Method Cover story for buying IN tank?

[Hopeless_soul]

Hello,

First of all, I'm sorry if this question has been asked before.
Next week I'm going to buy all the equipment necessary for the eb/ig method. At first, I was sure that I was going to use a 100% industrial helium tank (for welding). Perhaps I was being biased because the stuff I had read on the method praised He over other ig. But now being sure that Ne would be as reliable, I think I could go for that instead. If I decide to get Ne, it'd be easy to say that I need it for brewing. However, I wouldn't know what to say if I decide to buy 100% He. The place I'll get the He from sells they type you need to inflate balloons and for welding (pure He). So, I have no idea what to say if they ask what I need it for.

Last year I went to that shop just to see if they didn't have a problem with selling me pure He, and it was fine. I just said I was a student, and that I needed it for an experiment. They gave me a strange look, but it was ok. But now I don't want to spoil my chances.

Maybe it's just easier to get the Ne, and it's probably going to be cheaper. Pure He was about $600. Don't remember exactly.
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I have another doubt: Could the efficacy of the method be compromised with the fact that I'm a smoker? In another post, someone said it would; however, I don't believe I have a real lung problem now (I would in the future. I'm a heavy smoker, but now I'm fine I'd guess).

 

[TiredHorse]

Ne? Neon? Really? Why not just use Nitrogen (N2)? Aside from buying the tank itself, it's cheap.

If you use N2, you have several potential cover stories. I've heard brewing uses it (I didn't know it could also use Ne). Welding also uses 100% pure N2, and argon (Ar) as well, though Ar tends to be more expensive. Some people use N2 for long-term food storage: flood a 5-gal bucket of beans or rice with N2 and it'll both kill all the moths or maggots and prevent the food from oxidizing and losing nutritional value. I use N2 in my paint locker: I flood the partial cans of (very expensive) paint and varnish with N2 to prevent them from skinning over.

As for whether you're a smoker, yes, that potentially impacts how well the method works. You need to be able to breathe freely, and exhale completely, for eb/ig to work. I've heard that cited mostly in a context where it has seemed to apply to long-term smokers with COPD, but I don't know at what point it becomes relevant to a pre-COPD smoker. I know I've been keenly aware of having my typical winter cough these past few weeks, and I've worried how that would effect any attempt. At the very least, I would count on needing a much longer time in the ig atmosphere. PPH recommends 40 minutes minimum --600L of gas, so a 20cf cylinder-- so I would suggest going up to a 40cf cylinder and giving yourself at least an hour of time before anyone could discover you.

 

[Hopeless_soul]

Thank you very much for your kind response.

I did mean Nitrogen. I'm so clumsy. Sorry. My mind is not working properly today.
Telling them that I need it for food storage sounds fantastic! Cheers!

I'd guess that if I can still swim for an hour (well, last time I went was 2 months ago. I used to do it regularly), the method could still work using a 40cf cylinder as you said. I'm in my early 30s, so maybe my lungs are not so damaged yet. I don't know. I should get them checked: that's terrifying (irony)... But yeah, if a winter cough could potentially affect the method, then being smoker it's a much serious problem.

I was just counting on this method. I wouldn't know what else to do. I'll give it a try anyways.

Thank you, again.

 

[TiredHorse]

Glad I could help.

if a winter cough could potentially affect the method, then being smoker it's a much serious problem.

I don't know if my cough would foil me or not, but it's something I'm worried about. I just don't know where that threshold is.

 

[Hopeless_soul]

Hope you get better soon.