CO₂ & Nitrogen Tank Refills in San Francisco
Mike's has been San Francisco's neighborhood spot to refill CO₂ and nitrogen tanks for decades. Walk in to 5084 Mission St in the Excelsior / Outer Mission, or order a refill online for free in-store pickup or Bay Area delivery. If you run a kegerator, a draft system, a soda or seltzer setup, or a nitro cold brew tap, we can keep your gas topped off.
What we refill
We carry three gases, and they are not interchangeable. Each comes in 5 lb, 10 lb, and 20 lb tanks.
- CO₂ refills — $59 / $65 / $75. CO₂ is the gas for most draft beer, cider, kombucha you want to stay fizzy, homemade soda, sparkling water, and carbonation systems.
- 100% nitrogen refills — $75 / $85 / $95. Nitrogen pushes without carbonating, which is what nitro cold brew, nitro coffee, and wine on tap need.
- Nitro CO₂ Mix (beer gas) refills — $75 / $89 / $95. The nitrogen-and-CO₂ blend that pours creamy stouts like Guinness and nitro craft beers.
Where can I refill a CO₂ tank in San Francisco?
Right here. Many Bay Area gas-refill services only cover the East Bay or South Bay, so SF customers get sent across a bridge. Mike's is a fixed storefront in San Francisco proper — bring your empty tank to 5084 Mission St during store hours and we'll swap or refill it on the spot. No appointment needed.
How tank refills work
Bring in your empty CO₂ or nitrogen tank for a refill or a clean-tank swap, or order a refill online. A refundable $100 tank deposit applies per tank and is returned in full when you bring the empty back. Pick up at the store or have it delivered with the rest of your order anywhere we deliver in the Bay Area.
Which size tank do I need?
The 5 lb tank fits inside most standard kegerators. If your tank sits outside the kegerator, or you're running a busier setup, the 10 lb or 20 lb tank is the most cost-effective choice per fill because you refill less often. Not sure? Call us at 415-587-5000 and we'll help you size it.
CO₂ vs. nitrogen: which gas?
Using the wrong gas won't hurt anyone, but it will ruin the drink. CO₂ pushed into still wine or cold brew carbonates it. Straight nitrogen on an ordinary beer lets it go flat, because nitrogen doesn't stay dissolved the way CO₂ does.
- CO₂ — most draft beer, cider, soda, kombucha, and seltzer/carbonation. Serve beer around 10–14 psi once it's cold.
- 100% nitrogen — nitro cold brew, nitro coffee, and wine on tap. Cold brew pours around 35–45 psi through a stout faucet; wine wants far less, roughly 3–10 psi.
- Nitro CO₂ Mix (beer gas) — creamy stouts and nitro beers like Guinness, at roughly 30–38 psi through a stout faucet. This is the one people get wrong: a nitro stout needs the blend, not straight nitrogen and not straight CO₂.
A nitro pour also needs a stout or nitro faucet — a standard faucet won't do it. Ask us and we'll help you dial in the right setup.
How do I know when my tank is empty?
A CO₂ gauge is not a fuel gauge. CO₂ is stored as a liquid, so the high-pressure gauge sits around 700–850 psi no matter how much is left, then falls fast once the liquid is gone. To know what you actually have, weigh the tank: every cylinder is stamped TW followed by its empty weight, so the gas remaining is the scale reading minus that number. Nitrogen and beer-gas tanks are different — nitrogen never turns to liquid at these pressures, so the needle falls steadily from about 2000–2400 psi and does show what's left. Order a refill as it nears 500 psi.
Visit us
Mike's Beverages and Liquors
5084 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94112
Phone: 415-587-5000
Hours: Monday–Saturday 10 AM–6 PM, closed Sunday
We serve San Francisco, the East Bay, the Peninsula, the South Bay, and Marin. See our Delivery Info for zones and schedules, browse all draft equipment & gas, or read the Keg Guide.