LP Question

[caldridge32]

I have a 210k+ btu banjo burner with a 30 psi regulator. It seems like even at the lowest setting I use way to much LP.. I typically use a entire 20lb LP tank per brew session. Is this normal? How long should a 20lb tank last?

 

[jaytizzle]

That's a TON of BTUs. I brewed an extract batch and used maybe 1/4 of my tank. I have a SP-1 jetburner. Heck, I can get three to four crawfish boils out of 1 tank of gas.

 

[dutchoven]

That is an extreme amount of BTUs ... I use a ~50K BTU burner at 10 psi and get at least 3-4 brews out of a 20-pound tank. Does take a bot of time to reach boil, though ...

 

[caldridge32]

My brewery is capable of doing batch sizes up to 15 gal. That's why I went with such a massive burner. When I was burner shopping I read "capable of bringing 10 gal to a boil in 10 mins" I fell in love. I've never used the burner to its full potential because it scares the **** out of me. I swear it's loud enough it can be heard from space. Maybe I just need to suck it up and invest in a 100lb tank with refill service. I just was wondering if I something was wrong with my burner causing it to use more LP then needed

 

[jaytizzle]

Nope, nothing wrong. You will just use more gas to get there in such a short time. Only so many BTUs/second can be transferred across the pot and into the water. You're probably getting a lot of waste heat around the pot. Maybe a burner shroud could help you?

 

[caldridge32]

I'm not familiar with a burner shroud?? Please explain.

 

[jaytizzle]

Just something to go around the burner and pot to keep the heat in. You may run into problems with this route, though, as you'll end up trapping combustion gases and could cause your flame quality to drop.

 

[okgasdude]

I have a 210k+ btu banjo burner with a 30 psi regulator. It seems like even at the lowest setting I use way to much LP.. I typically use a entire 20lb LP tank per brew session. Is this normal? How long should a 20lb tank last?

The thing to remember about propane, is that you have a little less than 100k btu's per 1 gallon. So, if your burner is 210k then in will burn roughly 2.5 gallons an hour. Also, a 20 lb tank holds 5 gallons. One other note, if you have gotten your tank from a bottle exchange, like at lowes, or Walmart, then more than likely you don't have a full tank. Almost all bottle exchanges are now only putting 15 lbs in their bottles, which is a little over a gallon short! As far as the 30 lb regulator goes, I don't see the need for it mine are each hooked up to 0-10 lb regulators, and seem to work great.

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

I'm not familiar with a burner shroud?? Please explain.

Burner Shroud:

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

To address the original question:
On some web sites the banjo burner is rated at 210,000 BTU.
Simple fix: turn down the pressure on your regulator.