How many brews in a propane tank?

Northern Brewer General
1

How many extract kit boils should I be able to get from a typical propane tank before running out?

Thanks

2

Are you doing 5 gallon boils? what do you have for a brew pot and burner? The larger the bottom of the brew pot the better the heat transfer to your wort, and the more batches per tank.

3

I get around 3 10 gallon batches with all-grain brewing, give or take. Extract should get you further… a lot further with 5 gallon batches.

If you’re worried you’re running low and don’t want to run out in the middle of a brew-session, keep a spare tank. I always lift up my propane tank before brewing… if it’s light, I go and get my spare ready.

4

Thanks for the replies. I am doing 5g batches. I am using a 18qt pot and a burner from my turkey fryer. I was able to get my initial boil of 2 1/2 gal. in 15 minutes.

5

i work for big 5 sporting goods. and we sell a propane gauge that tells you how much gas is left in your tank. 19.99, well worth it for me

very similar to this

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Bar-B-Q-Propan ... B002SUCOR2

:cheers:

6

One less than you think! I started my boil yesterday only to have it run out right when it was beginning to bubble.

7

Yeah, it will tell you it’s full all the way up until it tells you it’s empty. :wink:

Just like a CO2 tank for kegging, the only way to know how much is in the tank is by measuring weight, not pressure.

8

[quote=“Gruneun”]
Yeah, it will tell you it’s full all the way up until it tells you it’s empty. :wink:

Just like a CO2 tank for kegging, the only way to know how much is in the tank is by measuring weight, not pressure.[/quote]

it tells me when its half full too. its nothing like my co2 regulator. the gauge has definitely saved my butt. when it told me it was almost empty i went and had my spare tank filled, then the tank Did go empty so i switched

9

With the info I got from all of you, MasterBuilt (44,000 BTU) burner and some numbers from Blue Rhino and wikiHow site to determine how many gallons or hours are left along with buying a Master Forge guage at Lowes for $12.99, I think I can pretty much blame stupidity if I do run out during a boil.

Happy Brewing

10

Thanks for reminding me to weigh my tank. I have 5 boils on a blue rhino tank, I bet its getting low!

11

I considered buying one of those tank gauges but I decide to just double the $20 bucks I would have spent for the gauge and just buy an extra tank for $45. That way I can refill the extra tank without any urgency. For me knowing the tank is nearly empty still means an urgent trip to the hardware store before or during the brew day so where is the advantage of the gauge?

BTW, I’ve noticed that when the “skunk” smell that the gas company adds to the propane starts to get strong I usually have about an hour left in the tank with my turkey fryer. The smell gets stronger as the tank gets nearly empty. That stuff must have a different molecular weight relative to the propane and it settles to the bottom of the tank? I’ve kind of made a mental note of this with the last 4 or 5 tanks I’ve used up. Anybody else noticed this?

12

I get 6-7 brew days from a cylinder for 5 gallon batches. I also have a spare tank and a gauge. I think the gauge is great, as the amount of gas decreases the gauge reflects it.