# Propane Tank Question....



## upinsmokesj

Hello,
Longtime BBQ'er...New to this Forum...New to Smokin'. I have wanted to do some smoking for a long time. I'm now ready to do so. I have a good Weber Gas grill I'll start with. Bought 2 cast iron smoker boxes. Also, just bought & received the new Maverick ET-732 dual probe thermometer. My question I know depends on a few variables but basically having the internal temp at between 225-250 degrees F, how long should I expect a full propane tank to last? Thank you for your help.


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## SmokinAl

Glad to have you with us!

If you keep the temp down to 225 it will last longer than anything you want to smoke. I would get a gauge for the tank so you know how much is left in it. If you were smoking a brisket or pork butt, I would start with a full tank just to be safe.


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## bpopovitz

First of all WELCOME.

So I've found this method to be great in keeping an eye on my propane usage.

Take a look at the tank and you should see something that says TW - That is the tank weight of an empty tank.  Weigh the tank and subtract the tank weight.  That will give you your propane weight.  Dividie that by 4.23 to get your gallons of propane.  Then multiply that by 91500 that will give you your BTU's remaining.  You will need to know your burner rating in BTU then you can divide by that to give you the hours remaining.  Example

TW - 17.2

Current weight - 22

Propane weight - 4.8 LBS

Gallons of propane (weight /4.23) 1.134752

BTU remaining(gallons *91500) 103829.79

Hours remaining (BTU remaining / burner rating, in my case 15000) - 6.92 hours

I hope this helps.  I strung this together from posts here and some more research on Wiki-pedia

I also write on my tank with the approx # of hours remaining as I weigh it after I'm done smoking.  I also keep a spare but at least I'm ready to go roughly when the tank runs out .


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## fpnmf

Welcome..

This site has tons of info.

I would suggest you spend some time reading all the different forums and the WIKIs.

Then use the handy dandy search tool for specific interests!!

Take the awesome free E-Course!!!

Have a great day!!!

Craig

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/about-jeffs-5-day-ecourse
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/basic-pulled-pork-smoke
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/finishing-sauce-for-pulled-pork-by-soflaquer
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/tips-slaughterhouse-recipes-for-poultry
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/82034/how-to-post-qview-to-smf
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?736-Curing-Salts
http://www.educationbug.org/a/marinate-vs--marinade.html


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## SmokinAl

bpopovitz said:


> First of all WELCOME.
> 
> So I've found this method to be great in keeping an eye on my propane usage.
> 
> Take a look at the tank and you should see something that says TW - That is the tank weight of an empty tank.  Weigh the tank and subtract the tank weight.  That will give you your propane weight.  Dividie that by 4.23 to get your gallons of propane.  Then multiply that by 91500 that will give you your BTU's remaining.  You will need to know your burner rating in BTU then you can divide by that to give you the hours remaining.  Example
> 
> TW - 17.2
> 
> Current weight - 22
> 
> Propane weight - 4.8 LBS
> 
> Gallons of propane (weight /4.23) 1.134752
> 
> BTU remaining(gallons *91500) 103829.79
> 
> Hours remaining (BTU remaining / burner rating, in my case 15000) - 6.92 hours
> 
> I hope this helps.  I strung this together from posts here and some more research on Wiki-pedia
> 
> I also write on my tank with the approx # of hours remaining as I weigh it after I'm done smoking.  I also keep a spare but at least I'm ready to go roughly when the tank runs out .


That's awesome dude!


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## lovinspoonful

I smoked for a long time with my Weber gas grill. The rear burner on just a tad higher than dead low was all it took to keep her at @ 225. A propane tank lasts a LONG LONG time when keeping that temp. We're talking days and days. I used to heft my tank and if she felt at least 1/3 full then I would not even bother making sure the spare was full before tossing a shoulder on.

The real challenge with the Weber is in getting your wood to actually smoke. The smoke boxes work in a pinch with some finagling but the best approach is to use Weber's smokebox accessory that sits over the gas rail on the side.


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## nubyte

I don't have a Weber gas grill, but so far on my Propane smoker i have 22 hours on the tank, and my gauge still says its nearly full.  That being said I'm not sure i trust the cheapo gauge i got, but I'm more then happy with the life of one propane tank, at this week with only smoking on the weekends, it should last all summer, maybe that means i need to smoke more....


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## chef jimmyj

Welcome UpInSmoke...You're in the right place to learn! Don't forget to post Pics, Qview, of your work!

Thanks Brian...For the Math Lesson...Awesome...JJ


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## meateater

Welcome to the SMF. Glad to have you here. Lots of good folks, great recipes and knowledge. Looking forward to  your first qview.


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## africanmeat

You are covred  so


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