Carbon monoxide

[zhubbell]

So, my carbon monoxide alarm has gone off both time I've brewed AG now... Is this normal? It never did with extract brewing, and it's generally about 3 hrs after I complete my mashing so I'm guessing it's the spent grain. Is that true? Should I be getting that out to the trash right away after mashing?


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[MarshmallowBlue]

I think CO is produced by your burners, not your grains.

 

[zhubbell]

Ahhhh - that would make sense too, because I use my stove and usually have 2-3 burners going at a time to get the juice I need.


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[zhubbell]

Should I be concerned about the amount of CO I'm generating in my kitchen or no?


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[jnacey]

I'd throw on your vent fan and open any windows. You always want a brew space to be well ventilated.

 

[RM-MN]

Yes you should be worried about CO that you are producing. You shouldn't be producing enough to set off the alarm. Have someone check that stove to see why you are making detectable amounts of CO.

 

[Randy64]

If your alarm is going off you should be concerned. If you live in a new house, they can be very air tight. Hopefully you have a vent fan nearby that vents outside.

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[rocketsan]

A family if three died this past weekend from poisoning. They were running a construction heater in their house, but still...


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[duboman]

There must be something wrong with your stove. If the burners are functioning properly it shouldn't be setting off the co alarm regardless of the settings


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[DeeEnvy]

Yes get the stove checked. If it is burning properly all it should give off is CO2 and H2O. The CO it gives off is negligible under perfect combustion.

 

[smccarter]

Are you burning a propane burner in your house?

 

[microbusbrewery]

Yes get the stove checked. If it is burning properly all it should give off is CO2 and H2O. The CO it gives off is negligible under perfect combustion.

+1, your stove shouldn't be throwing off CO if it's working right.

Any chance you're using an older CO detector? I know we had one years ago at our old house that was sensitive to moisture. It would go off whenever someone took a shower. If it's like the one I had, the moisture from brewing might be setting it off.

The newer ones are much more reliable. I use an explosive gas/CO detector now. It has an LED readout that tells you the detected level.

 

[IvanTheTerribrew]

Small animals and small children have a faster metabolism compared to adults, CO will affect them much faster than an adult. Miners in the past used to keep a small canary in a cage to be a warning of CO poisoning. If the canary suddenly died, it was a sign of CO. If you have either, I would not turn on that stove until you get a professional to check out the problem.

You should def keep some windows open and a fan circulating the air when you're brewing.




- ISM NRP

 

[zhubbell]

Thanks guys - it's an apartment so stove and detector are both very old. I will get it looked at tomorrow!


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[Braufessor]

I would consider not telling your apartment manager that you are brewing beer...... More than one person has had people freak out on them for making beer. I would maybe go with "I was doing some canning and using several burners..... but I still found it strange that the CO alarm went off."

 

[Crito]

Or cooking breakfast while simmering some stew and pizza sauce.

 

[zhubbell]

Hahaha, thanks. Ya, I wasn't going to risk that one. Last thing I need is allllll this all grain equipment I've collected and no where to brew with it!


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