer. To do that without losing carbonation or over carbonating the beer, nitrogen is generally mixed or blended with carbon dioxide. This is considered beer gas, you’re third gas. The carbon dioxide-nitrogen blend or mix is what allows the beer to travel over great lengths. This “beer gas” also allows kegs to be connected to a draught system under higher pressure without over carbonating.
The correct blend (or mix) keeps the beer at the correct carbonation level throughout the whole keg, no matter how long it is on tap.
Blended or Mixed Gas will:
- Keep a “nitro” beer properly carbonated and nitrogenated
- Keep beers properly carbonated, no matter how long they are on tap
- Prevent beers from going flat
- Reduce foaming problems due to temperature fluctuations.
Blended or Mixed Gas will not:
- Give your beer the creamy head of a “Guinness”
- Fix Beer that is already over-carbonated
- Eliminate all foaming in poorly designed, balanced or maintained dispense systems
Nitrogenated beers like Guinness require 25% CO2 / 75% Nitrogen whereas all other regularly carbonated beers will require 60% CO2 / 40% Nitrogen and in some cases 70/30 CO2 to nitrogen. These last 2 blends cannot be achieved stable over any period of time pre-mixed in a cylinder which is why blending the gases on-site as they are delivered to the keg is more effective and reduces waste.
You can also get more out of your nitrogen with a nitrogen generator. Nitrogen generators basically just take the ambient air and produce highly purified Nitrogen. They can also be used for your draught system but also a nitro-coffee station.
All beers have CO2 dissolved into them. Nitrogenated beer has N2 dissolved into it also. To properly serve nitrogenated (nitro) beers mixed gas must be used.
Want more information or to speak with one of our experienced sales team members? Complete the form below and we’ll reach out.
You may NEVER meet your delivery driver!
With Tri-State Carbonation Service, you may NEVER meet your delivery driver! Why? TCS delivers your carbon dioxide (CO2) for your beverage dispensing
system outside. That’s right! We hook our delivery hose directly up to a port outside your location. The photo on the right shows just how easy our delivery system is for your location.
As you know, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a key ingredient in carbonated beverages that helps determine the taste, aroma and level of carbonation to ensure the highest quality beverages are being served to your customers.
Tri-State Carbonation Service’s Bulk CO2 Systems are a safer, low-pressure alternative to high-pressure compressed gas cylinders.
Bulk CO2
The Bulk CO2 System provides a continuous and reliable supply of quality CO2 and takes the guesswork out of deciding when to refill the tank through automatic deliveries based on usage. Check out our PDF here.
NO MORE!
- No more changing tanks during peak business hours;
- No more flat beer or flat soda;
- No more wasting products and supplies;
- No more damage to the business property by rolling out heavy cylinders;
- No more injuries to employees by rolling out of cylinder tanks.
Give us a call today at 866-763-2427 or complete the form below for details.
The world’s most abundant man-made material is becoming Green
Look around. You will be hard pressed not to see something made from concrete. If you’re in a rural area, you may have to work a little harder, but if you’re in a building there’s bound to be a concrete floor. An urban dweller stands a better chance of walking on a sidewalk, enter a building or driving in a tunnel or on a bridge that has been built with concrete.
It’s no wonder that concrete is the most abundant man-made material in the world. It’s been used to build with almost as far back as recorded time. Ancient Egyptians and later Romans are noted for their use of concrete.
Concrete is becoming environmentally friendly!
Today, China is the largest producer of ready-mix concrete in the world with a market share of almost 33%. Worldwide production is expected to grow by nearly 6% in the next 5 years as developing nations continue their efforts to build buildings and infrastructure.
What is concrete? Concrete is made up of 3 basic components: water, an aggregate (rock, sand or gravel) and Portland Cement. This combination can be reinforced with metal or fibers to increase its strength.
The BBC reported that cement is the source of about 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions according to think tank Chatham House. They also reported that if the cement industry were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world, behind China and the US.
What can be done to “green up” this greenhouse gas emitter? A company called CarbonCure has come up with a solution. They have developed a system that traps CO2 emissions and “mineralizes”
them as the concrete hardens. This process strengthens the concrete and allows for the use of less cement. Read and view the CNN article and video here.
CarbonCure is on a mission to reduce CO2 emissions by 500 megatons annually.
- They have more than 130 producer partners across North America and in Singapore.
- On average, 25 pounds of CO2 are saved per cubic yard of ready mix concrete made with the CarbonCure Technology.
- In total, our ready mix partners have produced more than 2.5 million cubic yards of reduced-carbon concrete, saving more than 75 million pounds of CO2 to date.
Their patented process involves injecting a precise amount bulk CO2 into the mixing process. The CO2 becomes chemically converted into a mineral which improves the compressive strength of concrete while reducing the amount of cement necessary. It is the reduction in the quantity of cement along with the use of sourced CO2 that improves the greenhouse gas emissions.
According to CarbonCure, this process can be added to virtually any type of production – from ready mix, to precast to masonry. Their mission is to save up to 500 megatons of CO2 every year and they claim to have already saved 76.2M pounds to date. That’s equivalent to 41,501 acres of forestland absorbing CO2 for a year!
Contact us for more details.
How Does a Bulk CO2 System Work?
Liquid bulk CO2 is a safer, low-pressure alternative to high-pressure gas cylinders for fountain soda and / or draft beer in bars, restaurants, breweries and more.
How does a Bulk CO2 System work? CO2 is stored on the premise in a bulk tank and provides a continuous, reliable supply of CO2 to your soda and beer systems. This correctly carbonates and preserves draft beer and fountain soda drinks every time they’re poured – from the first to the last! Maximizing the number of pints from each keg or soda while maximizing profits! Deliveries are automatic and conveniently filled through an exterior-fill box. Delivery schedules are determined based on your usage, so you never run out of CO2.
No More!
NO MORE – Changing tanks during peak business hours
NO MORE – Flat beer or flat soda
NO MORE – Wasting products and supplies
NO MORE – Damage to your restaurant/bar created by heavily cylinders being dragged throughout the property
NO MORE – Injuries to employees as a result of lifting heavy cylinders
It’s enough! Stop serving flat or foamy beer and soda with Tri-State Carbonation Service’s Bulk CO2 System.
|
Bulk CO2 |
High-Pressure Cylinders |
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Generally less expensive than high pressure cylinders since purchasing in bulk. | No buying power since buying in low quantities |
| Product | Only pay for the CO2 consumed – no residual CO2 left at the bottom of the tank when returned. | Residual CO2 left at the bottom of the tank when returned that you paid for but will not be able to consume. |
| Time | Time saved by eliinating swapping of cylinders. No need to spend time ordering CO2. | Time wasted by swapping out cylinders. Tank usually needs to be swapped during peak serving time! |
| Satisfaction | With bulk, CO2 is always running through the system. No flat or foamy drinks will be served – more satified customers. | Cylinders are replaced after drinks are flat/foamy. By this time, undersirable drinks have been served – more UNsatisfied customers. |
| Waste | With reduction of flat drinks, less wasted of supplies – cups, straws, lids & more. | Customers typically do not consume flat drinks resluting in waste of supplies – cups, straws, lids & more. |
| Space | Bulks tanks only need 24″ of space. Leaving valuable space open for other products/systems. | High-pressure cylinders require large amount of space and must be chained. Typicall 3-4 tanks are needed at a time. |
| Safety | Bulks tanks are not portable. Employees do not move them, reducing the chance of injury. | Cylinders require to be moved. This increases the chance of injury. |
| Damage | Bulk tanks do not damage concrete, doorways, floors, etc. | Cylinders must be replaced when empty, increases chance for damage to concrete, doorways, floors, etc. |
Carbon dioxide is a key ingredient in carbonated beverages that helps determine taste, aroma and level of carbonation. The Bulk CO2 systems cut costs, reduce service delays and preserve and serve great product by replacing outdated and inefficient carbonating systems. Ensure the highest quality beverage is being served to your customers with a bulk CO2 system, from the first drink to the last!