This page has my notes for using an industrial-size C02 cylinder with a Sodastream machine.
In Australia, Sodastream refill cylinders hold 400g of CO2 and have colour-coded packaging. Blue is for conventional cylinders, and pink is the newer quick-change design. The information on this page relates only to the conventional (blue) bottle Sodastream machines. Changeover-price at the supermarket (Jan 2025) for 400g Sodastream cylinders is A$20.
To avoid the need to change 400g CO2 cylinder regularly, we decided to upgrade to a “D” size industrial CO2 cylinder, which holds 6kg of CO2. You’ll want the “D” cylinder that emits CO2 as a gas (rather than the “DE” cylinder, which presents liquid CO2 at the outlet). Other cylinder sizes (both larger and smaller) are of course also available.
Australian CO2 and N2 cylinders have a “Type 30” connection on them, which apparently is a defined Australian Standard. This is the same as the European “DIN 477-6” connector. I know this because the adapter hose that I eventually bought is marked “DIN 477-6″ and fits the Australian industrial CO2 bottle just fine. From some notes I found online, I believe the actual thread specification is 0.860” WHIT RH internal, 14 T.P.I.
Be careful when buying an adapter hose online. Most will be designed for the U.S. market (even if purchased from an “Australian seller”) and will have a CGA320 connector on them, which is not compatible with an Australian Type 30 connector.
It turns out there there is a suitable hose kit that is commercially available in Australia. The brand is “FreedomOne” and it comes in 32-inch and 72-inch versions. Kegland advertises the 72″ version for A$60, but for convenience I picked it up from a local reseller (Greensborough Home Brewing Supplies) for A$72.
The FreedomOne hose kit directly connects the Type 30 cylinder to the (blue-bottle) Sodastream machine perfectly. You don’t need a pressure regulator on the CO2 cylinder, as the Sodastream machine requires the full cylinder pressure (approx 800 PSI) to operate correctly. The FreedomOne hose kit conveniently has a pressure gauge built into it, which is handy for leak-checking the system (you can turn the cylinder on after everything is connected, then turn it off again, and see if the pressure remains at the initial value (approx 800PSI) for at least several days).
The CO2 cylinder option that I selected was a BOC Type D cylinder (6 kg) on a 12-month rental plan, for BOC Type 82 gas (food grade CO2). Initial charge is $79 for a fully charged cylinder. On the renewal date (which will be 11/01/2026) I will automatically be charged another $79. Apparently I will receive a renewal notice about 14 days prior to the anniversary date. Then during that second subscription year, I will be entitled to one refill (or one cylinder swap) at no additional charge. The same applies in subsequent years. I can avoid the renewal fee by returning the cylinder to a BOC dealer (and quoting my BOC account number) prior to the renewal data.
Alternatively, I could have chosen to buy a cylinder outright for about $300 and each refill would have been [$79?], with no annual charge.
Note that GHBS also offers a “buy outright” 6kg food-grade CO2 cylinder supplied by Kegland. Purchase price is A$125 and each refill (change-over cylinder) is A$55.
