Rookie mistake, I know,and since I just started brewing in April, I guess I am still a rookie. This was batch 12 for me and it was one I just couldn't seem to get around to brewing. I started late on an Imperial IPA, ~15 lbs of grain mashed, fly sparked and in the kettle. Reached boil and add 1 oz Nugget and 1 oz Magnum. At 10pm, 25 min in, propane ran out. Too lat and too far away to get more, I let the batch cool uncovered for about 30 min, then covered leaving a gap for additional vapors to escape. I'll be starting back up this evening. My plan was to return to boil for ~45 minutes, completing the other hop additions. The original boil plan was for 60 min. Does this seem reasonable? Anything else I should do? Thanks!
Out of propane, what now?
- Thread starter Cj7cowboy
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mrgrimm101
Well-Known Member
It could be ok. Hopefully no bugs got in the gap, but as long as it still has about 45 min to boil, it should boil off anything that could have gotten in.. The hop profile may be a bit off..I could imagine that the bittering hops would be effected if anything..but you're probably ok.
wapitiscat
Well-Known Member
If you buy a used on, check for a date stamped on the tank. If it's more than 12 years old most places that would ordinarily refill them (hardware store, feed and seed store, etc.) won't. You can swap an old one for a Blue Rhino, AmeriGas or other exchange operation and get a new "full" tank. I've heard that you don't get as full of a tank if you do the swap and that the refilling stations put more in.
Todd
Todd
bobeer
Fermentation Specalist
If you got it boiling for a little bit you should be ok. I actually had to stop mid boil once due to daddy duties and didn't get around to finishing the batch until the next afternoon and it turned out ok.
I guess you couldn't move it to the stove? I've done that in a pinch too. Take a little while to get it boiling but once it does you're good.
You can get an extra tank from the junkyard too. Most of them are expired but just do a trade in somewhere for a new tank and you'll be all set. I actually got my 2nd one from walmart... They never asked me for my empty so I just kept it
I guess you couldn't move it to the stove? I've done that in a pinch too. Take a little while to get it boiling but once it does you're good.
You can get an extra tank from the junkyard too. Most of them are expired but just do a trade in somewhere for a new tank and you'll be all set. I actually got my 2nd one from walmart... They never asked me for my empty so I just kept it
mrgrimm101
Well-Known Member
Its an imperial IPA recipe. Sounds like this would lead to an unbalanced hop flavor/bitterness
Brettomomyces
LHBS Curmudgeon
I swear every blue rhino exchange I did was under filled vs going to the campground and having them fill em for me.
I agree that your hop flavor is not going to be quite the same but I still think it will be OK. I suspect it will be just a bit higher on the IBU but not that noticeable since the flavoring hops are still to come, right? I would check the gravity reading and compare it to the pre-boil reading first and continue to do this until you get to your target.
As for LP tanks, yes the campgrounds/LP refillers usually put a real 20 lbs in the tank whereas the Blue Rhino etc only put 15. I get 20 lbs for $12 vs 15 lbs for $19. Wal Mart and convenience stores are only good for exchanging out of date tanks IMO.
As for LP tanks, yes the campgrounds/LP refillers usually put a real 20 lbs in the tank whereas the Blue Rhino etc only put 15. I get 20 lbs for $12 vs 15 lbs for $19. Wal Mart and convenience stores are only good for exchanging out of date tanks IMO.
andy6026
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It is that recipe no longer. It is malted barley, water and hops boiled for 25 mins. Pitch the yeast and ask - what can I now do to make this turn out the best that it can be?
Heck, if you're worried about not enough bitterness, then boil a bit of extract on the stove top with some hops for an hour and add it to the fermenter.
Stir it all with a banana if you fancy.
There's more than one way to make beer.
mrgrimm101
Well-Known Member
Haha fair enough. I just figured it'd probably end up better if he continues the boil and at least follows the hopping schedule, rather than just pitch yeast in what he has..
Thanks for the replies. Actually, to make matters worse, I do have two propane tanks. The first one ran out just before boiling, already too late to go get a refill and I had been drinking a little anyway... The second I pulled off the charcoal grill and it had less than I expected remaining. I have a full tank now and plan on beginning the heat up and trying to follow the same schedule. I do think bitterness may be more than I originally wanted, but if that is all the difference, I'll take it. I do think I will sample to see if I can detect a sourness. If so, recommendations on converting this to a sour beer recipe? I have cascade, columbus and simcoe hops that are part of this recipe, but I have others on hand (Amarillo, Williamette, maybe a couple of others).
ceeaton
Member
I took a stout I just brewed that I used 1 oz of Magnum @ 60 min and doubled the boil time to 120 min in BeerSmith and it only added 3 IBUs. I'm assuming with ~15 lbs of grain you FG will be decently high, so I don't think 6 or 8 extra IBUs is going to ruin your beer. Also, what other additions of hops did you plan? If you were going to add any at 30 or 20 mins, just add them a little later to reduce the extra IBUs you might get from those additions. As for the souring, you boiled it for 25 mins or so, I think the things that might sour your beer were killed off, unless they got in while it's been cooling. Even if they did, I add a quart or so of sour boiled beer to a stout recipe I make and it adds a wonderful flavor.
I think that you will have no concerns over it becoming a sour beer. Anything that infected it during the day will be killed when you continue the boil.
Thinking that you might get extra bitterness from the sit, delaying your flavor and aroma hops by 5 or 10 minutes might be a good idea.
I have had a couple where I ran out. Fortunately I have a couple of sources for propane in less than 1/4 mile. Those were delayed by 15 minutes to a half hour. They were probably different than they should have been. But since I had never brewed them before I wouldn't have known what they should have tasted like. They turned out very well.
Thinking that you might get extra bitterness from the sit, delaying your flavor and aroma hops by 5 or 10 minutes might be a good idea.
I have had a couple where I ran out. Fortunately I have a couple of sources for propane in less than 1/4 mile. Those were delayed by 15 minutes to a half hour. They were probably different than they should have been. But since I had never brewed them before I wouldn't have known what they should have tasted like. They turned out very well.
Well, I got the propane and started the heat up. Tasting the wort I could detect no signs of souring; however, it did seem the hop bitterness was fairly pronounced. I went with the hop additions as planned. There were no more until 12 min left in the brew so I boiled for 33 minutes then did my additions. Cooled and pitched the yeast. I will report the end results, but for now I believe I'll end up with a good IIPA. Probably unrepeatable, but if it's enjoyable, I'm good with that. 
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