Propane burner inside?

shark 2013-10-26 13:44:25 UTC #1

I'd prefer to brew inside, but I'm using a propane burner (not a gas kitchen stove).
Is this even safe?
Does anyone brew in their kitchen with a propane tank/burner?

roffenburger 2013-10-26 13:52:58 UTC #2

Please don't do this. There is too much at risk. Accidents happen. An open propane driven flame is also introducing carbon monoxide into your house.

dannyboy58 2013-10-26 13:59:17 UTC #3

+1 Good advice. Way too much risk involved here.

shark 2013-10-26 15:10:08 UTC #4

That's what I thought, but wanted to see what y'all thought

scalded_dog 2013-10-26 15:17:28 UTC #5

It's fine to do it in the garage. I have cooked all kinds of stuff in my garage. I brewed my first batch of beer two weeks ago and just left the door open a bit. The burner can be turned down fairly low once the boil starts anyway, so it's not that bad.

sammysam 2013-10-26 20:23:37 UTC #6

I used to be a firefighter and have responded to something similar to this on several occasions by people who thought they could BBQ inside their house. I have seen people DIE from this.

One idiot actually tried to use a charcoal BBQ in his house. I shit you not! How god damn stupid do you have to be to do something that idiotic?

beerme11 2013-10-27 12:13:06 UTC #7

I bet he was drinking bud light

jmck 2013-10-27 13:57:19 UTC #8

So charcoal is pretty obviously stupid. But can we dial in a bit on the problem with a propane burner? Lot's of homes use propane stoves inside, which are plumbed to a large tank outside. So let's not say indoor propane burners are stupid and just leave it there. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying it's OK, I'm just saying that the thread jumped from a serious request for assessment to a comparison with charcoal to a disparagement of Bud drinkers. OP raises a serious issue, so let's not throw away credibility in answering.

I've always thought the risk was focused on the potential for leaks from those soft lines. Outside, any leaks can't concentrate; inside leaked gas could be an explosion hazard, esp with the tank right there. These burners burn more gas than a conventional stove per unit time, so I can see exhaust gasses being problematic. Both speak to need for serious ventilation.

I've also heard just having the propane tank inside was risky behavior without explanation of how that's so much worse than natural gas pipes.

goldenchild 2013-10-27 15:33:02 UTC #9

A propane furnace is vented to the outside. Like you said ventilation would be a large factor.

Another big problem would be the amount of heat generated. I mean you wouldn't want this thing sitting on your floor or kitchen counter unless you had a safe fireproof way of insulating it from the surface that its sitting on. Its just like a wood stove there has to be a certain amount of space between it and the wall if isnt enough space to have it away from the wall then you have to take some sheet metal and then mount it a inch from the wall so that it creates a air buffer for the heat.

My burner puts out 220,000 btu's it will melt things that are within a foot and a half of it.

headcheese 2013-10-27 17:24:10 UTC #10

I used a propane burners or heaters in the garage with all the doors shut a number of times.

In the garage is a bit different than in the house though. How much do you trust that made in China 5 dollar regulator?

ironlion409 2013-10-27 17:28:16 UTC #11

I know a second generation caterer that uses propane turkey fryers inside when they have to. I'm thinking about a small burner to do extract kits and would like to do them in my "work room" in my basement. The room has cement floors and a double door to the outside. So I too would like to hear more opinions on this topic.

denny 2013-10-27 18:10:45 UTC #12

It's very, very bad idea to use propane burners indoors. There is no correlation between them and a gas stove or furnace. Those items are made to be used indoors. Propane turkey fryer burners are not. You risk CO poisoning or explosions if there's a leak. In addition, I have heard of people having their homeowner's insurance cancelled when they had an accident relating to indoor propane use. Sure, you may get away with it, but that doesn't mean it's safe or a good idea.

chuck_n 2013-10-28 14:17:38 UTC #13

I'm pretty sure that your propane burner isn't going to give off any more CO2 than you natural gas stove. If you have a quality CO2 detector nearby you should be okay. It will trip long before you tip. You should have one in the house any way especially during the heating season. But I would soap all the fittings first to make sure there aren't any leaks in the gas line before I used it in-doors.

As far as using charcoal in the house...For whatever reason charcoal gives off copious amounts of CO (carbonmonoxide). On top of that it eats up even more copious quantities of oxygen. So it's a two prong attack. Only a moron would use it in the house for cooking and ya ain't much smarter if you're using it for heating.

Steve 2018-01-09 15:57:53 UTC #14

I know this is an old post, but since I just came across it, others will too and this is very important. As @denny said:

I might add that it's an extremely very bad idea. Why:

A key difference between indoor [low pressure] gas stoves or heaters and typical [high pressure] propane burners used in brewing is pressure. Propane or natural gas is delivered into a house or rv at well below 1/2 psi. Propane burners run at 5 to 10, sometimes 20 psi so they can deliver, or leak, fuel MUCH faster. The pressure inside an LP tank is about 100 psi at room temperature and 200 psi at 120 degrees. It can fill a room with propane very quickly.
A high pressure burner delivers, and burns, much more fuel than a low pressure stove. It provides a lot more heat and produces a lot more poisonous Carbon Monoxide (CO) (not Carbon Dioxide - CO2). This is true even with a well adjusted flame.
In addition to fire, explosion, and poisoning risks, propane is heavier than air, it can fill a room or basement and asphyxiate a person. High pressure propane can do so quickly.
Another key difference is that a stove or heater designed for indoor use, if properly installed, is vented directly to the outside. Opening a window or large door does not accomplish the same thing.

Propane burners are intended for outdoor use only. Please keep yourself, your family, friends, and neighbors safe.