Always check your gas!

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

folly

Active Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2011
Messages
35
Reaction score
1
Location
Oklahoma City
Today I brewed a new Irish Red recipe and everything was perfect. Mash temps, gravity, weather, everything.

Then I ran out of propane with 25 minutes left. Not a problem, I've got 4 tanks. So I grabbed the tank from my other burner, and it was almost empty. So my wort is back at a boil, and I got just over 15 minutes out of it. Checked my other two tanks and they were empty too. And my wife has the car. :smack:

Some days it just isn't worth gnawing through the leather straps.

I dumped in my whirlfloc, yeast nutrient and 10 minute hop addition and kept the darn thing at a good simmer with a Bernz-O-Matic torch for 10 more minutes, then chilled, aerated and pitched.

I'll call it... Flameout Red. :rockin:
 
I feel your pain folly. runnin out of gas aint NO fun. Especially when you have to drop everything to run out for a fresh tank.

Also make sure that your getting what you pay for. I've gotten tanks that were over 10lbs short before even with a new cap on it. After some investigating and going to my local gas dealer i found out my tare weight and what was supposed to be in there wasn't weighing. So be careful!!:)
 
I feel your pain folly. runnin out of gas aint NO fun. Especially when you have to drop everything to run out for a fresh tank.

Also make sure that your getting what you pay for. I've gotten tanks that were over 10lbs short before even with a new cap on it. After some investigating and going to my local gas dealer i found out my tare weight and what was supposed to be in there wasn't weighing. So be careful!!:)

I'll keep an eye on that BWB, thanks. I generally get mine done at uhaul, and they fill them in front of me, but I'll weigh them all now that I know they're really empty, not to mention, I can weigh them all full on Monday!

:)
 
Blue Rhino only puts a little over three gallons in their refills. $19.99 for three gallons of propane is highways robbery. Be warned; BR are changing their fill valves to a proprietary one that only they can refill. The new valve has a triangle on it. Anybody with BR tanks currently be careful to not trade them in for the new tanks. I currently pay $3.59/ gallon of propane, and for that price, I hope I never need to get gas raped by BR again.
 
I feel your pain on running out of gas. Mine deflated last Sunday, but it was directly at flame-out anyway.

Question: How does the average consumer judge the 'fullness' of a tank purchased, if said consumer has no gauge? Does one pick up multiple tanks (in an exchange scenario) looking for the heaviest, or is there some other magical method?

Thanks,
Kyle
 
I generally check my tanks as I go along, but I lost track. I checked and I've brewed and grilled since July on these tanks. That's what I get for not paying attention.

I have mine filled at uhaul, and they fill them until they spray out of the pressure release. It's a lot less expensive as well. I do like that $3.59 a gallon, that's for sure.
 
An empty five gallon tank is supposed to weigh 19.5 pounds YMMV. You could always give the tank a quickie check by shaking it, and then put your hand on the side of the tank, and feel for where the "cold line" is. Or when you first turn the gas on, mist water on the side of the tank, and the frost line is the fuel left line.
Without having to discuss Boyle's law of pressure, when the tank is physically at half, the volume of gas left is actually one quarter. Ever noticed when you thought the tank was getting low, is seem to empty way too quickly? Now you know why.




I feel your pain on running out of gas. Mine deflated last Sunday, but it was directly at flame-out anyway.

Question: How does the average consumer judge the 'fullness' of a tank purchased, if said consumer has no gauge? Does one pick up multiple tanks (in an exchange scenario) looking for the heaviest, or is there some other magical method?

Thanks,
Kyle
 
With all the grilling, smoking, and brewing I do, I always have four propane tanks at the house, and I always have at least one with a blue cap on it. I never run out of propane. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
 
I feel bad for you guys paying $3.50/gal of propane. Out here where I live in Oregon, propane is only $2.30/gal at the local Shell and they fill it up till it starts spraying out the pressure release screw. Its a nice deal and I would never spend the money on a underfilled Blue Rhino tank unless I had to.
 
............ Be warned; BR are changing their fill valves to a proprietary one that only they can refill. The new valve has a triangle on it. Anybody with BR tanks currently be careful to not trade them in for the new tanks. I currently pay $3.59/ gallon of propane, and for that price, I hope I never need to get gas raped by BR again.

Good info on the BR tanks.
Thanks.

FWIW, I fill at my local UHaul place.
Its currently $3.79/gal, but still cheaper than the exchange rape.
 
If you get a big LP tank, like my 30lb. It will be the last tank you grab. When the 30 is in use the other 4, 20lb tanks go to U-haul to get filled.
 
Back
Top