Debt (Interest Rate Swaps Narrative) (Interest Rate Swap [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012
Secured credit facility and collateralized note payables [Member]
Interest rate derivative inception date	May 2012
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate	1.95%
Derivative, Description of Hedged Item	forecasted interest payments on the operating partnership's secured credit facility and collateralized note payable borrowings
Derivative, Description of Variable Rate Basis	one-month LIBOR
Secured credit facility and collateralized note payables [Member] | Ferrellgas, L.P. [Member]
Interest rate derivative inception date	May 2012
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate	1.95%
Derivative, Description of Hedged Item	forecasted interest payments on Ferrellgas, L.P.'s secured credit facility and collateralized note payable borrowings
Derivative, Description of Variable Rate Basis	one-month LIBOR
Fixed Rate, 6.50%, Due 2021 [Member]
Interest rate derivative settlement start date	May 2012
Interest rate derivative inception date	May 2012
Notional Amount of Interest Rate Fair Value Hedge Derivatives	140,000,000
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate	6.50%
Interest rate plus one-month LIBOR	4.715%
Derivative, Description of Hedged Item	$500.0 million 6.5% fixed rate senior notes due 2021
Derivative, Description of Variable Rate Basis	one-month LIBOR
Fixed Rate, 6.50%, Due 2021 [Member] | Ferrellgas, L.P. [Member]
Interest rate derivative settlement start date	May 2012
Interest rate derivative inception date	May 2012
Notional Amount of Interest Rate Fair Value Hedge Derivatives	140,000,000
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate	6.50%
Interest rate plus one-month LIBOR	4.715%
Derivative, Description of Hedged Item	$500.0 million 6.5% fixed rate senior notes due 2021
Derivative, Description of Variable Rate Basis	one-month LIBOR
Fixed Rate, 9.125%, Due 2017 [Member]
Interest rate derivative settlement start date	May 2012
Interest rate derivative inception date	May 2012
Notional Amount of Interest Rate Fair Value Hedge Derivatives	140,000,000
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate	9.125%
Interest rate plus one-month LIBOR	7.96%
Derivative, Description of Hedged Item	$300.0 million 9.125% fixed rate senior notes due 2017
Derivative, Description of Variable Rate Basis	one-month LIBOR
Fixed Rate, 9.125%, Due 2017 [Member] | Ferrellgas, L.P. [Member]
Interest rate derivative settlement start date	May 2012
Interest rate derivative inception date	May 2012
Notional Amount of Interest Rate Fair Value Hedge Derivatives	140,000,000
Derivative, Fixed Interest Rate	9.125%
Interest rate plus one-month LIBOR	7.96%
Derivative, Description of Hedged Item	$300.0 million 9.125% fixed rate senior notes due 2017
Derivative, Description of Variable Rate Basis	one-month LIBOR
Interest rate cash flow hedge leg 1 [member] | Secured credit facility and collateralized note payables [Member]
Interest rate derivative settlement start date	August 2015
Interest rate derivative settlement end date	July 2017
Notional Amount of Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Derivatives	175,000,000
Interest rate cash flow hedge leg 1 [member] | Secured credit facility and collateralized note payables [Member] | Ferrellgas, L.P. [Member]
Interest rate derivative settlement start date	August 2015
Interest rate derivative settlement end date	July 2017
Notional Amount of Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Derivatives	175,000,000
Interest rate cash flow hedge leg 2 [Member] | Secured credit facility and collateralized note payables [Member]
Interest rate derivative settlement start date	August 2017
Interest rate derivative settlement end date	July 2018
Notional Amount of Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Derivatives	100,000,000
Interest rate cash flow hedge leg 2 [Member] | Secured credit facility and collateralized note payables [Member] | Ferrellgas, L.P. [Member]
Interest rate derivative settlement start date	August 2017
Interest rate derivative settlement end date	July 2018
Notional Amount of Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Derivatives	100,000,000