Gas Canisters

I bought a 10kg CO2 canister last year from branntekknikk, in Skien, Telemark. IIRC, It cost 1350,- kr including gas.

I’m now looking a nitrogen tank to hold beer gas, ca. 25-30/70-75 mixture of CO2 and N2.

I enjoy Stout, particularly Guinness, but my own attempts, while enjoyable, just haven’t quite got the silkyness. (Sure you can fake it in an oatmeal sout, but I’m looking for a dry stout.) The CO2 makes the beer too fizzy with a detectable bite, even if cabornating to low volumes, such as 1.7. Also, using the typical recipe of 65% malted barley, 20% raw barley and 15% roasted or (7/2/1), the beer can come out too bitter. Serving on nitrogen can help with both of these problems.

I haven’t found a reasonably priced tank yet, so was thinking about buying from the UK when I’m there next. I know that the US have gass different fittings, so I wondered about the UK. And, anyway, what is the fitting used in Norway for Nitrogen and CO2?

It seems that norway and many places in europe follow the DIN 477 standard for gas canisters. Different gases have different connectors, to avoid incorrectly using the wrong regulator. In summary,

• CO2 (and methane, amonia, oxygen) use a W21.80 x 1/14″.
• Nitrogen (and helium and argon) use W24.30 x 1/14″.

The ‘W’ stands for Whitworth thread (Wikipedia).

The full list is here. Interesting that nitrogen is in the same group as argon and helium, so getting second-hand welding or baloon-filling equipment or is also an option.

For nitrogen, In the US, they use use CGA-580, W24.5×1/14″. UK and Austrailia use use G5/8 – ISO 228.

I found this out from looking at various technical specs for regulators, here, and here.

The nitrogen tank is rated a much higher pressure – up to 200bar (3000PSI). If I can’t find one reasonbly priced, I can instead use a CO2 container, but it will not be filled to the same pressure and so will be used up quicker. (But will it be used up quicker than just pure CO2? I guess not if it’s at the same pressure?)