Refilling Isobutane / Propane Canisters 

Freezing the one you want to fill is based on the Ideal Gas Law which is PV=nRT where P is pressure, V is volume, T is temperature. If you don’t make one canister colder the gas will only flow till the pressure is equal so the full one would fill the less full one till pressure is equal (gas flows from high to low pressure). Making the recipient canister super cold means the T on the right side of the equation is lower so something on the left side of the equation must be lower too in order for the equation to be equal. The volume V remains constant so the only part of the left side that can change is the pressure P which must be lowered to balance what’s happened on the right side of the equation. So freezing causes the recipient canister to cool and lower the pressure. This results in the partially filled canister being higher pressure relative to the recipient so the gas will flow from the partial to the recipient as desired.

Dad it lowers pressure so that the warmer pressurized one fills the difference between them is why you freeze one. Love you and your videos

Nice demo. Now, after three years, I am reviewing this again to refill my cannisters. Much appreciated, Sir.

Thanks. Found the adapter on EBay and thought “hey that’s smart”. Tried it last night and it would only work some of the way. Overnight I thought “huh, maybe a combination of ice and heat would work”? First thing in the morning I found this video and I agree, some minutes in the freezer is both easier and safer. 😊

I love the way you speak. It reminds me of my grandfather from Texas and I miss him so much. Thank you!

Scrolling through some of your older vids .... I’ve seen this one , a long time ago .... very helpful !!! I probably owe you some of the money I’ve saved after seeing this one . I realize it might be late, but thanks for posting this one!

I came across your video and channel a few months ago and decided to buy one of these valves. I finally got around to buying one and received it yesterday. I started with a small MSR brand canister. On the side of it it has gross weight (canister full)7.40 oz and net weight (canister empty)3.90 oz. I weighed my empty canister on my kitchen scale and it was 3.55oz. I had taken a cold-weather backpacking trip a month prior to this and my stove struggled in low 20° weather. I decided to fill it with propane from a Coleman 1 pound propane cylinder. I have an adapter that fits the 1 pound cylinder so you can use a backpacking stove on it. So after I filled it and weighed it several times to match the net weight I put it in the freezer for one hour took it out attached my backpacking stove, fired it up and it didn’t spit, sputter or anything with the propane. Keep up the video’s and happy hiking.

Thanks for reviewing this!! It’s annoying having all those partially filled canisters and this will remedy that problem 👍 You have a lot of great reviews. I just subscribed 🙂

Oh snap! knew I kept all the old cans for a reason 😄 good stuff, thanks for sharing!

Always educating us. Enjoy all your videos. Keep on teaching us.

Thx much for the clear explanation of how to refill and save the little left over

You are The Man,,,!!!!! Thank You Sir,,,,,, That’s one reason that I’ve stayed on the msr white gas side of cooking. Now I’ve gotten a hold of the Firebox stove,,, Oh boy,, has that brought outdoor cooking to a New Level. Again,,, thanks for that timely info video,,, Joshua

This is so helpful! I never knew you could do that! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you so much for the video and listing all the used adapters

Wow,never knew that tool existed, thanks for sharing, cheers

Genius! Thanks so much for this! Can’t wait to refill some of mine and get rid of some clutter.

Excellent tips, my friend. I’ve been refilling my canister for years too. Saves a little money plus you can always be sure to have enough gas for each trip. I don’t always freeze the empty bottle but what happens if they are the same temp is that you can’t completely fill the empty one. It will fill about half way or just a little more. Definitely need to chill it if you want to fill one all the way.

Very instructive.I bought a 500g cylinder to refill my little 100g ones at a much reduced cost

Just ordered the G-works valve after watching this....thanks for the informative post🤓

Thank you for sharing. Be safe.

This was incredibly helpful! Thanks for this!

Thank you for the links and info.

I’ve always been apprehensive when it comes to refilling these containers. I like the idea of condensing partial cans and save a few bucks. Might have to look further into that attachment.

Thanks for posting!

Hello friend, Very interesting gadgets. I need to get them. Take Care and Keep Exploring The Outdoors.

Well that's a pretty helpful tool I didn't know if you could do that. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for this. Remembered this video from when I bought the valve. Just now getting around to using it....when I opened it the directions are only in Korean. Figured either way you were going to be able to help me 😊

That’s a great idea. My canister last so long that I don’t think I’ll be worried about refilling them. I know it would save money over time though.

Thanks was looking for the butane one but you said what i needed XD

SH77, got my G-Works adapter and giving it a go. Thanks for the instructions since the the ones they sent are in Korean.

That's awesome, I didnt know they sold that. I hate counting on the float method to see how full it is. Great video

Thank you Senior Hiker 77 Good tip I'll check it out

Ye this is a great tool just subscribed. Hi from Australia 👍👍

Thanks. I’ve been looking for a product like this.

Another helpful video, thank you

great info! thanks for making the video

Good advise. I've been considering one of these, but haven't pulled the trigger. I just might have to do this. Thanks!!

Very helpful info. Thank you.

Be careful to not overfill. There needs to be room for the liquid to expand if the canister gets warm. Weigh a factory can, then don't exceed that weight.

Thank you i needed this info 👍👍👍

Thank you, very helpful!

I purchased one of those filling valves recently and now I know about putting canister in the freezer, I might be able to get it to work.

Thanks so very much!!! I have heard about this tool but was hesitant! I would be worried about over filling. I plan on buying tool ASAP and taking on trail with me. Plenty of partial cans often at hiker boxes. I guess I’m going to guess when filling up and not over filling because of no scale available.

Great info 77...😎👌

Thanks. Its covid time now and those canisters are hard to come by, at least in my area. Everyone's going camping. But the cans of butane are still on the shelf. I just hope no one else figures this out!

helpful vid. Thank you

:-) I never knew! Thank you for sharing*

Thankyou SH77 !

Awesome!

Another RU-vidr indicated that chilling the receiving can has resulted in the bottom visibly bulging out after it raises back to room temperature. He verified that the small can was stock full weight of 7.4 oz. As the can temperature raises back to thermal equilibrium, more of the fuel within vaporizes and raises pressure in the can. It's advisable to just mildly warm the donating canister(s). Say by holding them under your shirt for a half hour or something to get them 15+ deg above room temp. And just keep the receiving can at room temp for safety. Should work just as well but is safer. Honestly I'm not sure why this is happening as the operating range of these canisters is down to freezing. Maybe the guy's scale was wrong and he overfilled it. But it's mostly likely because these canisters are filled at the factory at a calibrated ambient temperature. Either way, from my perspective, not worth messing around with.

Very cool. I had no idea that there is an adapter for this. I'll be picking one up for sure.

Thanks

thank you for information

Thank you!! This was super helpful!!! I’m going to buy a crunch it this season. Did you get it online? If you’re at camp, how would you do this without a freezer or scale?

I see alot of comments but I'll say it anyways, they recommend colder temps because it's easier and get more gas in the tank in liquid state than gas state, the opposite when you use it, some people put isolated skirt around so the gas state get out easier, I don't remember the ratio but it's still something, anything that can save a little bit is always better than nothing, I think it's close to 10-15%, hope that clear enough with traduction. :)

Great video ☺️ 👍 good idear 😁

I got that set up myself from AliExpress and have been doing so. My small canisters weighs 7.5 Oz. full, but I can get 8.5 total by packing another ounce into a can.

Great tip, but the first Amazon link doesn't show any canister adapter..?

How do you store the leftover fuel after opening it? If I unscrew it from the jetboil, will the fuel leak out?

thank you that is a great idea. Wish these canisters had a gage on them to make them safer,so when you would know if they are empty or when you had filled them up.

Never knew the putting in freezer thing. I did a review on a different model one. Have to try putting in freezer for 20 minutes

Cool video. But why should I refill one small canister with another? Is this a gane switching gas between two similar canisters? Or do I miss the reason and logic behind?

So it has been awhile now do you still like refilling these? I love not having to trow them away. But can I still trust the pressure if I'm out with it?

Thank you for the review. Would you please share the source that suggests putting canisters into the freezer before refilling? Thank you!

Great ‘hack’! Now I can move all those near empty canisters to one. Your first ‘hack’ I learned from you was the Nalgene ‘wide mouth’ collapsible bottle for those midnight runs to the loo, or w your hack, just bring the loo to you! How’s the Lanshan 2 doing?

If you refill an empty cartridge with a full one, how does that help? The pressures equalize, and you now have not one empty cartridge, you have two half-full cartridges.

Thanks. Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

Leave them half full, and put a hole in them using your "tracer" ammunition.... makes them nice and "safe".

Where do you get the black round thing to refill from big the big bottle? Thank you for your awesome video.

Thanks SH 77

Is if ok if i refill it again after its empty? Or should i put it in freezer again before refill again?

Is it possible to over fill them? How do you kno when it’s full?

Good video mate, and a very good tip to save some material and gas. That is a proper cool American accent. I goin kick ya arse boi........is this Texan?

Curious to why fill a canister from another? What's the purpose? Just use it ....?

where do you live? it looks cold.

Is it possible to overfill them? I don’t want them to explode.

What’s the name of the adapter for the long bottle?

Great stuff, can you use bigger tanks and fill up the smaller ones? Those 100g ones are so expensive, but my favorite to bring on 1-3 night trips. Would be cheaper to buy the bigger ones and keep refilling. I assume this is ok, but curious if you knew.. Also, should you only fill up with the same manufacturer, as to not "mix" ? Have a great day

useful :)

Could they be refilled with propane?

I'm well impressed with this and as I'm a fair weather hiker using butane to refill canisters is fine for me. Plus I really object to these camping gas firms riding what is obviously a gravy train. There isopro is nothing special compared to industrial isopro used in blowlamps they just want to make more money selling the stuff

You can refill those containers with one adapter and use propane - much cheaper and works better.

I want have one.. But here is very expensive... And in local (Indonesia) is not production this...

Newbie here (with some decades behind me not new to life but new to this stuff) with a Q for anyone who knows: So I just got the AOTU stove and a Toaks 750 ml cup and did a test boil with a standard Primus 8 oz canister. I found I could not make the 3 minute boil time unless I cranked the thing up to what seemed like all the way AND, in the bottom of the cup, there was a quarter sized bright red spot, as if the thing might burn through the bottom of the cup. Sooo, all systems normal? Something might be wrong? Please advise. Thanks.

Hey u can’t empty any of the canisters. Once the pressure equalizes from one can to the other ur done. There is no pressure pump involved. Forcing a little left over gas from one can to the other. He going in circles thinking he’s filling ones up. U need a higher pressure tank or a pump pressurizing the gas to force it in and not equal to the pressure in the can ur trying to fill.

You don't throw it away, you RECYCLE IT!

$29.95 on Sale on eBay as of today. This is the lowest price ever. And quite likely to be even lower AFTER New Years'.

Asian store?

Those butane cans do not like cold weather.

If it’s so cold outside that the butane won’t boil (no pressure), then I’M NOT GOING camping!!! 🥶

I will probably refill them with 1 pound propane...... propane burns hotter. Thanks for the idea

Hello my RU-vidr

So how come the containers don’t just reach an equilibrium? Some of you say we are freezing the receiving container? That would lower the pressure, but I mean, physically there isn’t a way to really empty empty the donor canister, is there?

Not like this entirely unsafe or anything. But just a couple warnings: ."Disposable" tanks should not be "refilled". .Buy a refillable tank that is d.o.t. approved and has a bleeding valve. .the d.o.t. portion serves to allow you to legally transport refilled gas cylinders, and safely. .Do not transport refilled gas cylinders, that are one use(disposable), because this could be illegal, potentially dangerous. I think if your refilling, you need a tank that has a bleeding valve. MOST IMPORTANTLY. Do not put straight propane in a propane/butane or propane/isobutane cylinder. The thin walled cylinders that have these mixes are made for these mixes that are lighter and more easily to carry. As well, the butane portion puts out more energy with less gas spent, making it more efficient with the amount of volume. But putting propane in the mix cylinders that have thin walls could be a problems. Propane needs thicker walled tanks.

Out of all the things to refill these are the dumbest because they have the worst valve design out of any of them and no way to vent excess pressure unless you have the one type of adapter with a pressure release. That being said, I like to run propane torches on the odorless blend of LPGs you get from headshops that they use to make BHO or the ones from the UK that addicts sniff and the easiest and safest way I've found to do that is to refill the odorless butane first into these canisters and then into the propane canisters because there isn't an easy way to go right from those plastic adapters on a can of butane into a 1lb propane tank without first going through one of these flat gas canisters and I haven't died yet. I'm not saving a few bucks though I'm taking the most expensive LPG and putting it into the cheapest canister and losing 20% in the process but I fing hate the smell they add to propane

In the video, your filling one gas can to another gas can and are the same, so why don't you use the one with gas in Thay are the same can so you don't need to do that

Playback speed 1.75x... thank me later!