They say that expensive paints don’t make an artist, but when it comes to making beer the quality of your ingredients and equipment has a profound effect on the final product. If you have ever wondered about how the quality of your beer gas can affect your brew, you have come to the right place.
WHAT IS BEER GAS?
Beer gas is a crucial element of the beer making process and is often formed from carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or a mix of the two. While most breweries opt for the tried and tested carbon dioxide formulas, there are a select few craft companies who prefer to opt for nitrogen, claiming that it results in a creamier beer.
CARBON DIOXIDE FOR BEER
When carbon dioxide is introduced to a beer brew, it improves the aroma and adds a slight bitterness to the flavour.
NITROGEN FOR BEER
By using a nitrogen mix, you can create a creamy beer for high pressure dispensing. This typically results in a frothy beer, like a Guinness.
HOW TO FORCE CARBONATE YOUR BEER
It is possible to let your beer ferment naturally when you’re making a homebrew, but this takes a lot of time, patience, and can go very wrong – leaving you disheartened after months of anticipation.
The equipment required to force carbonate your beer requires an initial cost but is a far quicker method for beginners who want to focus on exploring flavours and techniques, rather than halt their learning process with months of waiting between tastes.
You can discover the initial steps to making your beer in our blog, How to Start Your Own Microbrewery at Home, but once you have your chilled wort solution, here is what you need to do to force carbonate it:
- Siphon your beer into a specialised Corny keg.
- Connect the gas and set the pressure. This should usually be set to around 40psi, but you should always check the limits of your keg and the recipe’s instructions.
- Check your keg and gas line for leaks. A leak could lead to a loss of gas as well as a ruined keg of beer! You can check for leaks by spraying soapy water around the connections – if it bubbles a lot then this means that there is escaping gas.
- Leave the keg in a cool place, preferably a fridge, and leave for the recommended time. This is usually around twenty-four hours.
- Adjust the pressure for the next twenty-four hours, usually by halving the original pressure.
- Test the carbonation level by turning the regulator down to ten psi and releasing the excess through the pressure relief valve.
- Sample the beer! If more carbonation is needed (if your beer tastes flat and sour), continue to carbonate the beer for another day.
- Sample the beer again! Hopefully, it should be ready now.
Image: Home Bar Gas
BAD BEER GAS…
There are two ways to ruin your beer through force carbonation. The first is to fail to carbonate your beer enough – leaving your beer tasting flat. The second is to over carbonate the beer, which could be caused by a few things and results in a bubbly beer.
Over carbonation could be caused by any of the following:
- Sugar can cause over carbonation if you used too much or failed to disperse it properly.
- Infections can occur in your beer if you fail to properly clean your equipment between uses. Failure to thoroughly clean your equipment can cause bacteria to gather on the remaining alcohol and will be present when you’re making your next batch. This bacteria creates more CO2 than you’re planning for, and could ruin your beer. At worst, it could lead to the creation of a bottle bomb which is quite dangerous.
- Temperature is the final factor that could lead to poor carbonation. If you fail to cool your beer properly while it is carbonating, it won’t take as much CO2. This leads to beers that foam a lot, but this quickly fades and the drinker finds the solution hasn’t actually retained much CO2.
When it comes to creating your own beer, you can’t compromise when it comes to beer gas. Settling for subpar gas can have a huge effect on the final brew, so be sure to use a trusted and reliable gas supplier for your next brew. A great beer should use expertly mixed beer gas, sold in a safe canister from an experienced supplier, and Adams Gas can provide you with what you need.
We are pleased to offer both home bar gas for domestic users, as well as beer and cellar gas for trade customers, so you can rest assured we have the right solution for you.
Image: Beer Cellar Gas
If you require any guidance on the right gas or cylinder size for your requirements, please do feel free to get in touch with us by calling 01843 220 596 or using our online enquiry form.
The Importance of Quality Beer and Cellar Gas
They say that expensive paints don’t make an artist, but when it comes to making beer the quality of your ingredients and equipment has a profound effect on the final product. If you have ever wondered about how the quality of your beer gas can affect your brew, you have come to the right place.
WHAT IS BEER GAS?
Beer gas is a crucial element of the beer making process and is often formed from carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or a mix of the two. While most breweries opt for the tried and tested carbon dioxide formulas, there are a select few craft companies who prefer to opt for nitrogen, claiming that it results in a creamier beer.
CARBON DIOXIDE FOR BEER
When carbon dioxide is introduced to a beer brew, it improves the aroma and adds a slight bitterness to the flavour.
NITROGEN FOR BEER
By using a nitrogen mix, you can create a creamy beer for high pressure dispensing. This typically results in a frothy beer, like a Guinness.
HOW TO FORCE CARBONATE YOUR BEER
It is possible to let your beer ferment naturally when you’re making a homebrew, but this takes a lot of time, patience, and can go very wrong – leaving you disheartened after months of anticipation.
The equipment required to force carbonate your beer requires an initial cost but is a far quicker method for beginners who want to focus on exploring flavours and techniques, rather than halt their learning process with months of waiting between tastes.
You can discover the initial steps to making your beer in our blog, How to Start Your Own Microbrewery at Home, but once you have your chilled wort solution, here is what you need to do to force carbonate it:
- Siphon your beer into a specialised Corny keg.
- Connect the gas and set the pressure. This should usually be set to around 40psi, but you should always check the limits of your keg and the recipe’s instructions.
- Check your keg and gas line for leaks. A leak could lead to a loss of gas as well as a ruined keg of beer! You can check for leaks by spraying soapy water around the connections – if it bubbles a lot then this means that there is escaping gas.
- Leave the keg in a cool place, preferably a fridge, and leave for the recommended time. This is usually around twenty-four hours.
- Adjust the pressure for the next twenty-four hours, usually by halving the original pressure.
- Test the carbonation level by turning the regulator down to ten psi and releasing the excess through the pressure relief valve.
- Sample the beer! If more carbonation is needed (if your beer tastes flat and sour), continue to carbonate the beer for another day.
- Sample the beer again! Hopefully, it should be ready now.
Image: Home Bar Gas
BAD BEER GAS…
There are two ways to ruin your beer through force carbonation. The first is to fail to carbonate your beer enough – leaving your beer tasting flat. The second is to over carbonate the beer, which could be caused by a few things and results in a bubbly beer.
Over carbonation could be caused by any of the following:
- Sugar can cause over carbonation if you used too much or failed to disperse it properly.
- Infections can occur in your beer if you fail to properly clean your equipment between uses. Failure to thoroughly clean your equipment can cause bacteria to gather on the remaining alcohol and will be present when you’re making your next batch. This bacteria creates more CO2 than you’re planning for, and could ruin your beer. At worst, it could lead to the creation of a bottle bomb which is quite dangerous.
- Temperature is the final factor that could lead to poor carbonation. If you fail to cool your beer properly while it is carbonating, it won’t take as much CO2. This leads to beers that foam a lot, but this quickly fades and the drinker finds the solution hasn’t actually retained much CO2.
When it comes to creating your own beer, you can’t compromise when it comes to beer gas. Settling for subpar gas can have a huge effect on the final brew, so be sure to use a trusted and reliable gas supplier for your next brew. A great beer should use expertly mixed beer gas, sold in a safe canister from an experienced supplier, and Adams Gas can provide you with what you need.
We are pleased to offer both home bar gas for domestic users, as well as beer and cellar gas for trade customers, so you can rest assured we have the right solution for you.
Image: Beer Cellar Gas
If you require any guidance on the right gas or cylinder size for your requirements, please do feel free to get in touch with us by calling 01843 220 596 or using our online enquiry form.
Why You Should Always Purchase Gas from A Trusted Supplier
Choosing the right company to purchase gas from is a big decision, with the transportation and safe handling of gases being as important as the eventual usage of the gas. If you do choose to purchase gas from the wrong business, you could find yourself with faulty goods or, even worse, unstable gas. (more…)
How Can CO2 Be Used in Business?
There are a whole host of uses for CO2 gases within many industries, and some may just take you by surprise. In this article, we will take a closer look at some of the main uses of CO2 in a variety of sectors, whilst also delving deeper into some of the less known uses of CO2 in the business world.
Modern Food Production
CO2 has numerous uses in modern food production. Commonly, it is used to create fake atmospheres that preserve plastic wrapped and easily perishable food like salads. This is where the general consumer comes into obvious contact with CO2, but it’s not the primary use for this gas in food.
CO2 is a vital tool for many abattoirs too, offering arguably a more humane stunning method than electric shocks. Once the animal has been butchered, CO2 is also vital for preserving the meat and extending its shelf-life by preventing aerobic bacteria growth.
CO2 is also used for shipping food from place to place, ensuring that it arrives on shelves safe to eat. This is done by using the CO2 to create dry ice, which further prevents bacteria from growing on the meat since bacteria thrives in hot temperatures.
Food Production of the Future – Hydroponics
Hydroponics is another way in which CO2 is used in making food. It uses food-grade CO2, which is a pure type of CO2 more suitable for consumption, to grow plants without soil. Instead, a water-based solution is used with special UV lighting which allows plants to be grown indoors. Plants need CO2 to photosynthesise, which is why our CO2 for hydroponics is vital.
One of the greatest benefits of using hydroponics to produce food is that the yield is unaffected by seasonal conditions, unlike traditional farming. This means that hydroponics allow for greater control in food production.
Another benefit of hydroponics is that plants can be grown in shelf-like stacks. This means that it is great for saving space, especially when compared to field growing. In the future, this could mean that fields are used to plant trees instead, which will help to lessen greenhouse emissions.
You can learn everything you need to know about hydroponics on our blog.
As you can see, CO2 is used at almost every step in the food production industry. Our modern way of living would not exist without it.
Dry Ice
Dry ice is used for more than just food transportation. It is used to keep luxury goods cold on planes and to keep blood bags and organ donations fresh during transport.
You can make dry ice simply by cooling carbon dioxide below -110 degrees, at which point it becomes a solid. When you bring this solid into room temperature, it starts turning back into a gas and creates a heavy white fog.
Because it is so cold, dry ice can be very dangerous to the common consumer. Touching dry ice can cause frost burn and inhaling too much of it as it disperses from the dry ice can cause sickness in small mammals. It can be very flashy, but it is best left to the professionals.
Safety
CO2 bottles might also be used in fire extinguishers in the right circumstances. CO2 extinguishers are typically found in offices and server rooms because they are the best type of extinguisher for putting out a fire with electrical risk.
The reason for using CO2 instead of water when electricity is involved is because the water would conduct the electricity and cause further damage, potentially exacerbating the fire. CO2 puts the fire out by displacing the oxygen in air which the fire needs to burn. As a result of a blanket of CO2 gas, the fire should be suffocated without further electrical risk.
Water Maintenance
CO2 might also be used in fish tanks or your local swimming pool to stabilise the water’s pH level. When diffused in water, some of the CO2 reacts with the water to form H2CO3 – a carbonic acid. This acid will actually help to lower the acidity of the pool until the CO2 eventually disperses into the air above the pool, at which point the pool’s pH level will start rising again. Pool maintenance requires regular treatments of CO2 to maintain a safe pH (between 7.2 and 7.8), which can be managed using a specialist controller.
As you can see, there are plenty of business uses for CO2, from protecting your office to cooling your drinks. If you want to learn more about CO2, you can do so on our blog: Fun Facts About Carbon Dioxide.
How to Start Your Own Microbrewery at Home
There’s so much that can be achieved from within your own home, but the ability to create your own microbrewery is a great achievement with real world benefits. Aside from drawing the envy of your neighbours – who will undoubtedly request samples – starting your own microbrewery could mean turning your hobby into a profitable business.
In this guide, we will help you to understand the basics of homebrewing as well as some of the complicated aspects of starting up your own microbrewery.
Ingredients
There are four key ingredients used to brew beer, but to effectively brew a great taste from home, it helps to understand how these ingredients affect the brewing process.
- Malts
Wine is made from grapes, cider from apples, and beer from malts. Malts are grains that have been germinated then dried to prevent further plant growth. The most common malted grain used in the production of beer is barley. To create interesting flavours and textures, it is common for brewers to add a small percentage made from a different grain, such as rye, oats or wheat.
A portion of the malts are also toasted to bring out the sugar and flavour. These malts are called the ‘specialty malts’, and will affect the beer’s colour as well as the flavour. Lightly toasted malts produce pale beers, for example.
- Water
Beginners can use any drinking water without worry, but more advanced brewers will consider the effects of mineral, hard and soft water, too.
- Hops
Hops are a flower used in beer making to counterbalance the sweet, sugary malts. Hops have a fairly bitter taste, meaning that it is important for beginners to carefully weigh their ingredients or risk making their brew inedible!
Hops add more than just flavour; they’re an important preservative and endow beer with that characteristic aroma. More advanced brewers might exchange or combine their hops with a variety of spices and herbs.
What Type of Hop?
For the entry-level brewer, there are two types of hop to be aware of: the pellet hop, and the full hop. A full hop, or whole leaf hop, is a freshly picked hop and which is used by experienced and dedicated brewers. Whole leaf hops can be stored in a fridge, but they spoil quickly. Most beginners, therefore, will rely on pellet hops when they’re starting out. Pellet hops are dried and compressed hop flowers that last a lot longer and are typically more affordable.
Hop Resin or Hop Oils?
When crafting the perfect taste, you need to pay attention to the type of hops that you are using. Hop resin adjusts the bitterness of your brew, where hop oils affect general flavour and scent more. There are three main groups of hops that are self-explanatory: bittering hops, aroma hops, dual hops.
For example, a bittering hop will have a higher percentage of hop resin than an aroma hop.
- Yeast
Adding yeast will consume some of the sugar from your solution to produce carbon dioxide and alcohol – this is where your solution starts to become a real beer. There are two types of yeast and these are ale yeast and lager yeast.
Ale Yeast
Ale yeast works best between 65°F to 75°F which makes it a popular choice for beginner home brewers. This temperature range means that you don’t need to purchase additional temperature monitoring equipment than if you were to use lager yeast.
Ale yeast is perfect for those who like their beers to be full of flavour and aroma.
Lager Yeast
A larger yeast wants to be kept at around 50°F for the initial fermentation, but brought down to a lower temperature – around 40°F – for ‘the lagering period’. Lager’s are understood to be more difficult to brew than ales, but can be extremely rewarding with their crisp, clean taste when done right.
For beginners, we recommend concentrating on crafting the perfect ale before diving into lager recipes.
Tools
There are plenty of gadgets for the aspiring home brewer to collect. Here are the necessities:
- Malt Grinder
You’ll need to find someone to grind your malts or do it yourself.
- Safe Storage for Ingredients
If you’re not using all your malts quickly, you’ll need somewhere dry and cool to store them. The same goes for your hops.
- Sanitiser
The success of each brew you make will depend on how well you can keep your equipment clean. Don’t risk contaminating your next batch by neglecting to clean your tools!
- Brewing Kettle
You’ll need to brew your ingredients together.
- Hops Spider
When boiling your hops into your beer, sediment collects at the bottom of your boiling kettle. You don’t want that sediment to wind up in your final brew, so you should use a hops spider to collect it.
- Corny Kegs
These kegs are used to force carbonate your beer using beer gas. In the olden days, beer was left to carbonate slowly overtime in a sealed bottle, but here in the 21st century force carbonation is far easier and less dangerous. You can read more about why corny kegs are so fantastic on one of our earlier blogs: Tips and Tricks to Make Your Home Brewing a Great Success.
- Chilling Plate or Immersion Cooler
One of the easiest places to fail your home brew is by failing to chill it quickly enough after the boil. A chilling plate can help you to cool your brew in seconds, ensuring that you maintain the taste and flavour that you want. Chilling plates can be expensive, so you might want to consider alternatives such as immersion coolers.
Step-by-Step Guide
Now that you’ve collected everything you need, you can start putting it together to make your beer.
- Cleaning
You should always start by checking that your equipment is clean. A boiling kettle stained with the remnants of last year’s beer is not a good start for your new brew.
- Heat the Water
Get out your boiling kettle and heat your water.
- Steeping
Add your grains and steep them for twenty minutes in a grain bag. Remove the grains without squeezing the bag – doing so could add unwanted tannins.
- Boiling, Malt Extracts, and Hops
Bring your solution to a rolling boil and, if your recipe requires you to, add your malt extracts and wait for them to dissolve. Your recipe will tell you when you should be adding your hops to the mix, but remember to avoid letting your solution boil over.
Congratulations! What you have now is called ‘wort’.
- Chilling
Failing to chill your wort quickly enough will create a hazy-looking beer, which no-one wants. We recommend using a chilling plate if you can afford to, but other home brewers use ice baths or ‘wort chillers’ which run cold water through your wort in pipes.
- Ready the Fermentation
Now that your wort is chilled, you need to ferment it. Do this by putting it into your corny keg and adding water as recommended by your recipe. Shake your keg a little before adding the yeast because yeast needs oxygen to work properly.
- Fermentation and Adding Yeast
Add the yeast and follow instructions for force carbonating your brew.
- Transfer Your Beer
You might need to use a siphon to get the beer out of your keg. One thing to bear in mind when transferring your beer into a bottling bucket is that you’ll be trying to avoid picking up any sediment from the bottom of the keg. A hops spider will have prevented the worst of it, but the solution at the bottom will likely still have some and it is very bitter to taste.
- Fill Your Bottles
Lastly, you need to bottle your beer. Now you have a finished product to share and sell.
What Is a Microbrewery?
If you think that you’ve got what it takes to compete in the brewing industry at a local or national scale, then you might consider turning your hobby into a business.
Microbreweries are famous for producing very small batches of beer that concentrate on flavour and quality. A craft beer, for example, refers to a beer produced in small batches with exceptional quality. Microbreweries concentrate on producing these kinds of high-class beers all the time.
With enough success, it’s possible to elevate a microbrewery into a brewpub. A brewpub is a highly unique enterprise that concentrates on selling the beers made by it’s founding microbrewery. In this manner, brewpubs can become important venues for local society.
It’s important to note that a microbrewery has more than one employee in the business. If you’re considering trying to turn your hobby into profit completely on your own, you would technically be classified as a nanobrewery.
Supporting You in Your Hobbies and Work
At Adams Gas, we love to see how our customers use our gas to further their passions. Whether you’re making beer as a hobby or for work, we’re more than happy to you our advice on our beer gas. We also support F1 enthusiasts with our nitrogen gas, and welders with MIG welding gas and TIG welding gas.
If you’re a hobbyist, get in touch and we’ll support you.
How to Stay Safe When Handling CO2 Gas
CO2 is known as the gas that we breathe out and that plants use to create oxygen. However, it has a number of more interesting applications, such as allowing businesses to carbonate drinks.
Being safe when handling gases like CO2 is essential. While CO2 can create those bubbly drinks that we love so much, insufficient handling and storage can have disastrous consequences.
CO2 is all around us in the air, and when it increases, say from a leaking gas cylinder in a confined space, it can cause suffocation and possibly lead to death. CO2 is stored in bottles as compressed liquefied gas, and an increase in temperature will cause an increase in pressure. Too much pressure and the cylinder can rupture.
So, we know that CO2 can be dangerous. If we want to enjoy all its benefits, we must know how to properly handle it to ensure nothing goes wrong. Here’s how you can stay safe when handling CO2 gas.
Transporting CO2 Cylinders
Always ensure that you handle your CO2 cylinder with care. Make sure your hands are 100% dry when you carry them, never lift them with wet hands. Don’t drop them or allow them to be struck or used as any kind of support for other objects. If too heavy to carry, you can use a trolley for moving the cylinder short distances. Otherwise, bottles should be carried using the handles and not lifted above chest height, but do hold them close to the body. Please do not use the valve cover to lift the cylinder, as it can become detached.
If transporting by vehicle, make sure the car you are using is open, or at least well ventilated if this is not possible. Transporting them in closed vehicles with no ventilation is a health hazard. Ensure that the cylinder is secured sufficiently in the vehicle so that they will not shift if you have to stop in an emergency. Make sure you unscrew any connectors and that the protective cap is on the valve.
Operating CO2 Cylinders
When operating your cylinder, make sure that you have thoroughly read through the guidelines from the manufacturer before proceeding. Make sure the bottle is stood vertically with the valve at the top before use. Point the valve outlet away from you before opening it. When in use, have the valve in the fully open position, and close the valve and depressurise the circuit before disconnecting the cylinder.
Only connect gas cylinders to primary regulators. Make sure all the connections are correctly made before you open the valve, and don’t use the valve as a flow controller. If the valve is faulty, do not use the cylinder or interfere with it and try to make any substitutions. Gas cylinders should never be tampered with.
Storing CO2 Cylinders
It’s vital to store CO2 cylinders correctly. Keep the bottles out of direct sunlight to prevent an increase in temperature which will lead to an increase in pressure, and never store them near anything electrical or beside anything that could potentially knock or fall into the cylinders.
To prevent tipping, don’t store cylinders on an uneven floor and keep them in an upright position. Use an appropriate chain or plastic wire cable to secure cylinders regardless of whether they are full or empty. However, empties should be returned to the gas supplier from which you purchased them.
Do not keep cylinders in a damp or corrosive atmosphere and ensure that they are correctly labelled. Keep them somewhere well ventilated and with minimal foot traffic to help prevent cylinder damage. They should be somewhere easy to reach but secure.
Whenever you are moving, using or storing CO2 cylinders, make sure you are appropriately clothed with the right kind of footwear and wearing protective gloves. Never lift more than you can handle and always handle the cylinders with care.
At Adams Gas, we can provide you with a range of CO2 bottles in different sizes that can be used in a number of industries for various uses such as glass frosting. We are one of the very few UK bottled gas suppliers that still offer rent-free CO2 bottles. We offer gas canister refills and can provide you with gas bottles throughout the UK. So, if you’re looking for CO2 cylinders, contact Adams Gas today to find out more about how we can provide you gas bottles for your business.
How is Nitrogen Gas Used in the Food and Beverage Industry?
Nitrogen is a very useful gas. It’s used in many different industries, including the food and beverage sector, and it has a wide range of applications within it. Nitrogen is also inert, non-toxic, colourless and odourless, so it won’t harm any food or drinks. (more…)
How to Create Your Own ‘Beer Garden’
With the UK having been stuck in lockdown for the last few months, people have been creating their own spaces at home to make up for how much they’ve been missing pubs and restaurants. On those sunny days when you’re off with family and friends, the beer garden is a sorely missed part of the season.
So, if you’ve been missing the humble beer garden this summer, why not make your very own at home? With the right kind of tables and chairs, décor and, of course, drinks, you can create your very own beer garden in the comfort of your own back garden.
The Perfect Spot
Choose a level spot in your garden to create your beer garden. Traditionally, beer gardens aren’t propped up on grass and pubs will have their back garden spaces paved with gravel. However, if your garden is all lawn, you’ll have to work with what you have.
If you have any patio space, that would be ideal for table and chair placement, keeping everything steady. But if you don’t, don’t worry, some simple stones or paving slabs are a great way to mark out the space to use for your beer garden.
Seating and Tables
An essential aspect of the beer garden is the seating and table arrangement. You need to make sure there’s enough space for everyone to sit – with space for social distancing if you’re planning on inviting guests who don’t live in your home.
Choose seats that can weather outdoor conditions, like steel or iron. But don’t forget to get some seat cushions for added comfort, just make sure they’re brought inside at the end of each day – there’s plenty of rain to be had even in UK summers, after all.
For tables, high top tables dotted around can be a great choice to allow people to mingle. If you’re going for a rustic look, wooden furniture is perfect. Picnic tables are a classic staple of many beer gardens, and they have the added bonus that they can be used in the daytime for family picnics before being transformed into beer garden furniture in the evening.
If you’re on a budget, chairs can be fashioned from tree stumps or upside-down boxes. You can source cheap or even free furniture online that people are looking to get rid of, so have a dig around. As long as there are plenty of places to sit, people won’t care if none of the seats match. But with a few matching cushions, you can create a more cohesive look even with drastically mismatched chairs.
Atmosphere
To get the right kind of atmosphere for your beer garden (and it’s crucial you do, so you’re not just drinking a beer outside) consider lighting. The right kind of lighting can take your outdoor space from garden to beer garden in a flash. String lights are a great addition and can be strung up anywhere, like around a table or across the top of a shed. Candles and lanterns are also great, one for each table will help give your space that real beer garden feeling. Fetch down those old Christmas lights, they’re no longer just good for December.
If you have a portable electric fire or are handy with matches, why not set up a fire? It adds warmth as well as a pleasant atmosphere. And don’t forget the music. Speakers playing quietly in the background will add that extra touch that will take you back to all those wonderful evenings spent in a beer garden with your friends, right in your very own back garden.
Food and Drink Storage
Finally, the most crucial element of the beer garden: the drinks and food. You need somewhere to store them outdoors, so you don’t have to go back into the house to top up. Consider buckets, tubs or even a wheel barrel full of ice to store your beer bottles and soft drinks.
Food can be something as simple as pub snacks like crisps, but maybe you could go all out if you’re having guests over. Homemade dips and finger food can be placed on tables to get everyone eating and drinking communally. And if you want to keep the kids distracted, set up a table with a gas fire and some marshmallows on sticks for the kids to eat to their heart’s content – just keep an eye on them.
If shop-bought beer isn’t your thing, why not make your own? Give that beer garden a real touch of magic with your very own homebrewed beer. It’s not difficult to make your own beer, and with beer gas from Adams Gas, we can help.
Our high-quality beer gas can help improve the taste of your beer, extend the life of draught beers and improve its overall presentation, impressing your guests pint after pint. If you’re going to set up your very own home bar for your beer garden, our beer gas can help you provide quality beverages each and every time. Contact us today to find out more about our beer gas and other gas solutions.
How Your Family Can Celebrate Your Birthday in Style During Lockdown
The UK has been in the grip of lockdown for many weeks now, and while it may be slowly easing, there are still rules in place, and with a warning that restrictions could resume depending on how we manage the virus as things start easing off.
Plenty of people have had to deal with the reality that they’re going to be celebrating their birthday without the pubs, clubs and restaurants. But fear not, there are still plenty of ways you can celebrate your birthday in style right from the comfort and safety of your own home. Here’s how to plan a birthday celebration during lockdown.
Go Digital
If this lockdown has taught us anything, it’s that almost anything can be done online. If you’ve got loved ones shielding and who can’t come out to see you in person, get creative with your birthday and plan a virtual party.
With programs like Zoom and Skype, it’s easier than ever to get all your family and friends together for an online party experience. You could have a casual, video-conference hang out with drinks and chat, or get even more creative and organise an online gaming tournament to bring some competitive fun into the equation.
Virtual quizzes are all the rage this lockdown, so why not enlist a friend or relative to plan one for your birthday? Perhaps with a round all about you so your friends and family can put their knowledge to the test.
Whether it’s games, a singalong or just a catch-up, virtual parties are a fantastic way to still have fun on your birthday with the people you love while keeping safe and protecting those you care about most.
Order In
Plenty of restaurants have been adapting in the run-up to re-opening, including many of your local places introducing home delivery or collection of your favourite dishes. For your birthday, why not treat yourself to a takeout from your favourite place? It’s not just pizza and curries you can get delivered to your door these days; you can even have delectable desserts like waffles, milkshakes and cake brought straight to you with the click of a button.
Takeaway with the family is a great way to enjoy your birthday by settling down to your favourite meal – whether in your PJs on the sofa or dressed up at the dinner table, depending on your mood. It also goes some way to helping your local takeaways and restaurants that are trying to stay afloat during this difficult time. So order that takeaway and show your support today.
Karaoke Party
Practice those voice warmups and get ready for a birthday you’ll never forget. Pop on your favourite tunes and get ready to sing to your heart’s content with your family or partner. Create your very own birthday playlist and host your very own karaoke bar.
You can even get your friends involved over video chat so you can spread the joy and create an authentic experience.
Homemade Cocktails
Everyone has been missing the bars and nightlife that lockdown has shut out for the last few months. But just because they might not open in time for your birthday doesn’t mean you can’t have your very own bar or cocktail crawl from the comfort of your own home.
There are so many resources online, from YouTube videos to online recipes, showing you exactly how to craft your own delicious cocktails. Get yourself a cocktail making kit, buy your ingredients on your next shop and put together a cocktail making night for a fun-filled birthday celebration. You’ll be able to learn something new, make some delicious drinks (or possibly not, depending on how it goes) and celebrate at home with your family or partner.
Outdoor Celebrations
If you fancy something a bit bigger for your lockdown birthday, current restrictions allow outdoor gatherings provided that you are still adhering to social distancing guidelines.
A BBQ is a great outdoor activity to put on to get all your friends and family gathered in a safe way. Make sure you aren’t passing food to those you don’t live with and have them handle their own servings and bring their own plates and utensils to eat with.
Keep a disinfectant spray and cloth in the bathroom and ask guests to wipe down surfaces they touched after leaving the toilet. It might seem like an extreme measure, but it’s recommended and is one of the best ways to ensure that your BBQ is as safe as possible for everyone involved.
Make sure your BBQ is well stocked with BBQ gas so you can get those burgers grilling. And don’t forget to let everyone know that it’s an outdoor party with some decorations. Balloons make a great addition to any party, signalling to everyone where the party is and getting the celebration going. At Adams Gas, we provide helium canisters, both refillable and disposable, in a variety of sizes so you can ensure that you’ll have enough for all of your balloon inflating needs.
This lockdown, celebrate your birthday in a fun but safe way to ensure all of your family and friends reduce the chances of passing on any harmful viruses. If you need any gas bottles to get those celebrations really rocking, Adams Gas has everything you need. Contact us today for more information.
How To: Weld Various Items
There have probably been times when you were keen to fix one of your beloved items, but were unsure on how to effectively and cleanly weld it back together. Even for the most skilled of welders, there are some commonly used household items that they would rather steer clear of welding, but we aim to give you a bit more insight into how to weld some of the most commonly queried items around the home.
Read on if you’ve ever wanted to find out how you can weld a bike frame, exhaust, radiator, gate or jewellery, as this article will give you some tips and tricks, along with video guides to welding all of these items.
How To Weld A Bike Frame
Whether you’re looking to weld a bike frame after damaging it or hoping to create a custom frame for your bike, welding gives you the flexibility to fix or create a brand new frame with absolute ease.
When welding a bike frame, we would definitely recommend the TIG method, as MIG welding can be tricky when it comes to smaller and more delicate pieces like modern bike frames.
For a step by step guide of how to weld a bike frame, check out the video below:
How To Weld An Exhaust
If you are able to weld your exhaust back on to your vehicle yourself, you can stand to save yourself a pretty penny over the course of your vehicle’s lifetime. Welding an exhaust is a relatively easy process, you just need to know where to start!
For this weld, we would recommend using the TIG method if you’re particular about the finish of the weld, as you can be more precise using this method. However, MIG welding is also perfectly acceptable if you’re not too fussed about how your exhaust looks at the end of the weld, it’s also considerably cheaper and quicker to MIG weld for absolute beginners.
Here’s a quick video that explains how to weld an exhaust:
How To Weld A Radiator
There are actually a number of ways that you can fix a cars radiator without taking it in to a mechanic, but using a weld is one of the most effective ways to ensure the longevity of any radiator.
Before carrying out any work, it’s essential that you clean the radiator thoroughly to ensure the weld is able to be completely effective.
It is worth noting that welding a radiator can be quite complex for beginners, so if you are struggling with this weld, seek professional advice!
Here’s a video which explains the process of successfully repairing a radiator:
How To Weld A Gate
If your gate has become damaged or you’re looking to build your own gate for your home, you’ll inevitably need to weld it back in to place at some point. The process is pretty simple, and we’d recommend using TIG welding for this type of work, as it will give you a much neater finish than using MIG welding. It should be noted however, if the hinges of the gate are likely to be hidden, MIG welding is more than acceptable!
As a general rule of thumb, even though there are many types of gates, the process of welding is pretty similar for all gate types. This video gives you a step by step process for welding a gate:
How To Weld Jewellery
If you’re looking to make your own jewellery, then you can use welding or soldering techniques to do this.
We wouldn’t recommend fixing your own precious jewellery yourself, unless you’re an expert in soldering or welding, we would suggest taking your jewellery in for professionals to deal with.
Check out the video below on the basics of soldering your own jewellery:
Depending on your requirements, you will need either MIG welding gas or TIG welding gas to complete the weld on most projects, and here at Adams Gas we stock a range of welding gas in various gas canister sizes to meet your needs. We also have a range of MIG welding supplies and TIG Welding Equipment available for your home welding needs.
If you’re not sure what welding gas you need for your next project, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts today. You can contact us by calling our team directly on 01843 220 596 or 0800 195 4445 or contact us using our online enquiry form and we’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible.
Propane vs Butane – Which Is Right For Your BBQ?
With the BBQ season in full swing, you’ve probably already had a couple of BBQs with a small group of friends. If you’re starting to run low on gas, you may be considering propane or butane for cooking on your BBQ, as these are the two most commonly used gases for domestic BBQs.
Here, we take a closer look at some of the benefits that both propane and butane can bring to your BBQ, so you can make an informed choice the next time you need to buy some BBQ gas.
What Is Propane and Butane Gas & What’s the Difference?
Propane comes from natural gas processing and oil refining and is a highly flammable hydrocarbon gas. To make it suitable for domestic and commercial use, the gas is liquified through pressurisation, and you’ll find propane is commonly used for a whole host of heating and cooking needs both at home and in businesses.
Butane is also a highly flammable hydrocarbon gas that comes from natural gas processing and oil refining, just like propane. However, the uses of the two gases are quite different as you’ll find butane is most commonly used as a fuel and refrigerant gas.
Whilst propane and butane gas have many similarities, there are some distinct differences that you need to be aware of. The most significant difference between these two gases is the point of boiling, as propane has a boiling temperature of -42°C, whilst butane has a much higher boiling point at -2°C.
Whilst this may not mean an awful lot to the average person, it’s actually extremely important when it comes to choosing which type of gas to use, as propane is ideal for use in colder climates due to its lower boiling temperature. Not only this, but propane also exerts significantly more pressure than butane at the same temperature, meaning it’s ideal for exterior storage and use all year round.
Benefits Of Using Propane For BBQs
Propane is a popular choice for BBQ lovers around the UK, and here’s just a few of the reasons why:
Cooks All Year Round – Propane is capable of burning efficiently all year round, so that means if you simply can’t wait until summer to fire up your BBQ, propane gas may be your best bet.
Ease of Use – Propane is plug and play when it comes to starting up a BBQ, simply connect your BBQ to the propane gas cannister and you’ll have your food cooking in next to no time.
Taste – There are some people who argue that butane powered BBQs don’t taste anywhere near as nice as propane powered ones. If too much gas is used when cooking with butane, there can be a slight taste of the gas in your food. We’ll let you decide which is better though!
Instant and Efficient Burn – Waiting for a coal fire to light and heat up can be a nightmare, especially when you have a hungry family all keen to eat some delicious BBQ food. Propane gas is instant lighting and burns at almost full heat immediately, so it’s a great choice for anyone looking to cut out the hassle of lighting a coal fire.
Easy to Clean – Thanks to a naturally cleaner burn than most BBQ heating alternatives, propane powered BBQs are significantly easier to clean. Simply wipe down the grill and you’re ready to use your BBQ again.
Benefits Of Using Butane For BBQs
Whilst it’s clear to see that propane comes armed with a long list of pros, butane is also a sound choice when it comes to being used as a BBQ gas.
Butane comes with a whole host of benefits, including:
- Fast and Effective Burn – Butane lights instantly and reaches maximum heat output almost immediately, so you don’t need to wait around for it to warm up. An ideal trait for anyone looking to fire up their BBQ.
- Cost Effective Choice – Despite propane and butane being extracted in the same way, you’ll find that butane is actually slightly cheaper than propane.
- Low Toxicity – If you are environmentally conscious, then butane may well be the perfect gas for your needs. Butane burns cleaner than propane as it will only produce carbon dioxide when lit.
- Energy Efficient – Compared to propane, butane usually produces around 12% more energy than propane when the same volume of each gas is burned. This makes butane particularly attractive to those who light up their BBQ a few times a week.
- Easy To Use – Butane couldn’t be easier to use with BBQs, simply attach the gas and let it run into your cooker; then all you need to do then is light up the BBQ and start cooking your food.
- Extremely Efficient In Warm Weather – Butane is a clear winner when it comes to cooking efficiency in warmer weather. However, it should be noted that butane gas won’t flow when the weather is cold.
So there you have it, you now know everything you need to about butane and propane gas, so you can make a fully informed choice the next time you need to fill up on gas for your BBQ.
If you are looking for butane gas or propane gas for your BBQ, then be sure to browse our range to find some of the best prices around. We have 25 years’ experience providing specialist bottled gas in and around the Kent area, so you can rest assured that our selection of gases are of the very highest quality.
If you would like any more information about any of the gases or products on our website, then be sure to get in touch with our friendly experts today. You can call us direct on 01843 220 596 or free phone 0800 195 4445 or send us an email by getting in touch with sales@adamsgas.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you in the near future!
How to Reduce Spatter When MIG Welding
MIG welding is well known for causing spatter, even for the most experienced of welders! It can be extremely frustrating when the excess molten wire created during the weld spatters, as too much spatter obviously leads to downtime for clean-up, along with a whole host of wasted materials.
Whilst we’d love to give you a fool-proof guide to avoiding spatter completely, this just isn’t achievable unfortunately. That’s why we’re giving you our checklist on reducing spatter when MIG welding, whilst also highlighting some of the main reasons that welding spatter occurs.
What Is MIG Welding Spatter?
Simply put, MIG welding spatter, often referred to as splatter, is comprised of molten droplets of welding material. It is usually generated around the welding arc, and once these molten droplets land and cool, they create spatter around the worksurface and sometimes on the product you are actually welding.
Spatter is the norm when MIG welding, it’s inevitable that you’ll get it no matter what you do, it’s honestly just a case of how much spatter you’ll get around your worksurface in most cases.
Main Reasons For Welding Spatter
There are a number of reasons that welding spatter occurs, and in the following section we highlight just a few of the most common explanations for why you are experiencing so much MIG welding spatter during your projects:
- User Error – Welding technique can have a huge impact on the amount of spatter you have from your weld. Whether you use the dragging or pushing technique whilst MIG welding, there will always be some spatter if you don’t hold the MIG gun optimally and you’ll always find that your weld will spatter.
- Using Incorrect Machine Parameters – Check your machine parameters and be sure they’re running at the right settings for the work you are carrying out. Check the amperage and voltage, polarity and stick-out as your first port of call.
- Low-Quality Consumables – Using low-quality consumables during your weld is a sure way to increase the spatter from your weld, so always take the time to try a few products at various price points to see which works best for you. For example, low-quality wire can cause issues as it may feed through the gun too quickly, causing the weld to spatter.
- Dirty Welding Tools or Work Surfaces – Any rust, paint or grease that is present on your work surface or tools will cause the arc to spit, causing splashes of spatter to come out of the weld. If you are going to be doing any welding, it’s essential that you have a well-prepared surface, and if your tools are a little worse for wear, it may be time to invest in some new ones.
Now that you’re aware of some of the main reasons that you’re experiencing so much spatter, it’s essential that you take the time to create a checklist of ways to reduce the amount of spatter you experience.
Checklist For Reducing Spatter When MIG Welding
This is by no means a definitive list, and not all of these tips will reduce spatter for everyone, but if you do heed our advice and try all of the steps on our checklist, you should see an improvement. Here’s our checklist for reducing the amount of MIG welding spatter you experience:
- Hold Your MIG Gun Correctly – Before starting the weld, always hold the MIG gun at no more than 15 degrees from vertical, as any deviation from this angle can cause the shielding gas to cover the weld unevenly, whilst also causing some spattering.
- Check For Contaminated Materials Before Starting – Ensure that your worksurface is properly cleaned before starting any welding, and be sure to clean or replace any dirty or rusted wires that you may be using. All of this will go a long way to ensuring that you vastly reduce the chances of spatter on your next weld.
- Don’t Compromise on Quality Consumables – If you find consumables that work best for you, then we would suggest you stick with them, even if there are more expensive alternatives on the market. It’s essential that you always remember that just because a consumable is the most expensive, it doesn’t always mean it’s the best. Be sure to get high-quality MIG welding gas, wire and nozzels to guarantee that you’re doing all you can to reduce the amount of spatter your weld makes.
- Check for Faulty Equipment – Tried all of the above steps and still having issues with spatter? You may well have some faulty welding equipment, so it’s well worth having a thorough check to see if there are any obvious defects. If your equipment is relatively old, it may well be time to consider purchasing some new welding equipment to help save you time cleaning up all of the spatter in the future!
We hope that you find this checklist useful as the team at Adams Gas fully understand just how frustrating MIG welding spatter can be for all welding professionals. If you’re keen on learning more on MIG welding in general, be sure to check out our blog, where we have many other articles dedicated to the subject. If you are looking to update your MIG Welding Supplies take a look at our range and remember our MIG Welding Gas is available to order online.
How To: Safely Transport Gas Cylinders
Ensuring that you transport gas cylinders in a safe and responsible manner is essential to the safety and welfare of your employees and the general public. Gas cylinders need to be respected as they can be extremely dangerous if they aren’t transported with the utmost care, so understanding the steps you need to take in order to safely move these products is vital.
Read on to find out more about the laws surrounding transporting gas cylinders and how gas cylinders should be transported for both domestic and commercial use.
Laws Surrounding Transporting Gas Cylinders
The Carriage of Dangerous Goods Regulations (ADR) 2009 place a statutory requirement on all employers to protect everyone who is either directly involved with, or who may become involved with (e.g. members of the public), the carriage of dangerous goods by road.
This legislation covers all goods considered dangerous by the ADR, which includes transporting gas cylinders in vehicles.
It’s worth noting that these regulations do not apply in the following scenarios:
- When private individuals carry dangerous goods, which are packaged for retail sale and intended solely for personal use
- When dangerous goods are carried only incidentally to the main enterprise’s main activity (e.g. a plumber carrying propane gas bottles on his way to a job)
Despite these exemptions, Gas Safe still recommends that any organisation transporting dangerous goods, such as butane gas bottles, follows the basic legal safety regulations within ADR, which include:
- Driver training
- Vehicle ventilation
- Safety Equipment
- Basic safety training (with gases)
You should always ensure that you comply with the following points too:
- Never allow anyone to smoke in, or near to, any vehicle that is being used to transport gas bottles
- Never carry more than 333kg of gas without an ADR license
- Do not operate any sources of ignition near the gas bottles, this includes lanterns and cigarette lighters, among other things
- Do not carry any unnecessary passengers whilst transporting gas cylinders
If at any point you smell gas whilst transporting bottles for either commercial or domestic use, immediately pull over in a safe place, stop the engine and do not move the vehicle until the source of the leak has been found and the vehicle has been declared safe by a competent person.
If you are unable to find the source of the leak, call a competent person immediately, maximise ventilation by fully opening all doors, windows and vents where possible and be sure not to turn on any electrical equipment.
It’s also worth noting that these guidelines apply to a whole host of dangerous products, such as transporting oxygen cylinders, and are in accordance with LPG transport regulations.
Transporting Gas Cylinders For Domestic Use
If you’re using gas for domestic purposes and transporting the cylinder in a car or van, it is worth noting that you must abide by safety regulations for transporting the product. They must be secured in the vehicle so that they won’t shift if you have to make an emergency stop or another sudden manoeuvre. It’s worth noting that if you don’t have your gas cylinders completely secured in your vehicle and you’re stopped by the police, you will be fined.
Here’s a few top tips for transporting gas cylinders in your vehicle for domestic use:
- Secure your cannister so it doesn’t roll around
- Keep the cylinder upright
- If you have a trailer, put the cylinder in that
- Ensure the cylinder is in an area that is easy to access and inspect
- Do not leave the cylinder in direct sunlight or a hot car for long periods of time
Safely Transporting Gas Cylinders for Businesses
If you are transporting gas cylinders for commercial use, or are delivering gas cylinders that have been sold through your business to domestic customers, you should consider the following:
Ensure that any driver who will be transporting the goods are trained in and follow basic safety requirements such as:
- Knowing the associated hazards and dangers of the goods being transported
- Understanding best practice when it comes to the safe handling of gas cylinders
- Have a working understanding of emergency procedures and the use of fire-fighting appliances
If any training has been carried out, this should always be recorded in writing by both the employee and employer. Along with this, training should always be periodically supplemented with refresher training to take into account any regulation changes.
Any vehicle that is used for the transportation of gas cylinders should be open, and if this cannot be achieved, then the vehicle must be well ventilated. Any cylinders carried on the vehicle must have a label that is produced in accordance with current legislation attached to it, if the label is removed or defaced you should not load the cylinder onto your vehicle.
Each cylinder valve must be closed during transit, and any equipment that is connected to them must be unattached. Furthermore, all gas cylinders must be secured properly and should not project beyond the sides or end of the vehicle.
Each vehicle that will carry cylinders must also carry a 2kg fire extinguisher to fight any engine or cab fires that may occur during transit.
