Refill sodastream bottles

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Cold (-18C) SodaStream cylinder (and cold filling adapter for good measure) and tried again. Weight of cylinder went from 875g to 1110g. If reading the cylinder markings correctly that's 360g of CO2.

Chilling the cylinder again might make up the extra 65g found in a new full cylinder (425g)? But that would be too much effort for little gain. I'm not worried about "overfilling" it because that would require some gymnastics to upend the remaining gas-space in the receiving cylinder which is hardly recommendable given the heavy combined weight and dangerously vulnerable coupling between cylinders. However, if you were using an upright donor cylinder with dipstick you should rethink that. (Rethink any arrangement that has an upright receiving cylinder).

I'm still not convinced I'm explaining "why cool the cylinder" right, but it's an essential part of getting the cylinder filled. Can anyone convince me why?
I just put a cylinder back in the freezer after the first fill and ran it again. Seemed to take alot more gas just as easy as the first time now it is 170g over filled. Kinda scared if this cylinder now. I put it in a bucket with a lit on it. Can i put the doner cylinder up right and reconnect it to try to put the co2 back in the 20lb tank? Is that safe?
 
I wouldn't muck about with it more.

The dangers of overfilling are two-fold. If the overfilling excludes all space in the cylinder, thermal expansion (liquids just won't compress very much, but are not completely incompressible) can cause the cylinder to split with dramatic results (your bucket won't come out of it well!). But that's unlikely and should have happened by now! I'm quite impressed you managed to get an extra 170g over the "maximum". If there is any space at all, the pressure can't increase ... the increasing gas pressure causes more gas to liquify, which uses less space, and so the pressure returns to equilibrium. The other risk is as gas is drawn off, the liquid "boils", and liquid gas escapes from the regulator. But people ignore the request to keep the bottle upright, which has the same effect (not as dramatic as cylinder failure!).

Perhaps vent some gas out if worried (wear thick non-absorbent gloves - It'll get very cold) and use as normal.

Compressed gas (nitrogen, mixed gas , etc.) are gas, not liquid, and don't act like this (liquid CO2).
 
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Im kinda scared of it exploding in my face. I want to release gas but dont want to be anywhere around it when i do. I might set up a rope on a press i have to push the pin. It has warmed to about 80f now still no release. Or take it to a felid and shoot it with my ar15….
 

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There is a vent knob on the adapter to release gas if the tank check valve gets triggered. Nothing that compresses the pin on the Soda stream tank.
 
You've got an adapter. The adapter has a pin to release gas (or let it in). Those cylinders have a (lame) anti-meddling device (push pin too far and it'll shut again - might not even be designed, it just does it). So having the adapter is step one to venting without the frustration (and hazards) of trying to push the pin. Now some way of controlling the release - that depends on the design of the adapter ...
 
Earlier in this (very long!) thread you'll find:

Covered in post #23 above ("erratum"). But there isn't much hope of filling completely, you might rig something up with the flexible connector you'll have, but you'll have to go out of your way. And a "full" SodaStream cylinder is actually only 2/3rds full of liquid (425g). If you actually manage to get 650+g of CO2 in these cylinders I think you should be seriously concerned!
So, you haven't come close (with 595g nett - i.e. 55g short) to what I was considering "concerning" back then.

Make sure the Soda Stream bottle is very upright. And vent the gas slowly to start with (so it doesn't "boil up" to vigorously, like venting a pressure cooker too fast ... if CO2 reacts like water in a pressure cooker? 🤷‍♂️ ). And I think you'll be fine. But there are no guarantees attached to what I blab!
 
Where did you get he information that 410 grams of co2 is only 2/3 full?
 
Don't remember. But you can sort out the volume of 410g of CO2 (my bottle says 425g?) and discover the volume of these bottles. I suffer "clinical" anxiety (all part of a Severe TBI) so I certainly checked, double checked, and jumped through whatever imaginary hoops I could invent to come up with the figure. But you're doing the right thing by questioning what I say. I wish more people around these forums would do just that and not believe what the first person they meet says (I'll get off me soapbox now).

It took me months to convince myself it was reasonably safe to attempt to refill the bottles (SodaStream certainly won't condone refilling - just read the label!). If you need to terrify yourself, just find a paintball website and see the way they go about it (Clue: Somewhat lacking in caution).

One thing I didn't remember to say ... the cylinder has a "burst disc" that should fail before the bottle. I guess that's what the vented bolt in the bottle's neck is about. So, a cylinder failure shouldn't create a bomb (I guess it's there because someone is bound to think it needs throwing on a fire?).

I wouldn't be too worried about using it now, cautious ... yes .... for a while. The caution will wear off as the bottle gets used! Using it is the easiest way to get the fill reduced ... make 25 litres of soda water in a keg, that'll use a lot!
 
I have filled hundreds maybe thousands of co2 cylinder this way.

If you have an overfill, keep it chilled while you use it up. Or vent it until it's the correct weight.

Fill co2 by weight. Much safer.

Freeze the empty cylinder overnight before filling and this is less likely to happen.

If you can get cylinders with burst disks they are safer.

Fill co2 by weight. Much safer. #2

WEAR GLOVES. Best are motorcycle gauntlets. co2 burns when it escapes and damp hands stick to freezing Ali cylinders.

Safer, tastier and cheaper...
Bottle your beer 🍻
 

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