bbq gas - propane o...
 

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[Closed] bbq gas - propane or butane?

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hi

I need a new gas bottle for the bbq, I've used propane before but have heard that butane burns hotter is that right? will I need to get a new valve for the bbq to get a butane bottle to fit?

Cheers


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 8:41 pm
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Propane has a very slightly higher BTU but burns quite a bit hotter than Butane.


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 8:46 pm
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Surely a gas BBQ is just a grill but outdoors? Or am I missing the point?


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 8:49 pm
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Butane does burn hotter. Which gas you use may be governed by the regulator on your BBQ.


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 8:49 pm
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Fortunateson09 - Member
Surely a gas BBQ is just a grill but outdoors? Or am I missing the point?
POSTED 12 SECONDS AGO # REPORT-POST

How many grills cook with flames directly from below?

Granted they ain't as good as a proper charcoal BBQ but they cook entirely differently than a grill.


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 8:51 pm
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you need different regs depending on which bottle you use colour matched to the gas bottle. propane does not freeze in winter so get this if you grill outdoors [it aint a BBQ] in winter
Do you want more heat for the authentic burnt on the outside raw on the inside effect?


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 8:55 pm
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mastiles_fanylion - Member
Fortunateson09 - Member
Surely a gas BBQ is just a grill but outdoors? Or am I missing the point?
POSTED 12 SECONDS AGO # REPORT-POST

How many grills cook with flames directly from below?
Granted they ain't as good as a proper charcoal BBQ but they cook entirely differently than a grill.

Never thought of it that way before to be honest.

I have only ever used a gas BBQ and they are very easy to use and the Ho hum family plus our guests all really enjoy the food cooked on it.


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 8:55 pm
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What's calor gas then? In a red bottle?


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 8:56 pm
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Red bottles are propane
Dunno about the others, but they're colour-coded
I think blue is butane, grey is a mixture


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 9:09 pm
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they are both delivered at different pressures by the regulator. I am not sure if that affects the actual heat at point of use


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 9:13 pm
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Moses - Member
Red bottles are propane
Dunno about the others, but they're colour-coded
I think blue is butane, grey is a mixture

Mine is green!


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 9:18 pm
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Green is patio gas, no? Like for a heater or something?


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 9:22 pm
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Not sure mate, but it came from Homebase.

They used to supply the normal red bottles, but then changed to green

Looking at their website gives this:

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=20001&catalogId=1500000701&langId=-1&searchTerms=gas

It is green an they list it as propane, but it does not look like my gas bottle.


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 9:26 pm
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green is just to signify a different connection type on the bottle bayonet possibly but still propane iirc- IT IS
go here
http://www.calor.co.uk/customer-services/faqs/the-different-types-of-lpg/

Ho-hum yours will be calour I assume


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 9:27 pm
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Niether cook in the kitchen 😉


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 9:27 pm
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I thought it was green because it was a more environmentally friendly product.


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 9:29 pm
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Junkyard - Member
green is just to signify a different connection type on the bottle bayonet possibly but still propane iirc- IT IS
go here
http://www.calor.co.uk/customer-services/faqs/the-different-types-of-lpg/

Ho-hum yours will be calour I assume

I don't know mate.

I will check tomorrow.

I do know that I had to switch regulator from the old one that went with the old red bottle.

One (well, probably the only one) nifty new feature of the new gas bottle is that it has a gas gauge on it telling you how much is left in it, so no more lifting it up and swinging it around to feel how empty/full it is 8)


 
Posted : 12/08/2010 9:44 pm
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Just checked and it is Calor propane.

Thank god it is Friday!


 
Posted : 13/08/2010 8:11 am
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As opposed to the inferior cheaper gas - Ampane.


 
Posted : 13/08/2010 8:23 am
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Gas is for Geeks! FACT! 😕


 
Posted : 13/08/2010 8:26 am
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Surely a gas BBQ is just a grill but outdoors? Or am I missing the point?

That's what I used to think. Charcoal burns completely without odour and imparts no flavour to the food whatsoever. The BBQ taste comes from fat from the food dripping on to the hot coals and vapourising. Especially if trapped inside a lid this gives BBQ flavour. Therefore a gas BBQ where the flames heat rocks under the food will give exactly the same authentic BBQ taste as charcoal

Oh and I reckon if you use butane where burners are meant for propane it won't work properly as the burner will be tuned to the flame speed of propane


 
Posted : 13/08/2010 8:28 am
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Ho hum - Member
Not sure mate, but it came from Homebase.

They used to supply the normal red bottles, but then changed to green

Looking at their website gives this:

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=20001&catalogId=1500000701&langId=-1&searchTerms=gas

It is green an they list it as propane, but it does not look like my gas bottle.

I thought the green bottles were the lightweight ones??


 
Posted : 13/08/2010 8:30 am
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How many grills cook with flames directly from below?

Er, we do know the difference between grilling and BBQing, right?

Grill = direct heat under food, no lid.
BBQ = indirect heat, lid down.


 
Posted : 13/08/2010 8:31 am
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mr bump - Member
Ho hum - Member
Not sure mate, but it came from Homebase.

They used to supply the normal red bottles, but then changed to green

Looking at their website gives this:

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=20001&catalogId=1500000701&langId=-1&searchTerms=gas

It is green an they list it as propane, but it does not look like my gas bottle.

I thought the green bottles were the lightweight ones??

Calor list a 5kg and 13kg bottle on their website and I bought the 13kg one.

However, it looks like Homebase have stopped selling the ones I bought now.

Mind you, mine is just over 3/4s full and with the dreadful summer weather we keep having up here I doubt if it will run out soon!


 
Posted : 13/08/2010 8:34 am
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I am a reasonably frequent user of a gas bbq/grill and have used both butane and patio gas.

I started off with a small blue butane bottle but because I used it so often I needed to get more gas more frequently than I wanted. It worked very well - however they don't seem to market the small bottles marked BBQ gas anymore.

When changing to a larger cylinder, the garden centre switched me to Patio gas, which seemed to be only slightly more for a much bigger bottle. This needed a new regulator. When first using it I found I was burning food on the same settings that I had previously used so this implies to me it burns hotter. It took me a bit of time to get used to but I got there by setting the burners to their lowest settings.

Therefore my conclusions, butane gives you better heat control on my BBQ but patio gas is fine once you get used to it and perhaps cheaper.

As far as gas grills/bbqs are concerned, I am a big fan. I have a big one with four burners - a grill above two and a hotplate above the other two. I have a lid and mainly use indirect heat by taking out the hotplate, sliding the grill to the middle and using the outside burners. I like them because they are convenient, I can get home in the evening, turn on the bbq, have my shower and when changed, the BBQ is ready to cook on, this is just not possible with charcoal.


 
Posted : 13/08/2010 9:22 am
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Green (Patio Gas) is still propane but with different connector...supposed to cost more than in the red bottles though.


 
Posted : 13/08/2010 9:45 am