Using Gas Indoors

[Qs]

I usually brew out in the garden but lately the bad weather has stopped me getting anything done. With no end in sight to the rain I'm having to make arrangements to brew indoors. I use a butane and a the typical black square gas burner from Hamilton.

Will I be ok to use that inside the house? Do I need extra ventilation or will being beside the door and having the windows open be enough. Its a decent sized room.

[Jacob]

If you'll provide good ventilation can't see why you couldn't brew indoors. Brewing in the kitchen myself
No extra equipment, just cooker hood & opened windows.

[auralabuse]

One bit of extra safety would be a carbon monoxide alarm.  Have it in the room your brewing in,  you will be 100%then

[Qs]

Actually have a spare carbon monoxide alarm. Perfect.

[Will_D]

The biggest danger of using these indoors is that they don't have a "flame failure device" so keep an eye on it!. If the flame blows out the gas fills the room and then you walk in and say switch the light on (Spark) then KaBoom!

I know its unlikely but there you go.

Re. Carbon Monoxide:

Its always a good idea to have a detector in the house where you have gas/oil/solid fuel boilers/water heaters.

However it is only produced when there is insufficient oxygen present so combustion is incomplete.

This can only happen in an enclosed system like a gas boiler or an oil boiler. An open gas flame (like our boiling rings) has infinite oxygen available!

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

If you have made off the gas connections yourself, apply some soapy water around the joints to check for bubbles = gas leak. Apart from that you won't be too popular filling the house with the smell of boiling hops 

[Beerbuddha]

I use gas when decocting.

My brewshed is a portacabin and i have no major isues.

Just open window slightly and good to go.

I have left the door open but any slight breeze and the hamilton gas burner blows out and this might cause an issue as the gas can fill the room with usual explosive problem but if your close to your post  all shall be ok.

Monoxide not necessary i feel but if you have one free use it.

[Qs]

This is going grand except for suffering my second ever boil over, typical it happened inside.

[Jacob]

Try anti-foam next time.
Works for me.

[delzep]

Try anti-foam next time.
Works for me.

Stops boilovers?

How much would you use per batch?

[Jacob]

Try anti-foam next time.
Works for me.

Stops boilovers?

How much would you use per batch?

1/2 tsp for 40l batch if I remember that right.
No probs with boilovers.

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Either that or add your first hops as you're bringing the wort to the boil, the beta acids will make it less volatile

[Qs]

Thats interesting SA, I usually FWH and I don't have boilovers but today I did not. I also usually skim the stuff on top which I didn't do in time today.

Definitely going to get some anti-foam. Does anyone know if the Mottly Brew has it, want to call in there before I brew again anyway to get some grain.

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Anti foam was more used to reduce foam/ krausening in fermenters and reduce the necessity for head space meaning you could fit more wort in the fermenter and so improve brewing efficiency. Commercially those breweries who move towards post fermentation bittering and thus use less hops in kettle use Beta Acids to reduce boil overs. The beta acid used to be a waste product of hop processing but has now become a valuable process aid

[raindogxx]

I read somewhere that antifoam can impact head retention in your finished beer. Has anyone had that experience?