Switch to direct fire, pain in the ass

[Shovelhead89]

I got this burner (http://milehidistilling.com/product/kic ... oker-kab6/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow) to heat up my 25 gallon milk can boiler. I've done three runs and with about 15-20 gallons in the boiler each time. Takes about 1.5 hours to heat it up to temp, and by then my propane tank has frozen and it starts cutting in and out so I have to switch tanks until that one freezes up too, then all I can do is give it a shake every five minutes. Using your average bbq tank and outside temps are about 45 degrees. I only got three runs before draining both propane tanks. I feel like something is wrong here?

[yakattack]

Sounds bout right. High pressure regulators and burners will use more propane.

To stop the freezing stick the tank in a water bath.

Tak

[jb-texshine]

Put your propane tank into your water reservoir to keep it from freezing. You may need a higher pressure burner


Posted same time as yak

[pfshine]

Better yet go electric. Faster heat up more efficient less expensive no switching or freezing tanks never run out of gas again you will be able to hear yourself think need way less air flow around easier to control and no open flames to catch you or anything else on fire or asphyxiation. Those are just a few things. Did I mention it's faster and cheaper.

[Shovelhead89]

Better yet go electric. Faster heat up more efficient less expensive no switching or freezing tanks never run out of gas again you will be able to hear yourself think need way less air flow around easier to control and no open flames to catch you or anything else on fire or asphyxiation. Those are just a few things. Did I mention it's faster and cheaper.

I'm ordering it but it'll still be about 3 weeks away plus I'll still direct fire my mash tun. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong as I couldn't believe how inefficient this is.
My water resoivoir is too far away and on the other side of a wall but I'm sure I could find something that'd work. How big does it have to be to make a decent effect on the freezing?

[yakattack]

You can create a barrel oven around your boiler to improve efficiency. Easy and cheap. I got an extra 1/3 out of a tank by doing this and cut my heat up times by almost 1/3

[bbok]

I have seen pictures of some stills covered in a blanket like material. Any ideas what that might be? (2 de-merit points to the person who first says "A Blanket!")

[pfshine]

A sleeping bag maybe. Could be a fire blanket. Don't know unless we see the pic you're talking about. Hell it could be a vest with a drain Weiner.

I use fiberglass insulation. I have use space blankets and camping mats.

[bbok]

Good point pfshine.



After having looked at so many threads these past months I cant find a good example of what I was looking for but the pipe insulation is about as good as any. In looking for the example I was thinking of I see that there are also sort of examples of using insulation.

Thanks

[Glenfinnan2Culloden]

You could use ceramic wool. That stuff is fireproof, and what I use to line my forge. If the blanket you saw was white and barely fluffy, that's probably what it was. But that stuff is dangerous. At temperature, or exposed to direct flames, it sheds tiny particles of ceramic, which can cause silicosis. In forges, we coat the stuff with refractory. I don't know how you would do that here. I was thinking about going with a burner, but the more I read, I'm thinking electric is the way to go.

[moosemilk]

Living in Northern Ontario, I often still in the winter, outside, on propane. I've used reflectix (the stuff you use to wrap your water heater) with good results, even when it's been -20C wrapped around my still, but not all the way down so as the heat from the burner doesn't directly hit it. Made a "jacket" out of it that fits the top of my boiler and another for the cap and another for the lyne.

[squigglefunk]

Better yet go electric. Faster heat up more efficient less expensive no switching or freezing tanks never run out of gas again you will be able to hear yourself think need way less air flow around easier to control and no open flames to catch you or anything else on fire or asphyxiation. Those are just a few things. Did I mention it's faster and cheaper.

[Ben]

You need to run 2 tanks into a tee to get the output you want without freezing. That's how I ran propane on my brewery for a long time. Mr. Heater f273737 is a good example of what I am talking about.

[Corn Crib]

You need to run 2 tanks into a tee to get the output you want without freezing. That's how I ran propane on my brewery for a long time. Mr. Heater f273737 is a good example of what I am talking about.

This is what I need to keep 20# cylinders from freezing and for emptying partially full tanks (counted 6 today), plus you can't really swamp out tanks when your reflux column is stacked.

Thanks for including the part number Ben, made one easy to locate.

[cob]

The RV world has change over valves for ganging multiple propane tanks ready made.