DIY: BBQ Gas Check

Summer is here, as is the festive season. That means gas BBQs nationwide will be blazing, working alfresco magic.

If a festive BBQ is a dream, running out of gas mid-grill is the host’s nightmare.

Picture the horror: Pink sausages, scarcely singed chicken wings. Marinated prawns limp and raw. A whole crackling ham, the showpiece dish, cruelly un-crackled. The BBQ cooling rapidly.

Your least favourite uncle inquires: “Run out of gas? Didn’t you check you had enough?”

You swallow. Hard. He is awful, but he is right. You should have checked.

How to check your gas bottle level

Fear not. The silly season beckons and we’re about to get you BBQ ready. Here’s how to check the level in a BBQs gas cylinder.

You can always lift or shake the cylinder to check if it ‘feels’ like it has gas, but that method can be a little unreliable. Particularly with a festive function on the line.

If you have a set of scales handy, place your gas cylinder on and weigh it. There should be markings on the side that indicate the cylinder’s weight empty which is (generally) around 8.5kg. Anything more than the indicated empty weight, and you’re good to grill.

Uncomfortable lifting the cylinder? Here’s another trick. Fill a jug with warm tap water. Pour it down the side of the gas bottle. Give it a second, then run your hand down the gas cylinder until it feels cold to touch.

The cold part is where the gas level is at. If it’s up top, BBQ on.

If it’s down low, well, you’re at risk of getting some advice from that uncle we discussed earlier.

Happy grilling!