Refilling Propane Tanks - How often?

I currently have a 20 lb propane tank and I have used it for my first 5 all grain batches. I was told I would get 4 to 5 batches worth out of a tank.

I'm worried I'll run out of propane in the middle of the brew day at a potentially important time, having to interrupt what I'm doing to get it refilled. Would you guys play it safe and just get it refilled before my next brew day? Also, they just exchange your tanks right?

Any info is helpful, I'd like to brew on Sunday!

stepcg6 said:

I currently have a 20 lb propane tank and I have used it for my first 5 all grain batches. I was told I would get 4 to 5 batches worth out of a tank.

I'm worried I'll run out of propane in the middle of the brew day at a potentially important time, having to interrupt what I'm doing to get it refilled. Would you guys play it safe and just get it refilled before my next brew day? Also, they just exchange your tanks right?

Any info is helpful, I'd like to brew on Sunday!

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It's way cheaper to have it refilled instead of exchange. A lot depends on your burner, how hot you boil, etc. but I also get about 5. Any chance you could borrow one from a neighbor for brew day as a backup? Costco has refills by me for $9.99. Beats the heck out of a $24 exchange.

ever heard of having two or even three propane tanks? Don't you have a gas grill?

Hahahah not only do I have no gas grill, I have no grill at all. I live in an apartment complex with a backyard of rocks that barely fits my whole setup. Some of us just work with what we've got

Keeping an extra tank on hand is really the best solution

stepcg6 said:

Hahahah not only do I have no gas grill, I have no grill at all. I live in an apartment complex with a backyard of rocks that barely fits my whole setup. Some of us just work with what we've got

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I've found them on Craigslist for $15-20. It sure is nice to have a backup.

keep in mind that exchanged tanks only have 15 pounds of gas.

In all honesty your wasting money on propane if you don't run at least two tanks. You'll never be able to completely drain a propane tank if you don't have an extra to finish out the brew session. I even go as far as giving a seemly empty tank a swirl to milk an extra ten to fifteen minutes of boil out of it.

matt2778 said:

keep in mind that exchanged tanks only have 15 pounds of gas.

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Source?

I'm not a source, but he's right

get a propane tank gauge. Then you always know how much is in the tank.
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/brinkmann-propane-tank-gauge-812-9220-s.html

NivekD said:

Source?

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Blue Rhino tanks are only filled to 15# when you pick up and exchange one. There was a big outcry about it several years ago when consumers started noticing that they weren't getting their traditional use out of a tank. Not only do you pay more for the exchange than you do for a refill, you get less propane as well. I have four tanks personally - it is always good to have a spare (or 3!) just in case.

I have three tanks and only exchange when the date code is getting ready to expire. I exchange at Wally World and grab one that has a current date. I have never had one weight less than 40 pounds, which is what it should be if it's full. I would stay away from places that only fill to 15 pounds unless it's a lot cheaper.

Find somewhere that fills them,it's much cheaper than exchange.My local tru-value fills them, and they have a frequent filler card. 5 fills get 1 free.
I only have one tank and manage just fine. I'll probably pick up another if I find one at a yard sale or something, but if you really want to know, get the weight of a completely empty one and use that to gauge how much is in yours.

I get 4 or 5 brews per tank, but yeah, I keep 2 tanks (plus a third for the BBQ) just in case. I actually had to swap one out today in the middle of the boil.

I've never heard of refilling the tanks though. Around here, the only options seem to be buying a new tank or exchanging en empty for a full one (about $20).

To many variables to really be able to tell how many brews you will get from a tank.

I use the stove to heat strike and sparge water so the only propane I use is in the boil and I get a lot of brews out of a tank. I have never counted but I bet over 10 brews if I am doing 60 min boils

got my original tank at Wal-Mart and had it refilled last night at U-Haul

better to get it refilled, then you're only paying for what you've used. every 3rd brew day, go get it refilled.

& like Nivek said; exchange it when the date is expired. it should be inspected at that time, so get a new one

NivekD said:

Source?

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If you read the fine print on the cages that hold the tanks it will say that it is 15#. Some companies fill to 17# and advertise that you get a larger fill. The best is to have your tank filled. If on a brew day I think I might run low I take the partial tank in and have it topped off. Then they charge me for whatever they put in it. If they add 13# they charge for 13#. The absolute best way to know is use a luggage type scale and weigh your tank. If you weigh the tank before a brew session and after, you will know exactly how much propane you use.

I just bought a tank today (Blue Rhino). I am not a griller and this is my first experience with propane. The tank is labeled 17lbs and there was a tag attached with date of fill and the weight of the fill - 16.6 lbs. I'm OK with that. I will be on the lookout for anywhere that can do refills - I wasn't aware that swapping a tank is so expensive. Sounds like having two tanks is the way to go so you can drain one and swap in the backup.

beergood12 said:

get a propane tank gauge. Then you always know how much is in the tank.
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/brinkmann-propane-tank-gauge-812-9220-s.html

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No you won't. Just like CO2 tanks, propane tanks can only be measured by weight (or one of the strips that change color when hot water is poured over it). Since it is dependent on vapor pressure it will read the exact same pressure until the liquid propane runs out and then will quickly drop to zero.

Around here Uhaul is a complete rip off for filling tanks (currently ~$4.50 gallon) while Tractor supply is right around $2.29. Call around first before heading to Uhaul. Also blue Rhino says they do it for safety reason but that is BS. They used to put 17lb in their tanks. My guy at Tractor supply always manages to get a little more than 4.5 gallons in both of mine at just over 20lb's.

As for the gauges they are somewhat helpful, as pabloj13 has already said, but at least you have an idea. Also if you check the gauge when it is cold out it will read significantly lower than warmer temps.

stepcg6 said:

I currently have a 20 lb propane tank and I have used it for my first 5 all grain batches. I was told I would get 4 to 5 batches worth out of a tank.

I'm worried I'll run out of propane in the middle of the brew day at a potentially important time, having to interrupt what I'm doing to get it refilled. Would you guys play it safe and just get it refilled before my next brew day? Also, they just exchange your tanks right?

Any info is helpful, I'd like to brew on Sunday!

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You need a backup… and a wind screen can increase your propane efficiency

I get 3-4 AG batches depending on wind etc with my blichmann burners

here in Calif....my bottles are filled by the gallons

I weighed the propane tank empty and wrote that on the side with a sharpie. Its quick and easy see if I have enough before brewing. Around here tanks can be refilled before they are empty so I just go top it off if its low. That said I do have a second tank also but its often in use on the grill.

I can't believe that there are places where you can't refill tanks. Off the top of my head I can think of five places - four gas stations and a tire store - within a mile of my house that refill tanks for between $2.29 and $2.70 or so a gallon. Two of them are within a half mile. I check the weight of the tank by lifting it before starting each brew. If it fells like it is starting to get questionable I run up and get it filled for about $10.

The ONLY way to accurately determine how full a propane tank is...is to WEIGH the tank. Use a regular bathroom scale, and weigh it when you've just filled it...and write that weight down on the side of the tank. Then, when it's getting on to empty, turn it on, light it up and let it go COMPLETELY empty. Weigh again and write that weight down on the side of the tank. Now, using simple math, you can determine just how much propane is actually in the tank at any given time.

glenn514