Brews/Propane Refill

How many brews are you all able to get out of one propane tank. I'm doing just 2 right now because I'm afraid I'll run out mid boil. I have a powerful burner with 20 psi regulator but it's usually clamped down pretty good and the boil is pretty vigorous. I use 17 lb blue rhino tank, can I get more than 2 brews per tank?

I get 3-4 I think. Get a second tank.

We have gotten 3 before out of a tank. It depends on how efficient it is though. We fill with HOT tap water so it doesnt have as far to fill up. However once summer rolls around we'll be back to the hose to fill up as the temp outside will help us out.

You should be able to get almost 3 no matter what, just make sure you are being efficient with it. Just go grab another tank from Lowes so you have a back up. We make sure to always have a second full one on hand.

I get 5-6 but I heat my mash/sparge water on my gas stove. My wife will divorce me if I boil wort in the house. It isn't worth it.

As far as I know - you do not need a vigorous boil; a rolling boil is what you should aim fore. An agressive boil boils off more volume. If that is what you're after, then it should be done.

I get 4-5 out of a 20 lb. tank. However, there are variables. Obviously a given recipe can affect this, depending on the length of the boil. A lot of 90 minute boils will up consumption, etc. I don't go for some humongous rolling boil; I achieve a nice bubbling boil and let it go at that (and my beer is fine, thank you). Also, I heat about half of my strike water inside on the cooktop to 170F, thus using far cheaper propane, which significantly shortens the amount of time it takes my turkey fryer burner (Bayou Classic SQ14) to bring the 5 gal. strike water to the correct temperature. I preheat my MLT, but this water is also heated indoors on the cooktop.

I've gotten far more brews since I realized that I don't need to regulator full open with a crazy boil. I crank it up to get the boil going, and then dial it down. Its amazing how far I can dial it down and still maintain a good rolling boil. I used to get only 2, maybe three brews out of one tank, but now I get a couple more I think (I use the same set of tanks for my grill, so its hard to gauge exactly how many brews one tank gets me).

I'm on my 6'th batch from one 20lb tank. It feels like there is about 1/4 tank left. It's a Blichmann burner if that makes a difference...

Cool, good info... I hear you on the rolling boil versus regular boil, however my burner basically has 2 settings... Hi and Off... Freaking jet engine. I do the same technique in heating my tap water up first. I guess I'll just bite the bullet and get 2 tanks. I'm sure it will pay itself back.

ErieShores said:

I get 5-6 but I heat my mash/sparge water on my gas stove. My wife will divorce me if I boil wort in the house. It isn't worth it.

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its cheaper to keep her

I get about 2 per tank. I waste a lot of propane though...streamlining my process to reduce waste is on the books. I use it to heat up mash/sparge water and then boil. Propane has one of the most addicting sound effects...probably why I leave it on for so long. *click*..wwwHOOMP..WSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...

remilard said:

I get 3-4 I think. Get a second tank.

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Second tank. I've gotten about 4-5 batches.

i get usually around 4-5 but i do all my heating in my house, then boil outside

I get 4 - 5 out of a 20# tank usually. Having that extra tank (I have 3) is key so you can get every drop out of each tank. Especially when you pay by the tank to get refilled and $30/tank is the best price around. It makes me want to go electric.

JuanKenobi said:

I get 4 - 5 out of a 20# tank usually. Having that extra tank (I have 3) is key so you can get every drop out of each tank. Especially when you pay by the tank to get refilled and $30/tank is the best price around. It makes me want to go electric.

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I think you have the idea. My cheap source of propane just went ballistic on me. Given even the bulk price of propane, I think that the answer is to go electric. But there are a lot of adaptations, so the question is, which way? I'm not keen on the idea of doing anything DIY with stainless steel, but I haven't seen anything out there in the way of ready-made electric boil kettles.

I got a Propane Gauge as a Christmas gift a couple years ago. It warns me when the supply is low and I need to switch to my back up cylinder.

Brian

Yeah, just get a second tank and keep it full. When the first runs out, swap. Refill later.

pfooti said:

Yeah, just get a second tank and keep it full. When the first runs out, swap. Refill later.

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Same practice, and if I forget to fill the back up I will steal my grills tank. If the grill protests I smack it with my nuts and point at my smoker.

pfooti said:

Yeah, just get a second tank and keep it full. When the first runs out, swap. Refill later.

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Bingo - I swear by this and if you ever run out mid boil (I didn't but it was close once) you'll get a second tank as well.
I guess we're lucky - the last time I took tanks in I got two refills from empty for $32.00. Love me some ACE Hardware.

I used to get 2-3 depending on batch size and weather (more wind = worse, cold weather= worse)
Switched to electric and loving it.

anyone know about how much it costs to setup natural gas outside for the grill and pot burner? I know it varies for each house, state, plumber,etc. but whats the ballpark

Benthic said:

I got a Propane Gauge as a Christmas gift a couple years ago. It warns me when the supply is low and I need to switch to my back up cylinder.

Brian

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There is no way that thing works properly. It's impossible physics.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5428024_propane-do-not-pressure-gauges.html

I use 2½ to 3# per 5½ gallon batch.

I get about 3 batches out of a tank but I also use my propane periodically for the grill...

It is smart to get a second tank and then you never have to worry about running out. While you're at it might as well get a second CO2 tank as well

ryandlf said:

It is smart to get a second tank and then you never have to worry about running out.

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It's only smart if you fill the first tank when it empties. I have to take two tanks to get filled today.

cclloyd said:

Bingo - I swear by this and if you ever run out mid boil (I didn't but it was close once) you'll get a second tank as well.
I guess we're lucky - the last time I took tanks in I got two refills from empty for $32.00. Love me some ACE Hardware.

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My electricity tank is always full!:rockin:

molsonG said:

anyone know about how much it costs to setup natural gas outside for the grill and pot burner? I know it varies for each house, state, plumber,etc. but whats the ballpark

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How much you got? Can you pipe everything to where you want it and they just connect it? If so 300 will go a long ways with an attached garage.

npauley88 said:

There is no way that thing works properly. It's impossible physics.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5428024_propane-do-not-pressure-gauges.html

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I understand how the physics for propane works, but the gauge still gives me enough warning to get the second tank ready before the first one runs out. Heck it has even given me enough warning to run to the corner store and get a refill before. So, I know the gauge isn't accurate throughout it's range but it gives me about a 10 minute warning, and that's all I need.

Brian

Benthic said:

I understand how the physics for propane works, but the gauge still gives me enough warning to get the second tank ready before the first one runs out. Heck it has even given me enough warning to run to the corner store and get a refill before. So, I know the gauge isn't accurate throughout it's range but it gives me about a 10 minute warning, and that's all I need.

Brian

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The spring scale on my Weber grill works better.....but it still moves over its entire range in about the last 15-20% of the contents of the tank. As with your gauge, it's not a lot, but it's enough.

Make sure you are "refilling" and not swapping. You'll save some serious bank doing this. Places like Pilot Truck stop(and others, lots of trucks and RVs have propane these days), Ace Hardware, Menards(swap but cheap using the self serve), etc all do refills for around 13 bucks a 20lb tank. I only swap my tanks when they start getting ugly....

Yeah, I had a $12 refill place (Sunbelt Rentals), with a free refill for every 4 purchased. Went there this Spring, and it had gone up 100%....now $25 per. Cheaper to swap at the supemarket......haven't made up my mind whether I want to spend the $4 gasoline driving to U-Haul.....

jd3 said:

Make sure you are "refilling" and not swapping. You'll save some serious bank doing this. Places like Pilot Truck stop(and others, lots of trucks and RVs have propane these days), Ace Hardware, Menards(swap but cheap using the self serve), etc all do refills for around 13 bucks a 20lb tank. I only swap my tanks when they start getting ugly....

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I pay $30 to fill my tanks. Swapping at the supermarket is $40! During the summer I can tack my fills onto my work's account and pay by the gallon to get it a little cheaper, but it's still like $5/gallon.

JuanKenobi said:

I pay $30 to fill my tanks. Swapping at the supermarket is $40! During the summer I can tack my fills onto my work's account and pay by the gallon to get it a little cheaper, but it's still like $5/gallon.

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Wow. This is getting out of hand. I either have to get serious about moving to electric brewing, or else running a propane line from my 1K gal. bulk tank to the garage.

dang i'm in texas, a swap is about $18. a new full tank is $40ish..
can't believe some of yall are paying $40 to swap.

that 'pressure guage' thing linked from amazon is a waste.. why not just buy a 2nd tank.
If my tank runs out, i get my backup, fire it up, then put the empty tank in my car, so sometime during that next week, i'll swap on the way home from work. So I always know i have a full tank on hand.

rico567 said:

Wow. This is getting out of hand. I either have to get serious about moving to electric brewing, or else running a propane line from my 1K gal. bulk tank to the garage.

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Seriously. I pay $4.25/gal to fill my 350gal tank for the house.

I must be conservative. Ive done 4 so far on a full 20# tank, and judging by the frost line on the cylinder, I still have 2 or 3 brews left. (Doing 5 gal batches, starting with about 6.5gals preboil)

I can also get a refill for about $15, or a tank swap for $20. I always go the refill route when I can, because I swear the tank swaps are not full tanks.

I broken-down this weekend and bought another tank... But now I have 2 Blue Rhinos... Am I allowed to take these to ACE for refills or am I only limited to swaps at $18 per?

astropunk said:

I always go the refill route when I can, because I swear the tank swaps are not full tanks.

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They are not...

They are between 15 and 17 lbs depending on the retailer. If you dig enough, it is in the literature for most of them. Safety concerns and all

BTW, if you want to know how much is in a tank, you could always just throw one on the old bathroom scale, and subtract the tare weight on the collar. Works much better than those gauges.

Ah I see you mentioned the old Blue Rhino. I would probably get those refilled elsewhere.

From the Blue Rhino website.

Inflationary pressures, including the volatile costs of steel, diesel fuel, and propane, have had a significant impact on the cylinder exchange industry. In 2008, to help control these rising costs, Blue Rhino followed the example of other consumer products companies with a product content change. We reduced the amount of propane in our tanks from 17 pounds to 15 pounds.
To ensure our consumers are properly notified, Blue Rhino clearly marks the amount of propane contained in our tanks, right on the package.

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LOL...safety concerns...riiiiiiiiiight.

They already have OPD valves in them to prevent over-fills. Anything less than full is strictly robbing customers of hard earned $$.