Where to use a propane burner

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Sir Humpsalot

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simple question and I'm sure the answer is common sense, but I'm not often accused of having too much of that, so I thought I'd ask.

Where should I use a propane burner? Under my bed? In the garage? Or outside?

Actually, I'm just wondering if you think it'd be ok to do it in a detached and empty 2 car garage, or if I should brave the elements (we've got snow here) and do it outside. Sure, outside is safer, but I am thinking that working in the garage should be ok if I'm not going to leave it alone out there for any length of time.

Any thoughts or opinions?
 
Thanks folks. Common sense prevails!!!

Just curious.. how long will a 20lb tank run a 55K BTU burner for? I'd hate to lose pressure in the middle of a boil.

I'm sure these are dumb questions, but I've always been more of a charcoal guy so this is all new to me...
 
I use mine in the garage with the windows and door open.

It seems like a lot of heat reflects off the bottom, would there be any benefit to making a heat sheild/deflector to keep the heat up?
 
orfy said:
It makes sense to have a spare bottle.

That's the first thing I bought after the burner. It would be a bummer on brew day and while cooking steaks on the grill too. I think I was returning them way too early and the gauge on the tank doesn't seem very accurate.
 
I haven't even priced these things yet... what does it cost for a bottle? I'm in Chicago, so I don't think I could get it filled locally, but a lot of places have those locked cages where you can do an exchange, so how's it work?

You pay a one time deposit like on a growler and then you pay for the gas when you swap it for a new one? What does that usually run?
 
That's what I did toot - I think they're about 40 bucks the first time and much less for the refills, but the convenience of not having to wait is worth it in my opinion.
 
I use mine in the garage. Sometimes when it is cold, I crack the big garage door at about a foot off the ground and open the other regular door all the way. If there is even the slightest breeze through the garage, I feel safe.
 
Toot said:
Thanks folks. Common sense prevails!!!

Just curious.. how long will a 20lb tank run a 55K BTU burner for? I'd hate to lose pressure in the middle of a boil.

I'm sure these are dumb questions, but I've always been more of a charcoal guy so this is all new to me...
Many people have asked this question, try a search to find the answers.

Bottom line: there is no answer. It depends on so many variables.
 
I ran out once & purchased a second bottle that day. Mostly I brew in the old garage with the door open enough to let air in, but keep the greyhounds out. They think if I'm cooking something they should get part of it.
 
You can do this....find one the older style propane bottles and write "Cutting Torch Use Only" on it and they will fill it up. By law, they have to.
 
I was wondering if it would be safe to use my propane burner in my basement?

I could keep the door open for adequate ventilation, but what concerns me is that we have a "forced air natural gas furnace" that would be about 15 feet away.

I have an outdoor wooden shed that I built which I brewed a batch in last month and that worked out fine.

I just thought that brewing in my basement would be more convenient since all my equipment is down there.

I'm gonna be brewing my first PM here before too long and wanted to heat my strike/sparge water and do the mash in the cooler in the basement. After collecting the wort, if it's safer, then I could brew in my shed or outside the basement door.

I just don't want to carry six or so gallons of wort from the basement to the shed that's about 100 feet up the hill.

drinker:fro:
 
drinker said:
I was wondering if it would be safe to use my propane burner in my basement?

I could keep the door open for adequate ventilation, but what concerns me is that we have a "forced air natural gas furnace" that would be about 15 feet away.

I have an outdoor wooden shed that I built which I brewed a batch in last month and that worked out fine.

I just thought that brewing in my basement would be more convenient since all my equipment is down there.

I'm gonna be brewing my first PM here before too long and wanted to heat my strike/sparge water and do the mash in the cooler in the basement. After collecting the wort, if it's safer, then I could brew in my shed or outside the basement door.

I just don't want to carry six or so gallons of wort from the basement to the shed that's about 100 feet up the hill.

drinker:fro:

No, sorry, but the propane burner is not to be done in your basement. The propane burner MUST be use in a well-ventilated area. If you do it in the basement, you'll carbon monoxide your whole house. Your gas furnace, etc, is not really a concern, it's more the CO released that causes the problem. CO will rise into your house. Of course, there is still the other things that are smaller risks- fire, etc. But the main concern is carbon monoxide. Propane burners are not as effiecent as gas hot water heaters, etc, plus those are all vented to the outside.


Lorena
 
The tank v time issue comes up a lot. I had one tank that ran at full tilt with a 55k turkey fryer for a total of 9 hours and still had some LP in it. The best thing you can do is to time all your burns under keg with a full tank and see if the 2nd tank comes in around the same. I don't use the gauges on the tanks. When you're running them flat out, you will get condensation on the tank showing the liquid level (assuming it isn't God awful cold outside.
 
lorenae said:
No, sorry, but the propane burner is not to be done in your basement. The propane burner MUST be use in a well-ventilated area. If you do it in the basement, you'll carbon monoxide your whole house. Your gas furnace, etc, is not really a concern, it's more the CO released that causes the problem. CO will rise into your house. Of course, there is still the other things that are smaller risks- fire, etc. But the main concern is carbon monoxide. Propane burners are not as effiecent as gas hot water heaters, etc, plus those are all vented to the outside.


Lorena
Although it is a killer, CO won't rise into the rest of the house until the basement is filled. CO is heavier than air and will settle in the basement; as more is produced it will continue to build and build, eventually rising up into the rest of the house.....of course, you'd be dead in the basement by the time this happened.

High volume propane torches and indoor use don't mix.
 
papabobdole said:
I use two 55k burners in a single car detached with both doors open and haven't suffocated yet.

It only takes once.
To all those people who brew with propane; there is a reason why they say
to use in a well ventalated area. Carbon Monoxide is odorless and lethel. Be careful.:mug:
 
bikebryan said:
Although it is a killer, CO won't rise into the rest of the house until the basement is filled. CO is heavier than air and will settle in the basement; as more is produced it will continue to build and build, eventually rising up into the rest of the house.....of course, you'd be dead in the basement by the time this happened.

High volume propane torches and indoor use don't mix.


Sorry- I don't want to argue. But I'm pretty sure that I learned that CO is slightly lower in density than regular "air" (which is mostly nitrogen), or about the same density. The molecular weight of CO is 28.01, while "air" is 28.975. Close, but CO is slightly lower, and will rise. And the warmer the ambient temperature, the more it will rise.

CO detector instructions:
You should install at eye level or above, but not closer than 6 inches to the ceiling. Avoid detectors which are placed near the floor as carbon monoxide rises quickly toward the ceiling. If placed in the kitchen, do not install unit within 5 feet of cooking appliances which can emit carbon monoxide when cooking. Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Over 2,500 people in the US ill die each year and over 10,000 will be hospitalized from carbon monoxide.


Regardless of density, CO poisoning is no joke and there is never any reason to take a risk. It needs to be outside, and well ventilated.

That's my EMT/Paramedic training talking. But still, be safe. It just is never a good idea to use an unvented appliance, no matter what type, in your home.

Lorena
 
lorenae said:
Sorry- I don't want to argue. But I'm pretty sure that I learned that CO is slightly lower in density than regular "air" (which is mostly nitrogen), or about the same density. The molecular weight of CO is 28.01, while "air" is 28.975. Close, but CO is slightly lower, and will rise. And the warmer the ambient temperature, the more it will rise.

CO detector instructions:
You should install at eye level or above, but not closer than 6 inches to the ceiling. Avoid detectors which are placed near the floor as carbon monoxide rises quickly toward the ceiling. If placed in the kitchen, do not install unit within 5 feet of cooking appliances which can emit carbon monoxide when cooking. Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Over 2,500 people in the US ill die each year and over 10,000 will be hospitalized from carbon monoxide.


Regardless of density, CO poisoning is no joke and there is never any reason to take a risk. It needs to be outside, and well ventilated.

That's my EMT/Paramedic training talking. But still, be safe. It just is never a good idea to use an unvented appliance, no matter what type, in your home.

Lorena
You may be right. I was thinking about CO2, which I know is denser and will sink. However, you will die from it long before it suffuses out of the basement and into the rest of the house.
 
drinker said:
I was wondering if it would be safe to use my propane burner in my basement?

I have a compromise situation with the basement...I used my burner in the outside stairwell with the bilco doors open (to what degree depends on the weather but I can always get a good "outdraft" of exhaust to the exterior as needed). Very convenient as the sink, hose tap and benchtop are all in easy reach.
 
Just use it in a well ventilated area, if the basement door is open it will probably suffice. I 've brewed in an enclosed area with no problems but ventilation is always a good idea!!
 
smogman said:
Just use it in a well ventilated area, if the basement door is open it will probably suffice. I 've brewed in an enclosed area with no problems but ventilation is always a good idea!!

Sorry man, that is WRONG. I don't mean to be confrontational but it needs saying. If you want to do it that's fine but you shouldn't encourage others to brew in an enclosed or confined space without a flue. If in doubt I'm sure the fire department would do a safety inspection and advise you.

Never use a burner in a confined space with out adequate ventilation.
It's not a good idea to have ventilation its a MUST. probably suffice is not good enough.

People die all the time from carbon monoxide poisoning.
At the very least it will make you sick and give you a bad head.
 
You can usually tell the level in a LP tank by placing your hand on it and holding it there for a while, or by putting it in the cold and bringing it into a warmer area. The liquid level can be determined by moving your hand around and finding a difference between a colder part and a warmer part, indicating an interface between gas and liquid propane (the liquid should be colder).

I hope that makes sense as I've been drinking homebrews....

And be safe with that burner. I've been in a couple of situations where I've used LP burners for heat and I've started to feel out of the ordinarily tired, which was probably CO exposure. Keep it well ventilated.
 
Propane is heavier than air. It WILL settle to the floor creating a nice explosive mixture/cloud. Under no circumstances should it be used in a basement and definately not in an area not WELL ventilated. An open garage door may or may not provide adequate ventilation. Cross ventilation is best ie: two open doors. Standing pilots from water heaters and heating units provide a great ignition source.
Might work many times, but it only takes once to ruin you day and maybe your neighbors as well.
 
orfy said:
Sorry man, that is WRONG. I don't mean to be confrontational but it needs saying. If you want to do it that's fine but you shouldn't encourage others to brew in an enclosed or confined space without a flue.
[/B]People die all the time from carbon monoxide poisoning.
At the very least it will make you sick and give you a bad head.

Orgy is so right on this one. In Washington and Oregon in two days last week over 40 people died by using propane heaters in their garages from carbon monoxide poisoning. Don't even think about just cracking the door and all that crap. DON'T USE PROPANE IN ANY KIND OF ENCLOSED SPACE. BASEMENT. GARAGE. ANYTHING!

ONLY USE OUTSIDE. LIKE IN THE FRESH AIR.
 
Honestly, I appreciate everyone's input, since I can now make an informed decision given my tolerance for risk and comfort etc... I've got a garage with a walk-in door and a garage door on opposite sides. Seems to me that keeping the walk-in door completely open, and getting the garage door 2 feet or so off the ground ought to give me more than enough airflow to make it equivalent to brewing alongside a lean-to or solid fence on a calm day, while still giving me a little bit of insulation from the elements. I'll still be looking for the warning signs though.

I agree though that using LP in a basement does sound like a really bad idea and I don't think I will be doing that anytime soon (read: ever).

Thanks folks.
 
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