SP-10: can it be used in a garage?

Hi,

I bought the Bayou Classic SP-10 as I intend to switch from partial to full boils.
I'm planning on buying a 10 gal. pot. Haven't decided between Polar ware, Megapot or Blichman; but that is another question. The question I have is:
Is it safe to use this in a garage? The burner arrived with all sorts of warnings not to use it under any coverings period. In fact it says to be like 15 feet away from them. I have plenty of yard, but none of it is level. Plus it tends to rain all winter in Oregon Anyway would it be safe to use this bad boy in the garage if I keep the fire extinguisher handy? Or should I go throw this on craigslist and buy a different burner?

For reference
Amazon.com: Bayou Classic SP10 High-Pressure Outdoor Gas Cooker, Propane: Explore similar items

Thanks
Nathan

I would think as long as you have the garage door open for good ventilation you'll be fine. I just got the SP-10 too and I was cleaning some stuff today, firing it up for the first time on my back patio. It's gets pretty hot but only within maybe a foot of the burner. I'm planning on brewing in my garage. I'm on Oregon too. Where are you in OR?

Having a fire extinguisher is next to useless with a propane fire. I used to be a firefighter and the only way to fight a propane fire is to shut off the flow of propane. To put the fire out adds to the risk of explosion. Being honest, I am scared chitless of propane. Used properly, it is fine. I don't pass judgement, you do what you feel is right, but I would never use a propane burner in my garage.

I have seen the consequences of using propane indoors, although I do have to admit, it wasn't a home brewer. The poor guy was using a propane heater in his garage while working on his car and the garage door more than half open. After the Fire Marshall finished his investigation he surmised that the heater flame must have gone out and enough propane leaked by the time the guy realized the flame went out, that when he tried to relight the heater, he triggered an explosion that blew the garage off it's foundation. Unfortunately propane is heavier than air and does not dissipate quickly. The poor fella died 10 days later as a result of his burns.

Yes you can but definitely more hazards.
is your hot water heater in the garage? (possible natural gas fumes ignition)
Anything combustible, clear it well away.
Open all doors leading to outside, ideally there's a healthy cross ventilation.
Put the burner on close to the driveway, almost outside to keep as many fumes outside and to make cleaning up spillovers easier.

By the way, I bought that exact burner from that exact vendor a month ago and it rocks.... It'll take several batches before the paint chips stop flaking off. Dunno why they even bother painting it...a powder coat would be better, cost i guess.

You will not find a propane burner that is approved for indoor use. Unless it is a gas range that is MEANT to be in doors. Or a Wok burner.

Also, aside from the burner, there are regulations on how much propane you can have in your home/garage. I beleive that per the safety regs. that comes to (2) 1 pound propane tanks, whether it be in your house or garage.

Bottom line is, all of this propane brewing gear is recommended for outdoor use for safety reasons, along with the propane tanks themselves. You can take the advice of anyone, but in the end if something happens, the insurance company will only be concerned with how it happened, not that someone on the internet gave you the go ahead.

Sounds like a good reason to put in a cement slab with one of those canopy carports (just for brewing). In the winter you can put up a couple of plywood walls (like a room divider) to block the wind and have a place for the picnic table...which can be moved out from under when the weather is nicer.

Oh, and welcome!!!

Sometimes warnings are rather amusing. My propane wall heater says: "Do not use outdoors". But it came with a regulator and line for a 20lb tank that says: "Do not use indoors."

I have seen those heaters mounted say in a garage, but the regulator and tank are actually outside, since regulations do not support the propane being used or stored indoors. In that case, those warnings make perfect sense.

david_42 said:

Sometimes warnings are rather amusing. My propane wall heater says: "Do not use outdoors". But it came with a regulator and line for a 20lb tank that says: "Do not use indoors."

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Why is it amusing? It sounds like the heater is to be used indoors but the tank and regulator mounted outside the home.

The most important thing when using ANY open flame is COMMON SENSE!!!

All of those labels are a result of somebody's stupidity and a resulting lawsuit. The Lord and Master, Ron White says "You can't fix stupid" and he is dead nuts on. IF you are smart enough to follow the brewing directions and not boil your hands off the chances are you are smart enough to leave the garage door open a bit and understand the warning signs of CO exposure. Keep flammable liquids away and clean the floor of sawdust. Don't put the fire source next to an escape route. Use ur head and don't drink TOO MANY homebrews while doing it.

I brew inside the garage with four propane burners.
The first thing I did: Made friends with the El Paso firefighters
They know to safe the garage before the house.

All the gas valves are commercial furnace control valves, with flame monitoring.
Each burner has a shield.
No propane tanks inside the garage.
Good ventilation.
I use a check list for every brew day to make sure no leaks, etc.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

What the approved use of the standard, inexpensive propane burners and the 20 lb. grill cylinders amounts to is that if you follow all the codes and statutes.....you can't, unless it's out in the open. Fine & dandy, if you happen to live in a place that's windless and not too cold when you want to brew. We don't happen to live in such a nirvana, therefore.

Most of life is a series of compromises, but "Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em," etc. Our garage is a 24 x 48' open pole building, with 3 overhead doors and a full eave / peak ventilation system. With all doors open, this is going to give plenty of ventilation, even on a windless day. You can work your way down from there. Would I use propane in a totally closed in garage? Not on your life, more to the point, not on mine, no more than I would in my basement. The post earlier about propane being heavier than air (unlike NG) is one of the biggest reasons, but the emission of CO (carbon monoxide) is another.
Then there's the middle ground of a closed garage that is ventilated during cold weather. Tough call....it'll work, IFF (if and only if) you've got enough ventilation. That doesn't mean you take your $19.95 box fan and point it at an open window, either. Is enough air, expressed in CFM (cubic feet per minute) being moved through that space for the amount of combustion you've got going on? The answer to this question can only be expressed in hard numbers, and it may be that an HVAC specialist is needed to come up with them.
The problem with the limits placed on propane use is that there's no hard enforcement. the 20 lb. cylinders aren't even supposed to be stored in a garage. Right. So how about gasoline, kerosene, diesel, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, and the other highly dangerous chemicals -alone or in combination- (diesel + fertilizer = the Federal courthouse in OK city), these items are found where? Right again! Overwhelmingly in the garage (which is why I've never owned an attached garage, and won't).

Hi all,

Thanks for all of the information. I just learned a ton. I had no clue that a fire extinguisher was no good in a propane fire.

Also I have a gas heater and water heater in the garage, so it sounds based on that and the above information, that I will pass. I love beer, but I like being alive and having a non-burned down house better

I'll find somewhere outside to brew.

Also it sounds like from this that different propane burners won't change the problem, so at least I don't feel like I made the wrong choice.

Thanks again

Why not just use electric!

The Pol said:

Why not just use electric!

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Suggestions?

There are numerous threads here concerning electric kegs, coolers, boil kettles... how to control them, wire them and the components. I have a couple threads on my E-HERMS, but there are plenty of others using E-RIMS etc... it is pretty popular.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/bling-bling-electric-herms-conversion-93217/

One of probably 30

I don't use electric because I don't want to. I like cooking with an open flame and I like brewing with an open flame. Electric is great, but I don't have to use it.

I do not have the fear many do about propane. Be careful and you will be fine. Use cation with ventilation, and use common sense. If you are an accident prone person, it is probably because you do not use common sense or are not a very careful person. If that is the case, those warnings are written for you. Not trying to be mean, but some people really do need those warnings, others can just be safe on their own.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

I don't use electric because I don't want to. I like cooking with an open flame and I like brewing with an open flame. Electric is great, but I don't have to use it.

I do not have the fear many do about propane. Be careful and you will be fine. Use cation with ventilation, and use common sense. If you are an accident prone person, it is probably because you do not use common sense or are not a very careful person. If that is the case, those warnings are written for you. Not trying to be mean, but some people really do need those warnings, others can just be safe on their own.

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I'm with you, Justin.

I exercise discretion when using propane, and I thumb my nose at those silly FDA warnings about undercooked meats, too.

Oh, and my brew buddy FireBrewer is - you guessed it! - a fire fighter and EMT, so I'm in good hands. I think.

I love my electric brew ring, it is in the basement so no need to even be out in the garage, always set up and ready to go.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cold-dead-hands-electric-brew-rig-action-118232/

I got the inspiration from The Pol's build.

I am not "afriad" of propane, but I am afraid of what SWMBO would do if something happened to the house and the insurance decided not to pay.

I am safe in all that I do, but accidents still happen.

The OP was asking about a warning on a burner, then heard why there are warnings on them and regulators and tanks. If he decides to go another route, kudos. If not, I am sure he has a firm understanding of what he needs to do to stay safe and reduce the risks.

The Pol said:

I am not "afriad" of propane, but I am afraid of what SWMBO would do if something happened to the house and the insurance decided not to pay.

I am safe in all that I do, but accidents still happen.

The OP was asking about a warning on a burner, then heard why there are warnings on them and regulators and tanks. If he decides to go another route, kudos. If not, I am sure he has a firm understanding of what he needs to do to stay safe and reduce the risks.

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The guys that thumb their noses at the warnings are exactly why the warnings are there to begin with. All it takes is one mistake. I am not going to talk anyone out of doing anything they have their hearts set on doing. If something goes wrong, it's their problem, not mine. To me, this is a hobby, and I am not about to put my family or home at an unnecessary risk to have fun with my hobby. If I am that hard-up for beer, I will make a trip to the beer distributor. Let them do what they want to do. I have seen first hand (Post #3) what can happen. What they choose to do is their business, not mine. Just calling it the way I see it.

The Pol said:

I am not "afriad" of propane, but I am afraid of what SWMBO would do if something happened to the house and the insurance decided not to pay.

I am safe in all that I do, but accidents still happen.

The OP was asking about a warning on a burner, then heard why there are warnings on them and regulators and tanks. If he decides to go another route, kudos. If not, I am sure he has a firm understanding of what he needs to do to stay safe and reduce the risks.

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Please stop with the insurance not paying the claim just would not happen. The words sudden and accidental in the policy mean just that . If your were to intentionally leave the gas on knowing the gas pilot water heater would lite sooner or later then its arson.

People do stupid crap everyday like leaving a pot of oil on the stove when there is a power failure go get some food come home to the fireman. Seen claims where the house burned because of ambient candles set the house ablaze or the kerosene heater flares up even though they are illegal to us in dwellings in NY no claims have been rejected because of them. Last year had an insured who set the wood deck on fire doing the thanksgiving turkey


Now back on topic ... I use propane in my garage with the door and a window open . I have a detached garage so I dont worry about carbon monoxide entering my home. Just use some common sense when doing it and dont leave it unattended