CO on natural gas stovetop

[Sammy75]

So yesterday I brewed my first mini-mash DFH India Brown Ale clone. With 2 kids, the process got stretched out a bit, probably resulting in a bit of extra stove-time, though not stupidly so. I finished up, all seemed well, did most of the cleanup and was probably 40 past flame out when our CO monitor started making noise.

I replaced the battery, and put it back on the wall, and it started making noise again...so I read the back where it said to call the fire dept, which I did, opened all windows and got all fans going, and got all mammals out of the house. They came screaming up, ambulance in tow sensors in hand. Before they even came near the front door they said the CO level was really high, and dragged out some biga$$ fans and blew the house out, turned off the gas, etc.

After a while, they turned the gas back on and did tests all over to see where the CO was coming from. They eliminated the dryer, heater, and gas lines, pretty much leaving the natural gas stove as the only option.

I'm a bit confused by a couple of things here:

1) I've brewed 2 previous batches (though LME rather than partial/mini -mash) indoors on this range same equipment and didn't run across the CO problem.

2) I wasn't really aware that CO was such an issue with natural gas. I mean, we use the freaking stove all the time, so what gives? Does this mean using the oven for a long time could produce the same issue? Or is there something different about the range.

Needless to say I'll be moving all my brewing outdoors. I have the exact opposite problem here in Austin to many folks, I can't brew outdoors in the summer, it's too freaking hot! So I have no problem moving outdoors during our abbreviated 'winter.'

I've done some searching around the site and found mostly references to propane and CO issues, and discussions of using a propane rig indoors.

FWIW, if you're doing stovetop natural gas, you may want to get yourself a CO monitor if you don't already have one.

 

[509inc]

That is good to know.

I heat my strike and sparge water on the stove, but boil outside. I might need to get a Co monitor.

 

[Valcarde]

I don't think the long boil had anything to do with the CO problem. It's likely that had you even been boiling something else, or simmering a stew, it may have had the same problem.

I'd get your stove checked by a serviceman if you can.

 

[Hannable1975]

I don't think the long boil had anything to do with the CO problem. It's likely that had you even been boiling something else, or simmering a stew, it may have had the same problem.

I'd get your stove checked by a serviceman if you can.

+1 - please do get it checked - an indoor range should be able to boil nearly indefatigably with just the slightest standard house hold ventilation.

 

[wacko]

It was probably water condensation inside the detector causing a short.

 

[shroomzofdoom]

Does your range hood vent out? If not, just open a window and put a fan in open one on the other side of the room as well. Have a CO detector nearby so that if it alerts you can run outside.

Old burners, or dirty burners can cause more CO--especially if the stove is older.

I brew in a poorly ventilated basement (hood recirc, does not vent out) and my CO detector hasn't alerted at all.

Have the burners checked and put a fan in the window.

 

[Sammy75]

It was probably water condensation inside the detector causing a short.

Not likely since the FD brought in their fancy pro-detector, and were getting readings from the front door as well as in other rooms of the house.

So my hood does NOT vent out, which irritates me. I'm going to look into getting that sorted out. That would be costly but it has caused problems before when doing things like cooking thanksgiving dinner with the smoke alarms going off over and over.

The suggestions for fan in window and getting the range checked out will be applied as well. The FD did light the burner (with nothing placed on it) and said that looked fine.

From what I've gathered, incomplete combustion of the gas can cause CO to form. I'm wondering if a super-wide pot placed over a burner going full tilt would contribute to this because it can't get enough O2 for a more complete combustion.

Most of this is for curiosity's sake now since I'm pretty sure I'll be moving outdoors or to the garage with the door open for at least most of the process.

 

[wacko]

You're probably right about the wide pan. Something to think about. I wonder if the forum should put a warning in any homebrewing threads and sticky it so people can know the risks?

 

[Sammy75]

Interestingly,
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Is_it_safe_to_brew_indoors

basically just says "yeah sure, go for it"

 

[KevinW]

+1 on shroomzofdoom.

If the flame is burning blue then it should be burning OK, it is the yellow/orange colors that could indicate an improper burn but ventilation is the key!

Get that hood to vent outside!!