Debt (Components Of Long-Term Debt) (Details) (USD $)			0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended							0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended					0 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2011	Jul. 31, 2010	Nov. 24, 2010 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Fixed Rate, 6.50%, Due 2021 [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Fixed Rate, 6.50%, Due 2021 [Member]	Nov. 24, 2010 Fixed Rate, 6.50%, Due 2021 [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Fixed Rate, 6.50%, Due 2021 [Member]		Jul. 31, 2011 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Fixed Rate, 6.75%, Due 2014 [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Fixed Rate, 6.75%, Due 2014 [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Fixed Rate, 6.75%, Due 2014 [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Fixed Rate, 6.75%, Due 2014 [Member]	Sep. 14, 2009 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Fixed Rate, 9.125%, Due 2017 [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Fixed Rate, 9.125%, Due 2017 [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Fixed Rate, 9.125%, Due 2017 [Member]	Sep. 14, 2009 Fixed Rate, 9.125%, Due 2017 [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Fixed Rate, 9.125%, Due 2017 [Member]		Jul. 31, 2010 Fixed Rate, 9.125%, Due 2017 [Member]		Apr. 13, 2010 Fixed Rate, 8.625%, Due 2020 [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Fixed Rate, 8.625%, Due 2020 [Member]		Jul. 31, 2010 Fixed Rate, 8.625%, Due 2020 [Member]		Jul. 31, 2011 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Notes Payable [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Notes Payable [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Notes Payable [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Notes Payable [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Secured Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Secured Credit Facility [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Secured Credit Facility [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Secured Credit Facility [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Secured Credit Facility [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Long-Term Debt [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member] Long-Term Debt [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Long-Term Debt [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Long-Term Debt [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Ferrellgas, L.P. And Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt instrument issuance date			November 24, 2010		November 24, 2010															April 13, 2010
Senior notes			$ 500,000,000	$ 500,000,000	$ 500,000,000	$ 500,000,000	[1]		$ 428,026,000		$ 428,026,000	$ 300,000,000	$ 296,528,000	$ 296,130,000	$ 300,000,000	$ 296,528,000	[2]	$ 296,130,000	[2]	$ 280,000,000	$ 182,000,000	[3]	$ 280,000,000	[3]
Line of credit facility																													64,573,000		99,797,000	64,573,000	99,797,000
Notes payable																									10,376,000	9,475,000	10,376,000	9,475,000
Total long-term debt																																		871,477,000	833,428,000	1,053,477,000	1,113,428,000
Less: current portion, included in other current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets																																		2,557,000	2,340,000	2,557,000	2,340,000
Long-term debt	1,050,920,000	1,111,088,000																																868,920,000	831,088,000	1,050,920,000	1,111,088,000	868,920,000	831,088,000
Debt instrument, interest rate				6.50%		6.50%		6.75%		6.75%			9.125%			9.125%					8.625%
Debt instrument, maturity year				2021		2021		2014		2014		2017	2017		2017	2017					2020
Short-term borrowings	64,927,000	67,203,000																											64,900,000		67,200,000	64,900,000	67,200,000					64,927,000	67,203,000
Unamortized discount								$ 21,974,000			$ 21,974,000	$ 4,200,000	$ 3,472,000	$ 3,870,000	$ 4,200,000	$ 3,472,000		$ 3,870,000.000							$ 2,805,000	$ 2,876,000	$ 2,805,000	$ 2,876,000
Weighted average interest rate of debt																									9.20%	9.50%			6.53%	5.91%		6.53%
Weighted average interest rate of debt																																9.20%	9.50%
Long-term debt, Notes payable due start																									2011		2011
Long-term debt, Notes payable due end															October 1, 2017										2020			2020
Debt instrument, maturity date			May 1, 2021		May 1, 2021																											November 2012
Debt instrument, maturity date												Oct. 01, 2017
Prepayment penalty, year which penalty is no longer valid			2019		2019							2015			2015					2018

[1] On November 24, 2010, the operating partnership issued $500.0 million of its fixed rate senior notes. These notes are general unsecured senior obligations of the operating partnership and are effectively junior to all future senior secured indebtedness of the operating partnership, to the extent of the value of the assets securing the debt, and are structurally subordinated to all existing and future indebtedness and obligations of the operating partnership. The senior notes bear interest from the date of issuance, payable semi-annually in arrears on May 1 and November 1 of each year. The outstanding principal amount is due on May 1, 2021. The operating partnership would incur prepayment penalties if it were to repay the notes prior to 2019.

[2] On September 14, 2009, the operating partnership issued $300.0 million of its fixed rate senior notes with a debt discount of $4.2 million that will be amortized to interest expense through 2017. These notes are senior unsecured obligations of the operating partnership and rank on an equal basis in right of payment with all senior indebtedness of the operating partnership, are senior to all subordinated indebtedness of the operating partnership and are junior to all secured indebtedness of the operating partnership. The senior notes bear interest from the date of issuance, payable semi-annually in arrears on April 1 and October 1 of each year. The outstanding principal amount is due on October 1, 2017. The operating partnership would incur prepayment penalties if it were to repay the notes prior to 2015.

[3] On April 13, 2010, Ferrellgas Partners issued $280.0 million of its fixed rate senior notes. The senior notes bear interest from the date of issuance, payable semi-annually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year. Ferrellgas Partners would incur prepayment penalties if it were to repay the notes prior to 2018.