Using a Propane Burner in The Basement

Did a little experiment Friday, I tried brewing in the basement using a little 10,000 btu Coleman propane burner that runs on those little green propane tanks.

The temps have been hovering around zero for the last two weeks but friday it warmed up into the 40's F so I figured it would be a good day to try brewing in the basement and if it didn't workout I could relocate to the garage.

I steeped the grains for 30 minutes, then topped off the brew kettle for a 4 gallon boil, I just got it up to a rolling boil when the carbon monoxide detector went off, it read 200 ppm normal for our house is 0. We live in a big old two story house thats as drafty as an old English Castle, The basement is a full open basement with an outside stair well and door, I set up the brew pot by the door so I could try opening it if I needed to, even with it open the co levels didn't drop so I ended up moving the whole mess to the garage to finish up.

Hope this helps any of you that have thought about brewing in the basement, I won't be doing it again! It only took a little over an hour to raise the co to dangerous levels with a 10,000 btu propane burner, we didn't really need the detector to tell us there was a problem we could all feel the effects. I can see how people die in their sleep from carbon monoxide, we all just felt a little loopy and had a bit of a headache, you would never know it when sleeping or if you were drinking while brewing.

Oh gosh... there is a guy in one of these threads, that was thinking about using a turkey fryer setup in his kitchen! I think he finally decided to do it outside....

If you've ever had anyone in your family who's last words were "hey, watch this..." you might be a redneck.

No matter how many times words of warning or wisdom is offered there's always one who just doesn't get it.

I'm glad that everyone is OK and you don't repeat that mistake again. Now go forward and teach some of life's lessons, Grasshopper!

Well a redneck would setup his 60,000 btu turkey fryer in the bathroom of his double wide. I wouldn't call trying a small 10,000 btu burner in a huge well venilated basement in a house with two carbon monoxide detectors a stupid idea it may have ended up that way but now I know. I had expected elevated co levels but I had hoped they would be within workable limits for an hour of boiling.

Everyone is safe and that's the good thing.

Considering that millions of people have natural gas and propane stoves in their houses, this might have worked out. You can even buy ventless propane space heaters and simulated fireplaces. I suspect with some careful adjustment of the fuel/air mix, you could get a cleaner flame and eliminate the CO.

There is a reason that gas stoves and other crap is vented to the outside with hoods and such . . . as for adjusting the fuel/air mix to get the burner to burn cleaner I dont think that would be as simple as it sounds.

As a firefighter I'm glad ya had a CO dectector in this case, cuz ya coulda been in a bad way real fast if ya woulda stayed in that atmosphere for a longer period of time. 95% of the time I hate them damn decectors cuz it seems like anytime anyone farts they go off and we get sent out to ventalate a house, but this time it actualy seemed to work right.

I have been thinking about doing the same thing in my basement BUT if I do try I am definetly gonna set up some sort of hood system and then vent it out through the vents my dryer uses. Even after I do that I am gonna borrow a CO monitor from our Hazmat team just to be 100% sure it's venting properly . . . . if I can talk SWMBO into it in the first place

Pumbaa said:

There is a reason that gas stoves and other crap is vented to the outside with hoods and such . . . as for adjusting the fuel/air mix to get the burner to burn cleaner I dont think that would be as simple as it sounds.

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There are a lot of older homes that don't vent to the outside (the range that is) and just have a fan on the range hood that just recirculates the air through a filter for grease smoke.

I personally would at least open a window. Keep in mind CO is heavier than air and will drop to the floor...down the stairs, etc.

If you find yourself giggling incessantly and unable to move very fast (and or getting sleepy), turn it off and open the door and go outside and breath FRESH air.

If your cat is laying on the floor with that glazed over eyes, roadkill look, then well....

Denny's Brew said:

If your cat is laying on the floor with that glazed over eyes, roadkill look, then well....

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As a cat owner, I have to ask:

When doesn't a cat have this look?

usmcruz said:

Yeah there called CRACK HOUSES!!!!

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Well what would look like a crack house in some cities, in Vancouver are expensive rental units. Gotta love slum lords, high cost of living and a less than 1% vacancy rate..

Denny's Brew said:

Well what would look like a crack house in some cities, in Vancouver are expensive rental units. Gotta love slum lords, high cost of living and a less than 1% vacancy rate..

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Damn, i wish i lived in a crack house in vancouver, know any slum lords

I wouldn't exactly call $2800/ month a crack house price.
($2400 USD).

And there are a LOT of slum lords in Vancouver. Because of the very low vacacency rate people put up with it, because when you complain that things need to be fixed they put the house up for sale.

One house we lived in was all most falling apart. It sold for $600,000 CAD for the property value alone. They tore the house down and built a new one.

thats crazy. How come they go for so much? Do celebrities live there?

Vancouver is just bloody expensive! Plus with the Olympics coming in 2010 people have been on a buying spree.

Vancouver is tied with Toronto for the highest housing prices in Canada. Another reason to homebrew, can't afford beer when you have to pay rent. haha. I'm living up in Kelowna for now, but it's strting to get expenive even over here.

Well I think we've hijacked this thread...

There are a lot of older homes that don't vent to the outside (the range that is) and just have a fan on the range hood that just recirculates the air through a filter for grease smoke.

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Yeah there are, but those are the houses are the ones I take the most 991 calls to for CO alarms. Check most current building codes, those older homes are grandfathered a lot of the time. Plus most newer homes are so air tight that the CO doesnt have an way to vent very well . . . .makes them burn real nice though since they dont vent heat very well either.

Well since most of those old homes don't seem to seal out the cold air could you say they are "vented" to the outside? :cross:

Man one place we lived in I was suprised that:

• The CO didn't kill us
• The electrical didn't catch on fire
• The mold in a formerly flooded room in the basement didn't kill us
• That the back deck didn't fall of with us on it
• Etc...........

I did have an Apple Tree fall over and hit my room though!

What about using natural gas instead of propane. I was told that if you get the fuel/air mix to create an all blue flame, use a fan and vent, always use a co detector that you may be just fine. My local homebrew shop does all-grain in their shop with natural gas and has never even set off the meter! just crack the back door! Does anyone know to calculate the orfice size for a turkey fryer to convert from propane to nat gas?

Natural gas to propane, diameter ratio is 1.6 :1...propane is smaller. The wall furnace burner I use was .100". I removed the brass jet, peened around the hole , then hammered a 4d finish nail through it- .064, burns blue now. Now I have to look for a pilot light adjuster on the control unit- with the adjustible regulator cranked up, I get lots of blue flame, and an orange pilot about the size of grapefruit....still, it ought to be less sooty overall. I like the pilot feature with the furnace control, I may hook up an electric switch for on/off.

Edited on the next day: I just brewed a batch. Seemed to heat just as fast, took 5 hours mash to fermenter. So, I must have used 40% less gas through a 40% smaller jet? But 40% more efficient with the blue flame? Still Sooty from the orange pilot , I'll look into an adjustment before the next batch.

Damn, better order body bags! Gives a whole new meaning to Dead Guy Ale.

This is just such a bad idea. Only goes to show what lengths people will go to to save a step. Suicidal laziness.

Birch is cleaner than pine, but I don't recomend boiling up your wort over a fire in the basement in either case.

Don't forget the canary.