Propane efficiency

Post #1 made 10 years ago
Here is a barrel (haha) of worms: what sort of efficiencies are people getting? How many mash+boil sessions in a 20 lb (I'm in the US) bottle of gas.

Please note volume and make of brew/mash vessel, burner type, volumes mashed/boiled, and ambient temps. Might also mention special situations, such as durations if not 90 minutes, presence of wind, and any modifications to your burner.

Or just tell me to take a leap and search (again) in the forums :)


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Post #2 made 10 years ago
Too many variables to say, sorry. I usually felt safe with @ 4-5 brews before refilling. (went to electric so I could brew indoors during the winter and have never gone back)

---Todd
WWBBD?
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Post #4 made 10 years ago
A good question gmh and, for the moment, as thughes mentioned, it's impossible to answer well atm. One of the original aims of the BIABacus has been to provide a structure where things that have never been measured well, if at all, before (like this) can be measured by the individual. Another aim of the BIABacus is to enable an easy collection of numbers based on the many rather than the few.

The next BIABacus Pre-Release has a new section on the second tab where you can use your bathroom scales to measure many critical numbers. A screenshot can be seen in this post. See the right hand column?

People filling in that, over time, will give an answer to your question. The same goes for many other questions.

:peace:
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 24 Mar 2014, 18:00, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #6 made 10 years ago
I'll just add that not all propane tanks have the same amount of propane. I refilled both of my tanks and one was considerably heavier than the other. I did not exchange them at the same time or place. The heavier one I got straight of the truck (the propane truck was loading up the cases at the store).

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Post #7 made 10 years ago
My brew pot has a built in heat chamber underneath with a flue that runs up the side of the pot. This makes it much more efficient than just running under a standard pot, but due to the fact that the pot is 114L and usually a boil starts with about 60 to 70L of wort I only get about 3 ish brews out of a 20lb bottle.

The burner actually pulls that much gas that the outside bottom of the gas bottle is often covered in a thin layer of ice by the end of the brew.

Propane efficiency

Post #8 made 10 years ago
Just found this thread. I have two things to add:
I use a 40qt/37.9L stainless kettle and used 2.2 lbs of propane for my last 60 minute outside boil of 6 odd gallons ambient 17 F with a lot of wind. Lots of variables!

Second, if you have your tank refilled it's sometimes cheaper than exchanging. You never know how much has been pre-filled for you and how much you lost when you traded in your old tank.


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Post #9 made 10 years ago
I get about 8 or 9 hours out of a full 20lb bottle with a Bayou Classic SP10 running just shy of full blast. Figured this out making maple syrup this year, I have noticed as others have said that when you exchange a bottle the new one usually feels lighter than one that I get refilled...
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Post #10 made 10 years ago
The "exchange" ones here in Aus I've found are notoriously under filled when you get them.
My brother used to get the "swap and go's" from the local servo. We compared one we had filled ourselves, and it felt half empty.

I generally get about 4-5 brews to a 9kg bottle. Running a standard low pressure regulator. Takes a while to ramp up but goes alright once its got heat into the keg.
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