Ooops! ran out of propane

So as i was settling into my brew session last night, with 4 partially filled tanks thinking I could easily make it through, I ran out. Luckily just finished collecting the wort and ran out starting into the boil. And yes already smacked my yeast packs.
Any concerns finishing the boil today? I wouldn't think so except for maybe the yeast, as will boil away any nasties that may have got into the wort. The packs look like they are ready to burst, so I'm not overly concerned that they have been affected either. Just wondering if anyone has done a split batch like this before. After smacking the yeast pack.

Since you were able to get things boiling for a little while you should be ok. Just don't wait too long to get things going again. The yeast are eating the extra stuff in the smack pack and are producing co2. I wonder if anyone has had one explode from smacking it and letting it sit unopened before. If it was me I would sanitize a covered container and the unopened yeast packs to contain them. that way if they pop you don't loose out on any yeast.

I had the same thing happen to me while in the middle of a boil. I ran out and got a new tank so it was only left for about 30 minutes rather than overnight, but the beer turned out just fine.

As a precaution you could put your smack packs back in the fridge just to slow down the yeast a bit and pull them out when you start your boil to get them back to around room temp. The smack packs are built well enough that I don't think they would explode, but you never know.

Thought about putting them in the fridge, but didn't know how they might be affected by starting to propagate, then crashing them in the fridge, then warming them again, so I put them in the cool basement and have not touched them since Will give them a little shake before I add them.

The only reason I can see to have 4 partial tanks around is if you are swapping instead of refilling.

Refill them at U-Haul instead. It will save you money and you will never run out of propane.

bleme said:

The only reason I can see to have 4 partial tanks around is if you are swapping instead of refilling.

Refill them at U-Haul instead. It will save you money and you will never run out of propane.

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I'm trying to find someone around me that does propane top offs with no luck.

every place around here charges a full $18-20 whether your are empty or just need 1 lb.

It's frustrating. I'd like to be able to go out every brew day and top off.

bleme said:

The only reason I can see to have 4 partial tanks around is if you are swapping instead of refilling.

Refill them at U-Haul instead. It will save you money and you will never run out of propane.

Click to expand...

around here tractor supply is the cheapest place for a refill. $2.49 a gallon vs $3.99 at uhaul.

bleme said:

The only reason I can see to have 4 partial tanks around is if you are swapping instead of refilling.

Refill them at U-Haul instead. It will save you money and you will never run out of propane.

Click to expand...

refilling is not only cheaper but you get more in a tank. Swapped tanks contain on average at least 2 lbs less than you get refilling. I get tanks refilled for $10 at the propane dealer versus an exhange at $18 plus.

Find out the "expiration" date on your tank and write it somewhere on there with a sharpie (easier than translating the code over and over, which is 12 years from the date stamped on the collar as 00 month 00 yr) so you know when it approaches and then swap it before it expires with one with a distant expiration date.

And I have 4 tanks so I don't run out....but one is on a grill, one on an outdoor stove and 2 are for brewing

bleme said:

The only reason I can see to have 4 partial tanks around is if you are swapping instead of refilling.

Refill them at U-Haul instead. It will save you money and you will never run out of propane.

Click to expand...

Agree. If you have a Tractor Supply location near you, they are even cheaper. They sell by the gallon, not pound, and no "rounding up".

Actually am refilling, got lazy. Just changed the BBQ over to Natural gas, so thought I had some in that one for sure and my local propane guy not open at 11 at night.
If only I could get my brewhouse set up with Nat Gas, thats the ticket!
Ultimately have too many tanks, started with 2 and never ran out, then accumulated a couple more and as I said got lazy.

I've read a lot of posts around here about converting propane stoves to natural gas. I don't have natural gas in my neighborhood otherwise I would change to it from propane to save a lot of money/headaches/running around.

I brew near the entry to my garage, and happen to have a gas line high up on a wall at the rear of the garage, I assume for a garage heater when the original owners built the place. May have to consider something in the future. May have to put my retired dad who converted my BBQ to work again.

Sure wish I had natural gas....the street behind me has it.....so close, yet so far. I'd convert to it in a heartbeat!

Even if the tank expires you can swap it to one of the places that does Blue Rhino or the similar. I went to refill a couple tanks at camp and they were really nasty and expired the refill place wouldn't touch em, brought em to Walmart and paid like $40 total to swap em both for fresh new fullish ones.

Also, when I ran out of propane the last 2 times while brewing, I just split my batch and threw it on the stove to finish the boil. Its just like making a stovetop extract at that point. I had no issues.