Can I keep my CO2 bottle in the fridge with my cornies at 40F or so? Any problems with this?
I don’t want to drill holes yet - the fridge is still new - don’t have the guts to pop holes in it quite yet…
No problem at all. Just don’t freak out when the gauge drops a lot. It’s normal when you store cold. Won’t change how much CO2 you have though.
Cool, thanks!
So; does this “drop” apply to all gauges or just the one that correlates to the pressure coming from the bottle? How about the regulated gauge to the cornie? Will that one drop also, and if so; is there a correction factor I should be aware of to know I am putting, say, 12 psi to my keg?
Just the gauge showing the pressure coming from the tank will drop. Mine usually reads around 500 in the fridge. The other gauges won’t be affected.
Tread lightly, if and when you decide to drill holes in it. I’ve ruined two fridges, unfortunately. I even carefully cut the plastic open on the inside to avoid the gas lines, but still hit it. That is the worst sound you will ever hear, all the refrigerant leaking out.
If you mix corn starch and rubbing alcohol and wipe it on a fridge that is not plugged in, then turn the fridge on, the heat generated by internal coils will theoretically warm faster than areas without coils. This may show you where warm coils are located because the alcohol will evaporate faster above the coils leaving a dry line of corn starch.
Interesting approach. I’ve never heard that before. I assume you mean to wipe the solution on the outside of the fridge?
I would keep the cylinder in the fridge withthe beer. That way the CO2 is the same temperature as the beer your are dispensing.
One of several videos using corn starch and rubbing alcohol to find a compressor HOT line during a kegerator build.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV8Pb7d5nZI&list=UUkforfGr_EUfBeVUCceGrDg&index=5&feature=plcp
Why do you think the temp of the CO2 matters?
Also, IME, CO2 comes out pretty damn cold on it’s own. I believe it cools as it expands from liquid to gas, thus the freezing/frost that can sometimes form on a cylinder. I may be wrong, as I am not a physicist…
This was my first thought too. The amount of CO2 that enters the keg to dispense the beer is minimal per pour and the gas will cool (if not already cooler than the beer) if a very, very short time. I may be wrong and will willing admit it if I am but I don’t think temp gas temp is much of a consideration.
Paul
Adiabatic cooling will occur as the CO2 goes from tank pressure to serving pressure, so I guess it really doesn’t make a difference. I’ve just always had my tank in with everything else, no issues with room.
True - except CO2 is never a liquid.
Well that is true at Standard temp and pressure, as it sublimates.
CO2 is liquid at room temp and around 800 PSI.
In the lab I’ve worked with cold chambers (put your electronics in to test them cold) that ran off of a CO2 bottle. It was a long time ago, so my memory is a bit foggy, but I want to say that the box could get down to -40 C. In fact, it was so good that it could get down to -40 F as well. 
The other fun thing to do in the lab was to use the hand-held compressed air cans (you can buy them as keyboard dusters), which I believe was also CO2, hold them upside down and spray so that it comes out as a liquid. You do that to check the integrity of your solder joints by freezing them, but you can also freeze a lot of other stuff with that.
It’s liquid in the cylinder due to the pressure.
Google “paint ball fill station.” If you’re filling canisters at home (I’m not, looks WAY to much of a risky PITA) then you need to either invert your larger canister or get one that has a dip tube so that you can transfer the liquid CO2. Otherwise, you’ll never get a good fill on a smaller canister.
People actually do this to save money. Would scare the day lights out of me.
Well what do ya know. (or what do I know)
Thanks for all of the clarification. I’m not too concerned about the temperature of the CO2, per se, I’m more concerned that the entire carbonating process works equally well from an equipment stance with the bottle at 70F or 40F which seems to be the case.
Oh, and interesting bit on finding the hot gas lines before drilling holes through them - good stuff!