# Gas Per Boil?



## MHD (29/4/06)

I really have no idea how many brews my 4kg bottle will last using my 3 ring burner and I would hate to have it run out half way through a boil!

So how many 60 minute boils do people get out of their burners and what size bottle do you have?

(yes I know, a second gas bottle would be the best way... but... well you know..)


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## Darren (29/4/06)

MHD said:


> I really have no idea how many brews my 4kg bottle will last using my 3 ring burner and I would hate to have it run out half way through a boil!
> 
> So how many 60 minute boils do people get out of their burners and what size bottle do you have?
> 
> ...




Howdy MHD,
I get about 4x65 litre brews from a 8.5 kilo bottle (plus the odd barbie). If it runs out I just go exchange it at the servo around the corner..

cheers
Darren


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## MHD (29/4/06)

Thanks Darren, What burner do you use? I wonder if there is much difference between a 30L (what I do) and 65L,,,,


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## Darren (29/4/06)

MHD said:


> Thanks Darren, What burner do you use? I wonder if there is much difference between a 30L (what I do) and 65L,,,,
> [post="123321"][/post]​




I have a mongolian burner. It was about the same usage for 40 litre and 65 litre. About 4 brews. I think there is some economy (gas and time) in a bigger brew.

cheers

Darren


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## Andyd (24/7/06)

I did a 75 Litre boil yesterday, and for once took the time to measure. Including a bit of mash re-heating, it consumed 3kg of gas through a 4 ring burner.


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## KoNG (24/7/06)

i have a 3 ring, and get between 7-9 brews from the 9kg bottle.
it will depend on what else you need to heat aswell in terms of mash/sparge water etc.
those numbers include heating of water aswell, not just the boil.

i live close enough to a swap'n'go that its not a problem. If i didnt i would be getting some back up.


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## Coodgee (24/7/06)

holy crap, that's amazing. I get 2 brews and a couple of barbies out of a 9kg bottle!!!


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## homebrewworld.com (24/7/06)

I recon i get 3 -4 boils tops, out of my 9kg bottle.$15 - $21 buck depends where i go for refill.
4 Ring burner........
Not enough for my liking :angry: , going to get set up with the big ass gas bottle like the one up the side of my house (heating) one day.


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## Stoodoo (24/7/06)

I ended up weighing in my gas bottle for the last two brews. The first was a one hour boil (along with heating sparge water etc), the burner consumed 1.6kg of gas for that one. The second brew was my 4hr boil (including heating up sparge water etc), with the burner consuming 2.6kg. Obviously most of the gas consumption from my burner is during the heat up stages of the mash/sparge water, as well as the initial heating up of the wort. From the boil point onwards, gas consumption drops heaps.

Cheers


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## Ducatiboy stu (24/7/06)

Yeah...I have become anal with gas...I even wrote the empty wieght on my 2 bottles.. h34r: 

I have been getting ripped off 200gms of gas by some fillers on a 9kg bottle :angry: 

I have noticed that a 27ltr 60 min boil uses about 0.8kg of gas with a 3 ring burner. This does not include sparge water


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## homebrewworld.com (24/7/06)

Ducatiboy stu........ 'Yeah I have become anal with gas'..

Hmm :blink: 

please explain stu


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## Ducatiboy stu (24/7/06)

The thought has crossed my mind about farting in the gas bottle due to the excess gas produced by going AG :unsure:


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## homebrewworld.com (24/7/06)

Now lets all save the planet !
Fart in a bottle  

' its better to fart and have a giggle,
than hold it in a be a cripple '

:beerbang:


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## tangent (24/7/06)

my gas refiller suggested converting to mains gas. after the fitting, the supply price is about 1/10th the price of bottled according to him....
any gasfitters in ADL reading this that like beer and bbqs?


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## thunderleg (24/7/06)

I use around 1 kg to boil 45L for 60 to 70 min. I have a 3-ringer and an electric HLT.


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## grabman (25/7/06)

tangent said:


> my gas refiller suggested converting to mains gas. after the fitting, the supply price is about 1/10th the price of bottled according to him....
> any gasfitters in ADL reading this that like beer and bbqs?



I'm in process of converting my BBQ back to bottled gas, easy job jest are only $2.50 each! 

Found that with mains gas I just wasn't getting the BBQ hot enough. Local BBQ store guys said that it's a common problem and that they actually don't recommend runnig BBQ in mains gas!

Just a thought, would also reduce your ability to "move" your brew setup. Mines on wheels so can brew on back verandah or in garage, just move it to where I want it and away you go!

Grab


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## hughman666 (18/10/06)

tangent said:


> my gas refiller suggested converting to mains gas. after the fitting, the supply price is about 1/10th the price of bottled according to him....
> any gasfitters in ADL reading this that like beer and bbqs?



i was under the impression that you can't convert the 3 & 4 ring burners to mains gas....can anybody confirm this?


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## Aussie Claret (19/10/06)

I'm with Coggee,
I get about 2.5 batches from an 8 Kg bottle, using the nasa style burner.
Gas is costing more than the ingredients, well almost.
AC


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## DJR (19/10/06)

Aussie Claret said:


> I'm with Coggee,
> I get about 2.5 batches from an 8 Kg bottle, using the nasa style burner.
> Gas is costing more than the ingredients, well almost.
> AC



Geez, using my 3 ring for all brewing duties (heating mash & sparge water & doing the heat + 60 min boil) i have got 5 batches from a 9Kg bottle, with a hour long BBQ heat in between. I get them refilled for $14 at the BP down the street so it's only costing me $2.80 in gas per batch. I think a NASA would only be worth it if you were doing double/triple batches as you don't use that much more gas.


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## warrenlw63 (19/10/06)

Aussie Claret said:


> I'm with Coggee,
> I get about 2.5 batches from an 8 Kg bottle, using the nasa style burner.
> Gas is costing more than the ingredients, well almost.
> AC



AC

You must be boiling the arse off it. :lol: 

I routinely do 50 litre batches with a NASA and have gotten as many as 4 brews off one 9kg bottle with some gas left over. OTOH I do agree they're truly the Holley 750 double pumper of the burner world and in today's terms it equates to around $5 of LPG per brew. :blink: 

I find the trick is to only run them on full noise until the boil approaches then to turn them down to a sane level for the rest of the boil.

Warren -


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## therook (19/10/06)

DJR,
What are you using as your kettle? ( Keg or Alli pot )

rook


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## Blackfish (19/10/06)

tangent said:


> my gas refiller suggested converting to mains gas. after the fitting, the supply price is about 1/10th the price of bottled according to him....
> any gasfitters in ADL reading this that like beer and bbqs?




Risking a beating for being off topic h34r: but makes me wonder can you convert an LPG vehicle to Natural Gas? Imagine that, hooking up to a fitting in the garage at 1/10th (maybe not quite that much vs Servo LPG) the price?

Add on that government bonus you get for an LPG conversion and suddernly we have all that spare money to spend on, hmmm... maybe BREWING!!!  :beerbang: 

Of course, its too good to be true, Are there any mechanics out there who can burst this bubble for me?

FHG


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## DJR (19/10/06)

therook said:


> DJR,
> What are you using as your kettle? ( Keg or Alli pot )
> 
> rook



40L ally robinox pot with a spigot drilled.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...mp;#entry135137

Note that the 3 ring is more than enough, after it reaches the boil, usually about 30-45 mins after finishing sparge and putting the 30L or so of wort on the burner, i can turn the middle/inner ring down to save gas, still has a rolling boil though. The 4 rings are pretty poor value - 45MJ or so for $90, for that price you might as well get a NASA or mongolian, the 3 ring i picked up for $45 and does 35MJ.


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## Stuster (19/10/06)

I get around 4-5 brews out of my 9kg bottle using a NASA. Warren's trick helps the ear drums as well as the pocket. :lol: 

therook, DJR uses as aluminium kettle, 40L IIRC.


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## Aussie Claret (19/10/06)

I think that the most I had was 3 batches from one bottle, and only have the shuttle taking off to get the boil going, then cranked right down to the barest minimum. I do use it to heat the mash and sparge water also and the sparge water gets upto boiling.

I do a 90min boil most times so may be I should cut back on the boil time.
AC


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## DJR (19/10/06)

fhgwgads said:


> tangent said:
> 
> 
> > my gas refiller suggested converting to mains gas. after the fitting, the supply price is about 1/10th the price of bottled according to him....
> ...



It has to be compressed, a fair few Sydney Buses run on CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), not sure if you can refill it from your town gas connection!

Edit: you can, http://www.myphill.com/index.htm

Now this is OT


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## tangent (19/10/06)

I have a 2-ring burner which takes a while to get my wort to boil and I use the gas to heat my strike water, so i only get about 3 brews from a 9kg. I joined up to BBQs Galore and their 4th or 5th (can't remember) is free, so it works out to a good price. I'd still rather be using mains gas though.


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## warrenlw63 (19/10/06)

Stuster said:


> I get around 4-5 brews out of my 9kg bottle using a NASA. Warren's trick helps the ear drums as well as the pocket. :lol:
> 
> therook, DJR uses as aluminium kettle, 40L IIRC.



Gotta love the noise Stuster. :lol: {Insert Toolman grunts here}

Also seems to keep the dogs out of the garage when I wander out to do something else too. They seem to respect it at full noise. B) 

Warren -


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## TidalPete (19/10/06)

warrenlw63 said:


> Aussie Claret said:
> 
> 
> > I'm with Coggee,
> ...



I do as you do with my NASA Warren & get 8 x 90 minute (36 litre) boils from a full 9kg bottle. Every time I brew I mark it on a tag attached to the gas bottle. If I run a little short I just use the barbie bottle to finish off.

:beer:


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## Coodgee (19/10/06)

> You must be boiling the arse off it.



:lol: 

yep I was doing that until I learnt it would still boil on a very low setting. now I get 4 brews and a couple of barbies out of a 9kg. I run it flat out until it boils and turn it down. I reckon I can do 5...


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## Screwtop (19/10/06)

Used to use a 3 ring for all water and 60 min boil, got 7 per 9Kg fill. Bought a NASA, now use an electric HLT for all water and do 90 min boils. Flat out till boil then back to just rolling, so far 4 brews and counting, seems to be plenty of weight still in the bottle.


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## hughman666 (19/10/06)

DJR said:


> I get them refilled for $14 at the BP down the street so it's only costing me $2.80 in gas per batch. I think a NASA would only be worth it if you were doing double/triple batches as you don't use that much more gas.



i've been using the swap n go bottles at my local servo and they cost $28 each time - ouch.

better off trying to find somewhere to refill them rather than swapping them out!


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## DJR (19/10/06)

$14 for a 9kg is almost the cheapest price in Sydney for it, so i'm not sure how much luck you'd have trying to get it round that price, most places seem to be about the $18-20 mark otherwise as long as you go to a place that doesn't overvalue the gas and the refill time.

BP in Summer HIll on Carlton Crescent btw for you sydney peeps, if you're around the inner west it's worth a stop just for the cheap refill!


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## Stabilo_Boss (19/10/06)

Coodgee said:


> > You must be boiling the arse off it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I heat both the HLT from cold (about 40 litres) and do 90 minute boils and get 4-5 brews from my 8.5kg bottle (that used to be a 9kg - thanks swapper robbers)


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## Cortez The Killer (6/12/06)

Sorry to bring up an old thread...

What is actually involved in converting a burner to natural gas?

I've got a BBQ hooked up to mains gas - so the facility is there to use it.

Is it a matter of getting a different regulator or do the jets need to changed?

Cheers


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## Steve (6/12/06)

After running out of gas exactly on flame out on Saturday im going to start marking my gas bottles with a black marker pen rather than relying on how heavy it feels. A dash for a brew and a dot for a BBQ. So I can at least have a very rough visual guide as to how much I can get out of it.
Cheers
Steve


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## DJR (6/12/06)

Just buy another 9kg bottle Steve - they only cost $30 or so from Bunnings, just keep one of them refilled, then when the other runs out, you have until you use the full one to get the other one refilled again.


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## Voosher (6/12/06)

Steve said:


> After running out of gas exactly on flame out on Saturday im going to start marking my gas bottles with a black marker pen rather than relying on how heavy it feels. A dash for a brew and a dot for a BBQ. So I can at least have a very rough visual guide as to how much I can get out of it.
> Cheers
> Steve



Steve,
I weigh mine on the bathroom scales. The empty weight of my 9kg bottle is 8kg.
I'm also weighing my bottle before and after each boil at the moment to get a consisent idea of gas usage.
One advantage of doing half-batches. I can get almost 20 batches out of 9kg. HLT is electric though.

Cortez,
There has been discussion on here before. Do a search on something like "+mains +burner" and hopefully that will bring something up.
From memory brewers have run their NASA's or similar off mains by plugging in a High-pressure regulator.

Cheers.


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## DJR (6/12/06)

Cortez The Killer said:


> Sorry to bring up an old thread...
> 
> What is actually involved in converting a burner to natural gas?
> 
> ...



Bit of both i think. Depends on the burner though as to whether it works, best to ask a gasfitter about it (and donate him a bottle or two of your finest). Nat gas though doesn't get the same heat as LPG, something about Nat gas being mainly methane/ethane and LPG is mainly propane/butane.


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## Voosher (6/12/06)

Voosher said:


> Cortez,
> There has been discussion on here before. Do a search on something like "+mains +burner" and hopefully that will bring something up.
> From memory brewers have run their NASA's or similar off mains by plugging in a High-pressure regulator.
> 
> Cheers.




Here you go...
Try this search for starters...
In particular the "Natural Gas Burner" thread.


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## Cortez The Killer (6/12/06)

Sorry I didn't even think of searching 

Cheers


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## Voosher (6/12/06)

Cortez The Killer said:


> Sorry I didn't even think of searching
> 
> Cheers



After 3 posts I don't think we can be too critical... and besides... as a life-long Neil Young fan I'm happy to help someone who is demonstrating apparent excellent taste in music... so far at least


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