Tricks to prevent freezing propane tank?
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upperNY01brewer
Well-Known Member
I leave mine in the garage all winter long. I live in upstate NY and the winters here can get very cold and I haven't had any problems. I guess I have to ask what is freezing ?
CadillacAndy
Well-Known Member
adamc said:
I have a big plastic tub that I fill with hot water.
Hooking 2 tanks together is also supposed to work well, but warm water was easier for me.
wolfman_48442
Well-Known Member
It doesn't really need hot water to work fine, either.
Just above freezing will work too.
Just above freezing will work too.
VladOfTrub
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"I leave mine in the garage all winter long. I live in upstate NY and the winters here can get very cold and I haven't had any problems. I guess I have to ask what is freezing ?"
Brewers using 75-200K burners and doing a 60-90 minute boil, using 20 pound cylinders in cold weather. Notice that the cylinder ices up and pressure at the burner is decreased. It becomes worse, as the volume of liquid in the tank decreases. That's what the brewer means, when saying that the tank is freezing. Keeping the tank warm helps with keeping the pressure up, when burning the fuel. It's a temperature/pressure thing. Check a temperature/pressure correlation chart for propane. The chart may explain things better. Maybe, it is because that you're burners, boiling time and boil volumes aren't the same as the brewers that experience the problem. Or, perhaps, you're cylinder contains magical space gas. That doesn't share the same characteristics of LP...
Brewers using 75-200K burners and doing a 60-90 minute boil, using 20 pound cylinders in cold weather. Notice that the cylinder ices up and pressure at the burner is decreased. It becomes worse, as the volume of liquid in the tank decreases. That's what the brewer means, when saying that the tank is freezing. Keeping the tank warm helps with keeping the pressure up, when burning the fuel. It's a temperature/pressure thing. Check a temperature/pressure correlation chart for propane. The chart may explain things better. Maybe, it is because that you're burners, boiling time and boil volumes aren't the same as the brewers that experience the problem. Or, perhaps, you're cylinder contains magical space gas. That doesn't share the same characteristics of LP...
Clayton
Well-Known Member
move it closer to the burner
newnick
Well-Known Member
Wrap the wife's heating pad or electric blanket around the tank.
If you're not a slave to the tank exchange process and can get local fills, it would be a good idea to get yourself a 40 pound tank (or larger).
MollyHatchet
Well-Known Member
Bobby_M said:
Don't mean to high jack the thread, but with batch sparging a five gallon batch how much propane would the average batch consume?
CadillacAndy
Well-Known Member
MollyHatchet said:
I get about 4 batches with 1 tank. I'm using 14" 220k btu banjo burners.
Epimetheus
Well-Known Member
We use LP to heat our house in New England. In a very cold winter, the supply company will add a bit of methanol for antifreeze when they fill the tanks. I am certain that the swap-bottles do not contain methanol. If you get them refilled somewhere they may have the ability to add it.
If I used propane, I would keep two bottles, one inside the house, and swap as needed. Second choice would be a warm water bath of no more than 100F so you do not exceed expected design temperatures.
If I used propane, I would keep two bottles, one inside the house, and swap as needed. Second choice would be a warm water bath of no more than 100F so you do not exceed expected design temperatures.
Transamguy77
Well-Known Member
I just had this happen to me while brewing last week, I put the tank in a tub of warm water and it was good for the rest of the brew.
MollyHatchet
Well-Known Member
cadillacandy said:
Thanks!
CadillacAndy
Well-Known Member
Usually 4-5 gallon. I get 2 10 gallon batches from 1 tank.
If you're only getting 2 5 gallon batches out of 20lbs of propane I'd be checking your air vents and wind screens. What kind of burner are you using? Not to highjack the thread...
upperNY01brewer
Well-Known Member
"I leave mine in the garage all winter long. I live in upstate NY and the winters here can get very cold and I haven't had any problems. I guess I have to ask what is freezing ?"
Brewers using 75-200K burners and doing a 60-90 minute boil, using 20 pound cylinders in cold weather. Notice that the cylinder ices up and pressure at the burner is decreased. It becomes worse, as the volume of liquid in the tank decreases. That's what the brewer means, when saying that the tank is freezing. Keeping the tank warm helps with keeping the pressure up, when burning the fuel. It's a temperature/pressure thing. Check a temperature/pressure correlation chart for propane. The chart may explain things better. Maybe, it is because that you're burners, boiling time and boil volumes aren't the same as the brewers that experience the problem. Or, perhaps, you're cylinder contains magical space gas. That doesn't share the same characteristics of LP...
Nope no magical space gas here. I guess I've never experienced the above for mentioned conditions. I general go out and run a heater to warm things up out there when I do actually brew in the winter, which this winter Im on the fence as to rather or not I will be brewing this up coming winter. I guess I will have to do at least one batch and go out there without first running a heater and see what happens. I'm fortunate enough to have a friend who works at a gas & oxygen supply company and has "loaned" me a 100 lb tank and lines to run burners and heater. But even so I still tend not to brew as often as I do the rest of the year, I guess I prefer to be inside drinking it..
CadillacAndy
Well-Known Member
adamc said:
I do either 60 or 90 min boils. I have about 4" from burner to kettle. Plus a 1/2 round windscreen in the back and a plate on the front.
Painting the tanks black and keeping them in the sun has worked well for us. Also an occasional splash from the waste/heat water from the chiller. Once our tanks get low we swap them around as one freezes up.
How are some of you guys only getting 2-3 batches out of a tank? I recorded from the start of a tank once and timed all my brews with it keeping the notes in my phone until it was empty. I got 6 full brews in and I believe two of the boils were over 60 minutes. I think one was 90 minutes and one was 75 minutes with the rest being 60. I have a Blichmann burner and am doing 5 gallon batches (also a Blichmann 10G kettle).
Propane is pretty pricey, if I only got in 3 brews per tank at $25 a tank over here that would cost me $8.33 per brew instead of $4.16.
Rev.
Propane is pretty pricey, if I only got in 3 brews per tank at $25 a tank over here that would cost me $8.33 per brew instead of $4.16.
Rev.
CadillacAndy
Well-Known Member
Rev2010 said:
I almost always do 90min boils for some reason. Gives me more time to sit, relax and drink beer. I'm running 2 220k btu banjo burners that probably could use better windscreens and I probably could adjust my air/gas mix a little better. I get propane exchanges for $13 roughly, so even with 4 batches per tank it's only about $3.25.
I've been meaning to weigh my tanks to see how much I'm actually using per batch.
Cheers!
Yeah like i said i usually boil 90 mins or more. There is a pretty big gap between the banjo burner and the keggle. Plus the banjo burners use a lot more propane than smaller burners. Never had a problem with freezing til i got the banjo.
More mass transfer equals more freezing (gotta love thermodynamics!!)
More mass transfer equals more freezing (gotta love thermodynamics!!)
bumstigedy
Member
I also put the tank in a tub of water and that seems to work pretty well. I just use cold water from the garden hose. Occasionally if I have extra hot water left from the sparge, I'll add it to the tub of water while boiling.
inchrisin
Well-Known Member
Hijack tangent: There isn't a way to raise the burner closer to the pot is there? I'm wondering if you can get too close too. The burner has to have some degree of room to breathe. Mine is just factory set, but now you guys have me wondering.
My banjo burner has an air vent. It pulls air through the manifold as it pulls propane. I plan on raising mine several inches and adding some better (and removable) windscreens.
So in short, it depends on your burner.
And your pot. I use SS keggles. It would be very difficult to burn through SS. But an aluminum pot? Way easier i expect.
So in short, it depends on your burner.
And your pot. I use SS keggles. It would be very difficult to burn through SS. But an aluminum pot? Way easier i expect.
Longer boils and the use of a keggle vs kettle perhaps?
I have a hunch that keggles are not the most efficient boiling vessels as they are heavy w/ a top and bottom skirt that also needs heating...just a guess?
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