gas burner in garage ok?

I recently picked up the closeout special of the Walmart turkey fryer for $34 last weekend and would like to use it this weekend.

I really don't want to boil outside due to it being windy, stuff flying in the boil and it's probably going to rain. Is it safe for me to place the burner inside the garage and vent the garage door a bit?

Thanks!

NO.

People do it and have been fine, but IMO you're asking for trouble. Open the garage door fully and brew right on the edge. And get a CO detector.

it should be. i brew in my garage, 1.5 car, with the back window cracked and the garage door open ~6". that said, i'm in the process of finishing the garage and have a large kitchen exhaust fan i'm installing above the burner stand to grab steam and fumes, because the cross breeze can't be removing everything toxic..

I use mine in the garage but have the door wide open.

It's fine. Just be smart about it.

I run NG instead of propane now but, I have always brewed in the garage and have had up to 3 burners blazing at once with never an issue. But, I do always cross vent my garage.

If you are smart, then use it in the garage. I don't know why people get so paranoid about it.

Crack the garage door a foot or so, and have a secondary door or window open a bit so you get some airflow going through.

People do this all of the time with propane. Its called ice fishing. Putting a sunflower heater on the tank to keep your tent/shanty warm, cracking a window or door now and again to vent in some air.

You will be fine. I brew in a small room in my house and use up to four burners at the same time. I normally just open up a few windows and that's it. But you should invest in a good CO detector. I have one mounted just 4 ft away from my set up and I also invested in a fire extinguisher. Just to be safe. And watch out for symptom such as headache or dizziness

+1 on the CO dectector and the fire extinguisher....always be prepared!

After having my burners get blown out trying to brew outside I always brew in the garage. I do usually have my door open though.

Thanks, I'll get a CO detector tonight and crack the garage door moor as well as cross-venting. I already have a fire extinguisher in the garage as it is. It seems like a lot of people boil outside? What about all the dirt, grime, leaves getting in your boil?

scottvin said:

...What about all the dirt, grime, leaves getting in your boil?

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Hey, Hicksville! I grew up in Sayville and lived in Westbury and Bellmore for a while.

You're fine brewing outdoors. As for any debris that might get into the kettle, the amount that gets in there during the boil is negligable and the boil will kill any of the germs. At flameout, figure out a way to protect it from stuff falling in. Or don't. I brew at the edge of my garage with the door wide open, and have never had an issue with contamination.

I'll update after this weekend to let everyone know how it went!

We will have to assume if you don't report back it was a complete failure.

I would also open the garage door fully, also it may help to clear the immediate area if you have a small fan blowing from behind the boil to the garage door, but I probably would not have the fan blow directly across the boil. The propane can cause some nasty byproducts of combustion. Good luck with the boil.

TyTanium said:

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priceless!!

TyTanium said:

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And the few little beasty bugs that manage to fly in are just extra protien and they really dont eat or drink much anyway.... Sorry, couldn't help myself been feeling silly all day.
Bob

I forget. Are dead leaves and bug adjuncts, or finings?

If it wasn't ok then there wouldn't be home brewers in Alaska, trust me there are a TON of brewers here. Get a CO monitor!

And a fire extinguisher

I brew in the garage, I have a CO monitor and leave my door half open. my CO monitor hasn't registered any co yet. I wouldn't close the door or brew without the monitor. I also leave the propane outside when I cook. I don't know what this helps it just makes be feel better

Iff you've got a drafty old detached garage like mine, absolutely no worries. I can close everything up, and it's still cross ventilated quite well.

Pain in the butt to try to keep warm out there this time of year though...

When it got cooler and I set up inside my insulated but unheated pole barn/garage, I put a CO monitor in and opened a couple of small windows with a fan in one for cross vent. As it go cooler I closed the windows and have brewed inside all winter with temps in the garage at 25* with no register of CO on the monitor or headaches, etc. I brew each weekend and have avoided any problems with a burner running continuously for 6 hr.

Your milage may vary, but with a CO monitor you will be fine. If CO starts creeping up, so should your garage door?

I have done it a couple of times and have used my propane heater as well with it. The way I look at it, the garage is not insulated and air can get out so can the CO2. Besides you wont be out there long enough. I would second the detector and fire extinquisher!

Quick question. My garage has the epoxy coating on it. Will the burner harm that finish or not?

Probably Not. I've brewed with my burner on a wooden deck with no problem.

True_Sycko said:

Quick question. My garage has the epoxy coating on it. Will the burner harm that finish or not?

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Put something under the burner... I used to have mine sitting on an old piano bench... A little top heavy and not the greatest idea... Since then I have used a small plywood box and have never had an issue...

As far as the OP and using it in the garage, I use my propane burner just inside the door in there while the doors are open... Never had an issue... That should cover the wind and possible rain, and if you are concerned about 'things' falling in the boil, grab a splatter screen and put it on top of the BK...

I brew in my garage in winter with door open about 4-6 inches and have the side door open a crack. My friends have used CO detectors to test this out and there barely any detectable levels. Brew on

CO is heavy. It will drop down and go thru a small opening as long as there is some ventilation

I always do this with my two turkey fryer burners running at the same time. Open the garage door, move everything towards the front of the garage, grab a lawn chair and a Homebrew, crank the tunes and brew! I happen to have afire extinguisher in the garage, so CYA on this front.

TyTanium said:

NO.

People do it and have been fine, but IMO you're asking for trouble. Open the garage door fully and brew right on the edge. And get a CO detector.

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If the flame is properly burning, there is minimal CO produced. You don't have to have the door fully open. I have done that for years in a well insulated garage and the CO detector never had a reading. I have opened the door about 6" and started my pickup in there and the CO was barely off the 0 after running for a little bit. (Working on it in the winter.)

I did it in the garage but at least I live across the street from the fire department!

And, the wife saw me and said "I'm outta here!" and left the house. Kill two birds with one stone!! True story.

As long as you arent an idiot about it. Be careful and keep the kids and dogs away. Have a fire extinguisher available...

Move south. The batch I did last month was in a t-shirt and shorts out in the driveway. Problem solved!

Leave it to the Master Chief to boil it down to the nitty gritty! :rockin: