Propane Efficiency

[magno]

I just finished up my third batch on the propane setup. The propane tank didnt make it through the session. The flame was petering out when I was trying to heat the boil.

I got about 2.5 brews to this tank of propane. Is that about normal? What can I do to maximize the brews per tank?

 

[johnsmith098]

Ive never used my propane yet, Have full tank and turkey-fryer set up for Thanksgiving, but I would think it should last alot longer than that.

 

[RedSun]

2.5 sounds about right, maybe a little low. It also depends on how much power that burner of yours puts out. If you're burning 110k btu, that'll eat up the fuel pretty fast at 1+ hour boils. I'm at 55k so I might get 3+ and some grilling in on the tank.

 

[Jaybird]

you can build a heat shield around your boil kettle and that will greatly improve eff. I can get 5+ brews from a single tank and thats heating my cleaning water from time to time as well
JJ

 

[bradsul]

I get around 5 brews on my tank even in the winter. See my gallery for my wind screen design, I use it all year long and it really helps.

 

[Iordz]

I get 4 five gallon all grain brews out of mine. I am interested in the shield, if it can increase efficiency.

 

[Jaybird]

I get 4 five gallon all grain brews out of mine. I am interested in the shield, if it can increase efficiency.

OH it will increase efficiency how can it not your heating the sides of the kettle as well as the bottom. Not to mention how much faster you will come to a boil.
JJ

 

[magno]

I think thats the ticket right there. Thanks.

Just sheet metal with a cutout for the hose, right?

Is there a good way to connect the two ends without welding, or should I get that done somewhere?

 

[Thalon]

I only got two brews out of a full tank of propane for a good 6 months when I started out. I was using a borrowed old rusty turkey fryer burner. It was pretty loud when burning.

Then I picked up a Hurricane Burner from Midwest Supplies. It is as quiet as a whisper even when it's near full throttle. My tank was 1/2 full when I switched burners, and I have gotten 4 full brew sessions including two AG brews (heating up strike/sparge water = more burning time than extract brews as I was doing before) and I still haven't run out of propane. I expect to get 10+ brews out of a tank of propane. At this rate, the burner will pay for itself in only a few months in propane savings alone.

 

[bradsul]

I think thats the ticket right there. Thanks.

Just sheet metal with a cutout for the hose, right?

Is there a good way to connect the two ends without welding, or should I get that done somewhere?

It's just aluminum flashing material (available at HD or building supply of your choice). I used rivets to connect it together. Nice and simple and cheap but no sharp edges. First time I built it I used machine screws, but that meant it had teeth.

 

[Bobby_M]

You could also use some really short machine screws with nuts. No teeth.

 

[bradsul]

You could also use some really short machine screws with nuts. No teeth.

That would work great too. In my case I just happened to have the rivets already so that's what I went with.

 

[joshpooh]

2.5 brews out of a tank. Wow that is horrible something has to be wrong. I"m on 3.5 brews (started raining like crazy and had to move inside), and 2 turkeys and still have gas left. The brews are 2.5 five gallon ag batches and a 10 gallon partial boil extract batch so the boil volumes were all practically the same. ONly think I don't use propane for is heating sparge water because I do it on the inside stove while heating the strike water on the propane.

 

[ajf]

It depends on the size of the boil.
I boil from 6.75g down to 5.5g, and have so far got 6 batches out of my latest tank, and may get another one. (Like Joshpooh, I only use the propane for boiling, not heating mash and sparge water.)

If you have a bunsen burner type (single jet) burner that sounds like a jet engine, then you will burn a lot of propane.

If the burner is excessively dirty, and doesn't allow enough air to get mixed with the gas, you will also get poor results (as well as a lot of soot on the kettle).

-a.

 

[sudbuster]

That would work great too. In my case I just happened to have the rivets already so that's what I went with.

Bradsul,
your shield and mine are exactly alike, and for the same reasons. i think that's cool......

 

[Bugeaterbrewing]

I think thats the ticket right there. Thanks.

Just sheet metal with a cutout for the hose, right?

Is there a good way to connect the two ends without welding, or should I get that done somewhere?

The easiest approach is to not have to do it. I cut the bottom out of a metal washtub for mine. If you want it to go up the sides of your pot, use a metal trash can.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

 

[Grimsawyer]

I can get 2 5 gallon AG batches out of mine... but! My boils are 120 min's long AND I boil 4-5 gallons of water before and after to clean/sanitize my brewery. I also don't have any metal flashing around my unit. I'm kinda thinking it might be worth it. would it work if I attached it in right angles vs wrapping it around in a circular shape?

 

[mr x]

Does anybody have any experience directly insulating their pot? I've got some 10" pipe insulation and flashing and I'm trying to decide between using the pipe insulation strapped directly to the kettle and covered with flashing, or just flashing on the outside of the stand (with no insulation) which will allow heat to come up around the sides of the kettle...

 

[bradsul]

I can get 2 5 gallon AG batches out of mine... but! My boils are 120 min's long AND I boil 4-5 gallons of water before and after to clean/sanitize my brewery. I also don't have any metal flashing around my unit. I'm kinda thinking it might be worth it. would it work if I attached it in right angles vs wrapping it around in a circular shape?

Flashing comes in rolls, I don't think you'd have much luck getting it straight without also building a support to fasten it to. Sheet metal would work but it's probably more expensive.

 

[Cookiebaggs]

I brew 10 gallon batches and use my burner for strike, steam mashing, sparge and boil. I think I could get at least 2 batches out of a tank but I just fill it up every time I brew to be safe. It helps that the fill station is 4 blocks from where I brew.

I suspect I use a pretty inefficient burner. Basically just a straight pipe with a hole drilled in a hex cap for the orafice and a deflector plate to break up the flame. It sounds like a jet engine.

 

[Jaybird]

Does anybody have any experience directly insulating their pot? I've got some 10" pipe insulation and flashing and I'm trying to decide between using the pipe insulation strapped directly to the kettle and covered with flashing, or just flashing on the outside of the stand (with no insulation) which will allow heat to come up around the sides of the kettle...

I used an old stainless steel DE pool filter and modified it. works like a champ and I got the filter for FREE from just calling a few of the local pool co. and asking if they had one. It was that simple.
JJ

 

[chillHayze]

I get 4+ brews from a KAB4, although I heat my strike and sparge water on the stove.