Butane boiling issues

[Mervyn]

I am planning on brewing tomorrow using butane to fire my gas burner, however on my last brew the cylinder started to freeze up during the 60 minute boil. This time I'm planning a 90 minute boil and it's pretty cold up here just now. Does anyone have any good tricks to keep the cylinder warm enough to supply enough gas? I was thinking of putting the cylinder in a water bath at about 20 - 25 C has anyone tried this with a 7kg butane cylinder?

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[daf]

Get a propane one next time?

[Mervyn]

Yep I am planning on it when I can pick up a regulator, but at the moment I only have a butane cylinder and regulator. Think I'll give the water bath a go see how it works

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[Wonkydonkey]

With propane, it has a different vapour pressure, ie it boils more at the same temp as butane, or better said boils at a lower temp, so Yeh putting the butane in warm-hot water will help it boil there for give you more gas pressure. But I think you will be supprised how quick the water will cool.
In the old days in the winter roofers put propane cylinders closer to boiling pitc/tar pot, it helped keep the pressure up in the cylinders. You don't see it these days due to elf & hasty.
But also, the main reason for using propane is, it has a higher calorific value, that means more heat for your money as it is not much more exspensive than butane.

[ManseMasher]

I think that butane has a higher calorific value than propane. It also burns cleaner. Yes the cylinder freezes at a higher temp (as high as 3°c I have seen written). I think the warm water might be worth a go, but as said above, the water won't stay warm for long. I have done 90 minute boils with butane and had no freezing issues....

[Mervyn]

Kept it in a water bath and managed to keep the temp about 20 - 25 C, might be my imagination but certainly seemed to boil a lot better for the whole boil this time.

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[Colliefish]

I did a bit of research into this last week as I had a rubbish bbq where my butane didn't like the low temps.
Butane is more calorific but will slow down its liquid to gas conversion at 10 deg c.
And as the conversion of liquid to gas takes place it also adds to the temperature drop.
Glad your warm bath technique worked. I may bear it in mind while I use up my gas before I switch to propaine.

[irv]

what happens if you turn the cylinder upside down?

just wondering, as some camping stoves you can do this in cold weather, but these stoves also have a pre heat tube, which turns the liquid into gas.

[lord groan]

If you turn it upside down you get the liquid butane/propane coming out of the gas jets rather than the gas vapour-, usually known as a flamethrower. I did this once with a blowtorch that used disposable gas canisters. Absolutely terrifying!, a small diy blowtorch with a 3-4 foot jet of flame. God knows what a full size burner would do
DONT DO IT!

[tourer]

Mervyn, you should get a regulator for less than a fiver but try to source a bottle free of charge as the suppliers want a large deposit. Also get the biggest bottle you can handle as the gas is much cheaper. I use a 13kg propane costs about £20ish but i also buy 6kg bottles for the motorhome and costs about £19, so you get about twice the gas for your money with the 13kg.

[Mervyn]

I've got a butane cylinder to swap, it's a 7kg butane cylinder so not sure what size of propane I can swap for and only have to pay for the propane rather than cylinder rental.

The butane came free so I'm just trying to use it up before switching to propane, also an ex gas barbecue bottle.

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[bubblehead]

If you're not restricted on space then a 19Kg. propane will be much cheaper to run on a £.p. per kilo basis than the smaller 6Kg.propane (the equivalent to the 7Kg. Butane).
Where are you based?

[Mervyn]

I'm up in aberdeen, will probably go with the 6kg propane initially if I don't have to get a new cylinder rental contract. I've been keeping an eye out for any other cylinders that I can get.

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[bobsbeer]

Most Calor Gas outlets will swap butane cylinders for propane with no extra deposit. They do have some restrictions so check if you plan to use calor gas.

[Mervyn]

Yeah it's calor gas I'm going for, looks like I can swap for a 6kg propane with no extra deposit, I'll see if they can give me a bigger one for nothing as well

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