The Thrill of the Grill

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The Thrill of the Grill

Fun Facts From the Party Crowd and Tips for Guaging Propane Levels

The Blue Rhino 2005 Official Grilling Man Survey is a tongue-in-cheek look at men from a man's perspective. The survey covers the serious to the ridiculous and everything in between.

A total of 55% of backyard grills were fired up over Labor Day.

Some interesting grill findings:

The majority (61%) of Grilling Men use their grill because they believe food tastes better when grilled.
20% use the grill because they enjoy the art of grilling.
Nearly twice as many men claim the grill as the one thing they can call their own, other than the TV remote (35.0% versus 18.3%), making the grill one of the last bastions of manhood.
More than two-thirds (69.5%) of Grilling Men will share the grill with their spouse or girlfriend, but less than half (46.9%) will share the grill with another guy.
More than half (52.7%) of Grilling Men ages 21-44 choose beer as their grilling beverage of choice, and 86% of them will quaff 2 or more from food preparation to presentation.
Neighbors beware: nearly half (48.5%) of the 21-34 year old Grilling Men have gone outside in just their underwear to check on the grill.

Virtual Tailgating Fuels “Eatertainment”

The partying trend that combines beer, parking lots, elaborate grilled meals and sometimes a football game has made its way home and virtual tailgating is becoming a popular form of “eatertainment.” With virtual tailgating, fans often rent a big screen TV for the big game and invite lots of friends. It’s convenient, and best of all, there are no traffic and parking headaches…not to mention traffic jams at the port-a-potty. After all, 65 percent of all tailgaters go for the experience rather than the event itself (20%), and what tailgaters like most is time spent with families and friends, according to a recent study conducted by the Hearth Patio & Barbecue Association.

When it comes to fueling the “eatertainment”, having enough gas for your grill is as essential as the food and beer. There are nearly as many methods for checking how much fuel is left as there are gas grill owners. But, do any of them work? Approximately half of all gas grill owners report having run out of fuel in the middle of cooking a meal. Following are some common methods for gauging how much propane is left – some that work well, others not so well. Blue Rhino Corporation, offers ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ on the efficiency of each method.

The ‘Lift’ Test – Few people, even regular backyard chefs, can truly tell the difference between a ‘low’ cylinder and an empty cylinder. Often, a cylinder that feels light still has a few cookouts left in it, so heading out for more propane may be unnecessary. Result: Thumbs Down!
The ‘Shake’ Test – Propane cylinders have a great deal of pressure, minimizing the amount of ‘swishing’ the fuel might do when a cylinder is shaken. Even if you cannot tell the fuel is ‘swishing around,’ there may be plenty left for another cookout – or more. Result: Thumbs Down!
Running Out – This is efficient in terms of using every drop of propane, and if you don’t mind half-cooked meat or finishing in the kitchen because you’re out of fuel. Result: Thumbs Down!
The ‘Scale’ Test – Some grill owners own a specific scale for weighing their cylinders, or even use the household scale. Potential problem - Do they know what the actual weight of an empty cylinder is (roughly 20 lb.)? Is one pound of fuel enough for a cookout? Result: Thumbs Up… If you know you can get at least one cookout from a pound of fuel, on average. Drawbacks: Disconnecting the cylinder every time you need to check and the extra cost for the scale.
“Cookout Counter” – A standard 20 lb. propane cylinder will typically fuel 20-22 cookouts for 30 minutes each on a full-sized (35,000 BTUs) gas grill. For consumers savvy enough to keep track of the number of cookouts and/or hours the grillin‘ on,’ this method can work. Result: Thumbs Up… If you will actually keep track. Drawback: Who really wants to keep track all year? For most, this is an ineffective guessing game.
Built-in Fuel Gauges – Some grills now come equipped with fuel gauges, typically measuring by weight. Much like the fuel gauge on a car, there is rarely an exact measure, such as cooking time remaining. Result: Thumbs Up! Drawbacks: Typically only available on higher-priced grill; How ‘low’ is ‘too low?’
Add-on, On-tank Measuring Devices – Some manufacturers now offer devices that attach to the cylinder – typically via the valve – providing fuel levels via the pressure of the fuel inside. Some are inconsistent, but many can be effective if the measurement can be made relevant to remaining cooking time. Result: Thumbs Up! Drawbacks: Added expense; How ‘low’ is ‘too low?’
FuelCheck – Blue Rhino offers an exclusive FuelCheck on all of its propane cylinders. Simply pouring warm water over the FuelCheck area of the cylinder sleeve will indicate whether there is at least two hours worth of fuel remaining. Result: Thumbs Up.
A Spare Cylinder – Having an extra, full cylinder on hand can greatly reduce the down time if you run out of fuel in the middle of cooking. Result: Thumbs Up! Drawbacks: Added expense of the spare; Remembering to get a full tank when your spare is empty.

Edited by Erika Wright

Photos courtesy of Blue Rhino Propane Tank Exchange

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