How much for a propane boil?

[FatherJack]

Howdy once again folks!

If you've read any of my other posts, I am relocating to the US soon and am starting to get my brew gear in order.

I'm debating whether to go electric or propane for my boil. I was wondering, what is the cost of using a propane tank for a standard 60 min, 5 or 10 gallon boil? Do you use half a tank? A quarter? A whole tank? Also, how much is a tank of propane running in your neck of the woods right now?

Propane certainly does seem like the easier way to get started and from what I gather may be more cost effective.

Thanks for the input everyone!:cross:

 

[Seven]

I get my 20-pound propane tank filled at Ace Hardware for $20. One tank lasts me for approximately 4 to 6 brew sessions. I brew 5-gallon batches and boil for about 1-hour per batch.

 

[mlyday]

It all depends on how crazy you like to boil. The key is finding a nice rolling boil and not a super vigorous boil. After a certain point your just wasting propane. But 4-6 batches seems about right.

 

[Swib]

I am an AG brewer, so I also heat my strike and sparge water with the same propane tank. It get about three 10 gallon batches out of one tank. I swap empty tanks at Walgreens or Lowes for about $22, give or take a buck.

 

[FatherJack]

Seems decent. I may go that route.

Plus, brewing outside in the middle of a winter day in Vermont seems like a fun adventure!

 

[bja]

I get around 4 ten gallon batches from a 20# tank and pay $11 for a refill, but they only fill it with 17 lbs.

 

[iaefebs]

To heat all my water include 60 min boil I use 2½ # of propane for a 5 gallon batch.

 

[JRems]

Also the price drops dramatically when you get a large propane tank. The small 17 pound BBQ tanks cost $15-20 to fill but a 100 pound tank is only about $50

 

[outside92129]

Also it's cheaper if you get a refill vs tank exchange. They've been playing with the numbers and judging by the lawsuits, taking advantage of people's ignorance/naivete. A refill is ~USD$22 for 20lbs but an exchange is USD$25 for 15lbs.

 

[FatherJack]

100 pound tank?!? They make that!?!?

How can I get said tank?

 

[jd3]

100 pound tank?!? They make that!?!?

How can I get said tank?

Buy it. Places that supply RV's might carry them. True Value in my area carries them too.

Remember the 100 lb tank is going to be pretty hard(and dangerous) to transport. You might need to pay someone to come fill it. Depending on locale this can get more expensive.

I think having 2 20 lb tanks is the easiest thing to do. I pay 14 bucks for a refill at the hardware store. 18 if I want to swap at Menards or Lowes. But both of those are Blue Rhino and short me on gas.

 

[FatherJack]

Wow....that's....massive....

Maybe I'll stick to the 20 pounders....I don't need any missing propulsion components from the Space Shuttle laying around my house...

 

[mpruett]

FWIW, most U-Haul places also fill up 20# propane tanks- I think it cost me $16 back in August or so.

 

[BrewForMe]

Seems decent. I may go that route.

Plus, brewing outside in the middle of a winter day in Vermont seems like a fun adventure!

adventure yes, fun, NO!

 

[MBasile]

I have 2 20's and do the exchange for $18. Each tank lasts me 3.5 5 gallon brews. I do use it to heat all of my water and do a 60 minute boil.

 

[Agent]

I generally get 4-5 batches doing a split 5 gal boil on a camp stove. My tank exchange costs 19-22$ depending on where I do it. Even though all the exchanges are Blue Rhino around here, the price does vary depending of if it's a big box store or a gas station.
From experience, you can't get much more than 18 lbs in a 20 lb tank, even if you get them filled. Either the attendant is smart enough to realize that overfilling a tank is a bad idea, or the OPD seals off the tank.
Still, that's times better than the mystery amount that the exchanges give you.
I'm personally switching to electric pretty soon. Between the cost and reliability, being able to grill at the same time takes the cake for me =D

 

[Catt22]

Also the price drops dramatically when you get a large propane tank. The small 17 pound BBQ tanks cost $15-20 to fill but a 100 pound tank is only about $50

That doesn't make sense:

@ $15/17 lbs = $0.88/lb

@ $20/17 lbs = $1.18/lb

@ $50/100 lb = $2.00/lb

Looks to me like the price goes up dramatically for the larger tanks.

Additionally, if you are getting the tank filled, they should be charging you by the pound and not by the fill. Also if you are getting it filled, it should be a full 20 lbs, not 17 lbs. If they are only filling the tanks to 17 lbs then they should only be charging you for 17 lbs.

Exchanging tanks is usually a different story. Exchanged tanks are often filled to only 15 lbs. (as at Home Depot etc). I refuse to exchange tanks for just that reason.

 

[Ace_Club]

That doesn't make sense:

@ $15/17 lbs = $0.88/lb

@ $20/17 lbs = $1.18/lb

@ $50/100 lb = $2.00/lb

Looks to me like the price goes up dramatically for the larger tanks.

Additionally, if you are getting the tank filled, they should be charging you by the pound and not by the fill. Also if you are getting it filled, it should be a full 20 lbs, not 17 lbs. If they are only filling the tanks to 17 lbs then they should only be charging you for 17 lbs.

Exchanging tanks is usually a different story. Exchanged tanks are often filled to only 15 lbs. (as at Home Depot etc). I refuse to exchange tanks for just that reason.

$50/100lb equates to 50 cents/lb

 

[Catt22]

$50/100lb equates to 50 cents/lb

lol...you are absolutely right...duh.

 

[JRems]

Yeah the math was a little off there. It is roughly half The price to get it in bulk.

 

[joeybeer]

I've been dying to know how much I use too... I filled a regular propane tank today, made a 5 gallon batch, and will bring it back in the am for them to weigh and tell me how much it costs... I'll keep you posted !!!

 

[msehler]

Where are you going to get them filled?
And I don't know if I'm super conservative on propane, but I'm still on my first tank and I've done 8 batches (1 hour boil each, 3 of them also had sparge water heated) so far since I got my turkey fryer (the tank is getting pretty light, though).

 

[FatherJack]

As for where I would get them filled, I never gave it much thought...

Perhaps the local supermarket, but it sounds like there are better places. I'll have to call around before my arrival or right after.

 

[jspence1]

I get about two 11G batches and heat the strike water for a third out of a 20# tank. I'd think the 4-6 5.5G batches are a reasonable estimate

 

[Pick]

5500 watt element for one hour, 5.5 kwh @ 13.8 cents a kwh= 76 cents. Probably runs for 2 hours to heat strike and sparge water so, $1.52 to $2 of electricity per batch.

 

[mantooth]

I was wondering about the same thing the other day when my 20lb tank felt really light and was worried about running out in the middle of a 60 min boil for a 5 gal batch. I heat my mash and sparge water on the electric stove, so I thought I might be able to get by. I weighed the tank before and after and found out I only used 1.4 lbs of propane. The only thing is, because the tank was so empty the pressure was a little low (I only had 3lbs in the tank at the beginning) and I ended up shaking the tank around a few times during the 1 hour boil. That seemed to help build pressure back up some what. All went well and is now fermenting away.