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wrote:
> Just got my first gas BBQ and have a real basic q:
>
> Should the tap on the gas bottle be all the way open when cooking? A
> quarter turn seems to give the same amount of flame as full open is
> (maybe 3 or 4 turns) and I wonder if I'm just wasting gas otherwise.
> Maybe once these are open at all the pressure is pretty much the same
> no matter *how* open the tap is so it doesn't matter.

The grill's regulator determines gas pressure.

Gas bottle valves should be fully open or fully closed, otherwise they
can weep... and never rely on the grill valves alone to close off the
gas supply... always fully close the valve on the bottle when done
cooking. In fact when shutting down cooking always close the valve on
the bottle first, wait until flame is extinguished, then close the
grill valve(s)... you don't want to leave the grill
hoses/fittings/valves pressurized longer than necessary, that shortens
their useful life. Don't forget to leak check all grill fittings at
least yearly... the older the grill the more often... if you detect a
leak do not use that grill until a repair is made. The gas bottle
should be leak checked at the filling station every time it's
recharged... if you notice your filling station is lax about leak
checking you should report them immediately, and refill somewhere else.

> Also when BBQ recipes specify time of grilling, do they usually mean at
> full heat or moderate?

They usually specify heat level/temperature, same as cooking with stove
top/oven... and naturally cooking time is an estimate.

Sheldon