Propane Burner on a Deck

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LeverTime

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I've done a few 1 - 2.5 gallon AG batches on my stove, but I finally got a propane burner so that I can do full size AG batches. My question is: does anyone else use their burner on a deck? My (wooden) roof deck would be the most convenient place to do it, since there are far fewer bugs, plus it's right by the door leading to the kitchen. I am concerned this might be a fire hazard though.

I (and many of my neighbors) have charcoal grills on our decks, and I am not sure if that is more or less dangerous than a propane burner.
 
I use mine on a deck. Its wood, but has some sort of weird texture on it as a coating. Anyway, the flame is pretty far away from the ground anyway, and all of its energy is going up, not down. I actually used to put cardboard under my burner just for splashes/boilovers (so I could spend less time cleaning up) and never had a single issue.
 
It shouldn't be an issue, all the heat rises. The legs can get a bit hot. It would be a good idea to set it on a large peice of stone or cement. Make sure whatever you set it on can't slide or move, just make sure it's stable.
 
I've actually got a sheet of cement board left over from a home improvement project that I could put in a corner of the deck. That sounds like it would be a perfect platform. Glad to hear other people are doing this without problems.

Don't worry, I have no intention of ever frying a turkey! :)
 
I would think your charcoal grill is more dangerous on a wood deck. I brew in my garage but on a wood stand with a turkey fryer burner, no issues yet. When I first started with this set up I would set up a water pan under the turkey fryer to diffuse the temperature but after checking the temps it never got hot to the touch under the fryer. However it is always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher on hand and don't leave it unattended when you have the flame going.
 
I would think your charcoal grill is more dangerous on a wood deck.

Certainly could be true. I have a fire extinguisher in my kitchen, and I bring it out to the deck when I'm grilling. My house is made out of stone, so I figure even if I manage to light the deck on fire I probably can't do too much damage.
 
Being a profesional firefighter that sheet of cement board will work great plus it will also keep stains off your deck if you happen to spill or anything. But anything is possible so the fire extiguisher is always a good option. The ignition temp of wood is around 525F with direct flame impengment. So think you will be just fine. Brew on brother
 
Cement board or sheet metal is likely your safest option. I did notice my deck getting quite warm under my burner back when I did this. If nothing else, a spray bottle of water to keep the deck cool would help as well. Most importantly is that you recognize the inherent danger, and never leave it unnattended no matter what precautions you take.
 
I rent and we have a raised wood deck off the main walk out. I brew on the deck since it is a natural second tier. The wood is pretty old, not treated and my propane burner will cause two small knots in the wood to leak (I guess sap) and turned it black. Started happening after I added a homemade wind guard so there is probably more heat concentrated below the burner. A few inch lift of the burner I think would fix the issue. Not so much a safety issue but more cosmetic since your deck is probably nice.
 
When I throw my burner on my deck, I usually take the garden hose and spray down the area below the burner so that it's wet.
 
Charcoal tends to emit sparks that can ignite the wood deck. Unless your gas burner is really dirty with soot I don't see it issuing sparks. I see the charcoal as more hazardous to the wood deck than a propane burner.
 
Id always err on the side of caution with this. I would suggest the bricks underneath or some form of that as stated in this thread a few times. I use a turkey frier base for my boiling and I can literally feel the heat in the concrete depending on how full my kettle is. If I have to crank it up for a 7 gallon boil yeah it gets toasty under my feet. My base is barely off the ground though. Not sure on the height of yours. Id say my burner is no more than 3 inches off the ground max.
 
My burner has a mounting nut on the bottom so I was able to fashion a round aluminum disk about 12" in diameter and place it under the burner. It serves to catch spills and shield the ground from heat. I use it on my deck all the time...well, until I finish my brewstand!
 
kevy_kev said:
Make sure you have good ventilation in there because I would be more worried about carbon monoxide poisoning then a deck catching on fire.

Yeah, I should clarify. I brew at the edge (just under cover) of the two car garage with the door wide open. It's too damned hot here in Florida otherwise. Not to mention a window open for my hose to be ran into the garage and a garage fan blowing full speed. All combustibles far away and a fire extinguish handy at all times. Trust me I don't want to die or catch my house on fire and subsequently be killed by my wife if I did.

Seriously though why are people using a charcoal grill on a wood deck?
 
My burner has a mounting nut on the bottom so I was able to fashion a round aluminum disk about 12" in diameter and place it under the burner. It serves to catch spills and shield the ground from heat. I use it on my deck all the time...well, until I finish my brewstand!

Mine came with a heat shield like you describe and my deck doesn't even get warm under the burner.
 
Is it that dangerous? I've never had any hot coals come out of mine. A lot of people I know do it, so I figured it can't be that dangerous.

I suppose it can be done safely with the right precautions. I just never realized that it was so common.
 
I'm an HVAC guy and I have had my share of fires. A 5gal bucket of water and/or a garden hose is great to have if you need it now. And checking all LP fitting and burner mounts is a good idea. If you can wet everything down, It's hot outside it cant hurt.
 
The pavement in my driveway is super hot after boiling, nevermind the contact points of the burner are even hotter, I personally wouldn't want to put that thing on wood without taking some kind of shielding precautions
 
We always hose down the deck at the beach house before starting the grill(s), and keep the hose nearby. We never had any problems in any case. I never brew there though. I have a concrete deck at home.
 
Using a charcoal grill on a deck is a cool way to get a new deck that is how i got mine. Oh and I was using a concrete backer board under it. There was a guy on the old green egg board that got a new house, and his pit was just next to the deck.
 
Using a charcoal grill is much different than a propane burner. Hot ashes often fall from the grill. The charcoal is flammable, wort is not. If wort spills it would put out a fire not start one.
 
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