Propane Regulator Issue

[h-bar]

I just used my new Edelmetall burner yesterday, and I was pretty impressed with how quickly it got a boil going. However, something weird kept happening. About every ten minutes or so, I'd lose the rolling boil and the wort went to a simmer. I'd increase the flame, but the same thing would happen again later. I'm guessing the propane regulator that came with the burner is bad? Why is this happening?

 

[day_trippr]

I would suspect the tank was getting cold and dropping the vapor pressure.
Next time feel the sides of the tank and if it feels like it's nearing freezing temperature, stick it in a vat of water...

Cheers!

 

[Takuie]

+1 to what day tripper said.

Also, your regulator may be pulling liquid instead of vapor. Often happens when using small propane tanks from places like gas stations, kroger, etc. These small tanks do not like anything above 5 psi regulators. If this is the case, you will see your regulator starting to frost up a bit. This means liquid LP is in your regulator.

Couple of options available:
1) use a smaller rated regulator like a replacement for a propane grill, these are almost always around 5 psi regulators.

2) get a bigger LP tank. Draw back to this, cant just swap like you can with the smaller tanks, but nearly all U-Haul rental shops fill propane on the spot, plus for what your pay to swap out a 20 gallon tank, I pay about the same amount to have my 50 pound tank refilled from the local UHaul shop down the road.

3) dont run your burner wide open. which kinda defeats the purpose to me.

just my two cents.

 

[day_trippr]

Point of clarity is needed here: "frosting" does not indicate there is liquid present - it merely indicates something is cold enough to condense and freeze water vapor out of the air.

The constant conversion of liquid propane to vapor needs "heat" to happen. If there isn't enough warmth put back into the system the temperature keeps dropping until the vapor pressure is so low it can't sustain the desired burner output. And that temperature is going to be pretty well into the range that water will freeze on the tank sides and even the tank valve.

But still, there's no liquid in the lines. The design of the tank pretty much ensures that can't happen if the cylinder is upright and wasn't horribly over-filled.

All that's needed is some "warmth"...

Cheers!

 

[h-bar]

I didn't touch the side of the tank during the boil, so I'm not sure if it was cold or not. However, I am in AZ, and it was around 105F outside while I was brewing. I'd think that would be enough to keep it warm?

 

[day_trippr]

So it's not a lock that this was your problem, but I've read plenty of posts from folks brewing on hot days that ran into same symptoms and got things going again by dunking their tanks in warm-ish water...

Cheers!

 

[Owly055]

20 pound tanks are marginal at best for running anything that puts out much flame........ The exchange bottles are convenient, you don't have to find someone to fill them, but I can fill a 100 pound bottle for about $50 here.... about twice what people are paying at the bottle exchanges for a 20 pound bottle............ 5 times as much propane for twice the price. The 100 pound bottles do not have the built in restrictor and float......... and they are large enough that they don't normally frost up. The flow restrictor in the new style bottles is a real liability also. Turn them on too fast or demand too much fuel and they will shut you off..........They are designed to run a barbeque and nothing else.

The best solution if you want more gas and have access only to barbeque exchange bottles, is to have two bottles and two regulators feeding into a Tee........ Personally I have always installed a gas shut off valve in each line when doing this.


H.W.