Why are you using propane?

[robertbartsch]

Luckily, we have natural gas at home and I am using a professional-grade gas stove that produces a fair amount of heat for my SS brew kettles.

Why do some folks use propane fired gas?

Is this mostly to allow outside brewing or is it that the propane heats water faster than can be done on an electric or gas kitchen stove?

Thx...

 

[jmkratt]

I use propane because my home doesn't have a natural gas tap outside and SWMBO won't allow brewing inside so....propane! :rockin:

Not close to upgrading to HERMS either.

 

[Yooper]

I used to brew inside on my great professional gas stove, but it could only boil about 6.5 gallons. When I wanted to do a 10 gallon batch, I brewed outside on the propane burner.

Most people don't have professional gas stoves, and can't bring 5 gallons to a boil, let alone 12! I think electric stoves would be really stove. Of course, people can use heat sticks and other electric devices to boil indoors. But propane is cheap, easy, and mess-free outside.

I brew indoors all the time now, with my all-electric HERMS system. But not everybody can do that, either.

 

[samc]

I use NG now, but propane does allow for some massive amounts of heat from some of the burners with high psi regulators. Indoors was ok for me until the first boil over and that sent me outside as clean up was not fun nor easy.

 

[arturo7]

Much more practical and safe to use a propane tank than to pipe natural gas to the front of my garage.

 

[jgln]

My electric range is too small really and even my house is on propane. I don't tap into that though I use the small tanks.

 

[Soulrebel]

Portability. I enjoying brewing with others at club functions.

 

[the_bird]

Uh, because I don't have natural gas at the house, and it's portable, and I already have propane tanks for the grill. And the electric stove can barely bring a partial boil to boil, much less get a full keggle up to boil in ten or fifteen minutes.

 

[humann_brewing]

well, my brew rig won't fit in the kitchen plus the wife doesn't like the smell, always trying to please her ya know

 

[prosper]

it's easy, inexpensive, and produces a LOT more heat than my stove does, which makes my overall brewday shorter - less time waiting on water to heat up. Plus, it keeps the mess outside where it's easy to clean up (the 'spray it the garden hose' method just doesn't work as well in the kitchen as it does on the driveway.).

 

[JetSmooth]

Tried capturing farts as a fuel source. But that just took too long.

 

[david_42]

4.5 miles to the gas line.

 

[hamiltont]

Quick (heats up 13 gallons fast), easy (no pipe or wires) and portable (brew anywhere). That pretty much sums it up.:rockin:

 

[Clayton]

because i have not build my brew rig yet, when i do i will plumb the brew shed with NG but for now i use 2 propane burner stand and a large table one burner on the table for my HLT next to that is my MT and the BK is on the ground on the other burner stand , it works good for now

 

[robertbartsch]

If I switched from SS to alumium kettles, would that allow me to boil a larger amount of water faster since the aluminum conducts heat better?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I switched to NG for the bottlessness. But LPG does produce more BTUh per volume than NG.

Haven't seen a difference in time to boil tho'.

 

[passedpawn]

well, my brew rig won't fit in the kitchen plus the wife doesn't like the smell, always trying to please her ya know

If mama aint happy, aint nobody happy. Gawd I knows that.

I have zero interest in brewing inside, or using any gas of any kind. I love my electric brewery, and I love brewing by the pool.

 

[david_42]

If I switched from SS to alumium kettles, would that allow me to boil a larger amount of water faster since the aluminum conducts heat better?

No, both transfer heat faster than your burner can provide it.

 

[Captain_Bigelow]

My stove can not boil 5+ gallons and I doubt my HOA will allow me to run a natural gas line to the outside - plus the cost associated with that.

 

[Sawdustguy]

Quick (heats up 13 gallons fast), easy (no pipe or wires) and portable (brew anywhere). That pretty much sums it up.:rockin:

You forgot to add much more expensive.....

 

[smokinghole]

I have an all electric geothermal house.

I'm a college student using the MGIB so upgrading to electric is out of the question.

I had a propane turkey fryer before I started brewing.

I have three LPG tanks.

I like brewing outside.

There's no natural gas near me.

 

[the_bird]

You forgot to add much more expensive.....

Figure it's maybe four bucks of propane per session (plus or minus, and depending on where I swap the tanks out). Even if I *could* get a full boil on the stove, it would take me a lot longer to brew inside, and my time's got some value to it. And, I've got no desire to start building an electric rig, in part because I don't want to have to run a new 220 line.

What's with the anti-propane bitchiness? What the ****?

 

[phishfood]

I can get a grill sized tank filled for twelve bucks and some change. I am not sure just how many brews I can get out of that, but it is quite a few. I might spend 1 or 2 dollars per 5 gallon brew. I am uber cheap, but I am not complaining about that.

 

[GoldMiner]

Hank Hill sells propane and propane accessories. I tell you what.

 

[jmf143]

I switched to NG for the bottlessness. But LPG does produce more BTUh per volume than NG.

Haven't seen a difference in time to boil tho'.

What are you using for a burner / stand? I'm looking to move from stovetop to NG outside.

 

[AnonyBrew]

I have zero interest in brewing inside, or using any gas of any kind.

If it was 109F outside you might change your mind.

 

[passedpawn]

If it was 109F outside you might change your mind.

Nope. I don't think it ever gets that hot here, but with humidity it can be sticky. I can jump in my pool and cool off any time during brewing, so it's not a big deal. SWMBO would go high and to the right if she came home to a boiling keggle in our kitchen.

 

[drummerguysteve]

What's so bad about a keggle on a glass top stove? I love brewing outside. It's a lot easier to RDWHAHB on a sunny patio than it is in a kitchen.

 

[the_bird]

Boil-overs are MUCH less problematic in the driveway than they are in the kitchen. Understatement of the year.

 

[shecky]

Propane hate? Now I've seen it all on this board.

No NG anywhere near my house. Like the bird, I have no desire to go electric because I'd have the expense of running 220 line. And there's just something relaxing about hanging out in the garage brewing.

 

[skidmarks]

Hank Hill sells propane and propane accessories. I tell you what.

Yup, when I brew beer I only brew with propane and propane accessories.

 

[SwampassJ]

I like to ponder about how big of a BLEVE my tank will make while I sit 18 inches from it controlling the valve.

 

[SwampassJ]

If it was 109F outside you might change your mind.

I would rather still be outside on my porch and in the pool. I've tried stiring from in the pool, it doesn't work good but I still try it.

 

[AnonyBrew]

I would rather still be outside on my porch and in the pool. I've tried stiring from in the pool, it doesn't work good but I still try it.

I brewed 15g on the 14th and it was 108F in my friend's garage in the shade. No pool either.

 

[wilceaser]

I brew in a dedicated brew shed ( well almost dedicated). I brew with propane on a three tier wooden system. No hate for propane here.

 

[permo]

My wife hates the smell of brewing grains and the beer process. Not sure, I think it smells like heaven.....

Propane is quick and easy, who wants 6% or more of their beer, evaporated inside their home....? If you don't have good ventilation you are asking for trouble..sheetrock tape, wallpaper, mold...etc..etc..

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

What are you using for a burner / stand? I'm looking to move from stovetop to NG outside.

Typical burner casting found on most any turkey fryer (Hurricane) re-fitted with a orifice for NG (bigger opening).

Tied into the supply for my furnace in the garage closet.

 

[kladue]

I need the high pressure propane for the burner fuel controls to work correctly, they control fuel flow with a voltage signal from PLC.

 

[D-Ring]

Or -20F

 

[SwampassJ]

I brewed 15g on the 14th and it was 108F in my friend's garage in the shade. No pool either.

Then stay hydrated the best you can and get a big old kiddie pool and just sit in it.