Here soon I will be brewing my next batch and since it will be in December I’m assuming it will be cold. My las brew I did a few weeks ago it was probably in the upper thirties and my boil did not seem to be as vigorous as I’d like. I also missed my volume a bit due to less boil off than expected. The tank was a little low but not empty. I did notice at one point when the tank was shaken the flame did better. I noticed this when I picked up the tank to see about how much was left, but it didn’t feel safe to shake a pressurized fuel cylinder.
I was wondering if there is way to keep the tank warm so that this doesn’t affect the gas pressure as badly?
Could it be that the tank should be full?
I haven’t had a lot of opportunity to brew in the winter save once last year and I haven’t seen this before.
Sounds to me like you were just getting super low. I brew quite a bit below 30F without any issues. Could also be a reg or burner issue.
BTW you don’t want to shake the tank while in use. It can stir up debri in the tank and you can ruin your regulator.
When I was wiring my new garage I used a propane torpedo heater for some warmth. January minus 28 - 36 F. I noticed frost on the lower third of the tank the second day and the heater was sputtering occasionaly. I moved the tank nearer to heat stream from the heater. Frost disappeared, heater stopped sputtering. Cold temperatures reduce pressures in propane tanks causing irregular burn rates. A full atank will maintain pressure until it is a partially full tank. Refilling a partially empty tank is a pain. Heat the tank.
The link provides a technical explanation in the fourth paragraph, I had this happen when I changed to th KAB4 banjo burner having a higher demand for fuel. I put the tank in a tub with a few gallons of water and never lose my flame output. Many times there is ice on the bottom of the tank when I pull it out after 60-90 minute boil. I usually start my brew session with a tank at least half full then put the tanks with less on the gas grill for cooking.
If you have an extra tank (or two, which is always a good idea) you can swap them back and forth, letting one warm up while the other runs the burner. I also relegate near empty tanks to the grill.
