Worst case scenario just happened....

[CoastalEmpireBrewery]

So, I was working up this beautiful Belgian Witbier and I was doing a late extract so I could get the color correct and etc... well about 45 min into the boil I look over and my temp is dropping!!!! I look under the pot and the flame went out!!! I check the tank and there was none left!!! I RAN OUT OF GAS!!! Thankfully the heat stayed around 200 degrees. I am just wondering how this is going to affect my hop utilization?

 

[dbkdev]

I guess it would depend when you added your hops in that 40 minute period? If you added after, they would behave the same as if you had added them at flameout?

 

[jhoneycutt]

And that's a perfect example of why I went ahead and got a second tank. In fact in the future I fully plan on getting one of the 100 gallon tanks, just because.

 

[CoastalEmpireBrewery]

Haha yea newbie mistake but the beer seems to be doing quite well in the fermenter. It's a Belgian witbier so hop bitterness isn't huge on it anyways

 

[helibrewer]

It will be fine...it's a wit

 

[CoastalEmpireBrewery]

Haha yup I broke the secret code... I wasn't drinking a homebrew when I made it I was drinking a vanilla coke.... I was bound for mishaps

 

[jhoneycutt]

Vanilla coke while brewing? BLASPHEMY I say. To make up for that you probably will want to drink at least three to please the homebrew gods, just a thought. Anyway if the beer is doing fine that's all that matters.

 

[C-Rider]

Every brewer using gas must own at least 2 tanks and one is always FULL.

 

[IvanTheTerribrew]

Plus get used to weighing them. Most propane tanks have a tare weight of 18# so just weigh yourself on a scale then weigh yourself plus the tank. If it's full the tank should roughly weigh 38# (this is all for a 20# tank btw). Hope this helps.

 

[Newsman]

I bought a tank with a gauge on it.

 

[passedpawn]

That might be your "worst case" so far, but you have no idea how bad it can get. Try shattering your glass carboy in the pool while chilling a batch of hefeweisen. That's a show-stopper.

When I used gas, I had two tanks. If you have a gas grill, the same kind of problem can come up. Electric brewers don't "run out of gas" - it's one big advantage there.

 

[solbes]

I was just going to mention a shattered carboy, or bottle bombs that cause injury. Or dropping a full kettle at boiling temps.

Your Wit will be great I'm sure. I have also run out before, but I have a propane BBQ grill, so no biggie as I always have a spare with at least some propane in it. Three more tanks up at the lake.

 

[dbkdev]

Holy **** @ carboy in the pool. I just laughed out loud so hard at work. That sucksssssss

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[passedpawn]

Holy **** @ carboy in the pool. I just laughed out loud so hard at work. That sucksssssss

It did suck. I had to sneak out at night (it was January) after my wife went to bed and look for glass in the pool. Pajama shorts and tennies, a real pathetic sight. Don't chill your beer in a carboy in the pool.

You might get a kick out of this then. It's what I graduated to after I realized that hot wort, glass carboy, and cold pool don't go together. It's a pool noodle and duct tape wrapped around the boil kettle. Also not a good idea for reasons I'll withhold for another time (think rain). BTW, this was years ago. I was a noob at one time.

 

[solbes]

That was an awesome "noob at the time" video. Your dog likes wort, and I like how you threw in the yeasties anyway to fill up the carboy.

Wish I had filmed some of my early adventures. I would probably give you some competition.

 

[dbkdev]

Lol that's awesome. I was like, he is not going to add that yeast....... What a giant ****ing mess that must have made lol

 

[bobby4]

I can't quite get over the pool incident, even the video makes me nervous, lol. As to the original question, 2 tanks can save your beer AND save a BBQ session.