Brewing in garage

I would like to brew in the garage today since it is raining. I'm an all-grain guy, and have a turkey fryer. I've heard of horror stories about houses being burned down while people are using these things in the garage. Does the same hold true for brewing?

I brew in the garage with my turkey fryer all the time. Just make sure you pull the cars out (My Harley stays in though) and move the gas cans away. Open the garage door for ventillation and have a extinguisher handy.

common sense.

The stories you hear are mainly about slack-jawed yokels who're frying up a turkey, and they have the kettle full of boiling peanut oil...which proceeds to spill everywhere and the flame from the burner sets their oil-soaked deck on fire.

As long as you're not frying up a turkey, and you're not a slack-jawed yokel, you should be okay.

But, yeah, if you don't have a few extinguishers around the house, I'd recommend it.

Agreed.

I think the danger with frying turkeys is that the oil is so hot and if not handled carefully it can splash, spill and catch fire...fire spreads...the end. But, wort isn't that hot and won't catch fire. Give yourself a good buffer around the burner (no oily rags or dry wood under it) and a fire extinguisher and you should be set.

I just open the garage door and light up.

The last place I worked had a large burned spot on the parking lot. Amazing how high the flames can go, if you don't wipe the water off the turkey! [If Sales is doing the turkey, make them setup far, far away.]

I've been the slack-jawed yokel (outside). Its' easier than you think. Knocking it over is one way, here's another:

You lower the turkey in (slowly) and the water in it's meat causes the oil to get violent. The hollow chest cavity concentrates the steam and boiling oil comes shooting straight up all over you. In fear (and pain), you drop the turkey into the pot and run. Now fully submerged, the hollow carcass becomes a hot oil fountain spraying as high as 8ft. The superheated airborne oil droplets ignite from the flames, subsequently igniting the pot. Quickly, the whole pot and all flammable materials around it become an inferno.

Fortunately, we has sense enough to be in the driveway and keep a big extinguisher handy. Had this been in a garage, on a deck, or close to the house, it could have been a disaster.

So, unless you'll be boiling flammable wort it should be ok. But do keep an extinguisher handy just in case and be very aware of the danger of tipping over a boiling 5 gallon pot. My biggest fear in this respect is an overly playful dog and little ones who are unaware of the dangers.

Not to go off topic here, but I've often wondered how many of the turkey fryer accidents with oil could have been avoided by actually turning off the flame while adding the turkey and then re-lighting afterwards. Of course this wouldn't do anything for just getting splattered by hot oil from throwing a wet turkey in, but would have stopped the turkey fryer from turning into the acme napalm machine

I do it here with no problems.

Bokonon said:

Not to go off topic here, but I've often wondered how many of the turkey fryer accidents with oil could have been avoided by actually turning off the flame while adding the turkey and then re-lighting afterwards. Of course this wouldn't do anything for just getting splattered by hot oil from throwing a wet turkey in, but would have stopped the turkey fryer from turning into the acme napalm machine

Click to expand...

Great point! Truthfully never thought of it... It's on my to-do list from now on. Having been there, I can tell you that the thought of getting quarts of spattering oil on your skin tend to make you make you forget about the tiny little flame underneath.

One note about the bird, it's not just the surface water that's a problem. You can dry all you want, water/marinade in the flesh and water/ice in the body cavity are all causes of eruptions in that first few minutes. To be honest without the holoow chest cavity, I don't think it would be an issue at all...

Thanks for the advice guys. Fortunately my name is not Cletus, nor am I a slack-jawed yokel so I am going to go ahead and attempt this. Gas cans out of garage. Check. Back out vette. Check. Brew on!!!!

prsman said:

Fortunately my name is not Cletus, nor am I a slack-jawed yokel

Click to expand...

Me either. I have just found that Murphy and his friend Dumba** tend to creep up on you when you least expect them.

Great job of planning, enjoy the brew day.

If I couldn't brew in my garage...I'd be in trouble.

A turkey fryer full of boiling oil is a lot different than a turkey fryer full of boiling "water".

Keep the garage doors upen, or at least vented and beware any stock piles of flammables. (You may want to move that mountain of half empty paint cans and paint thinner).

In this case, having your flame off of the ground is key.

Example: Water heaters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_heater

If a water heater is installed in a garage, it is recommended, and many codes require, that it be elevated at least 18 inches (0.46 m) above the floor to reduce the potential for fire or explosion due to spillage or leakage of combustible liquids in the garage.

Click to expand...

Fumes from combustable materials creep along the ground.

I always brew in the garage, never outside with those crazy wild yeast flying around...lol

Brew-boy said:

I always brew in the garage, never outside with those crazy wild yeast flying around...lol

Click to expand...

Sorry bud, but they also fly around inside your house...! The horrors!!