Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2019

Fair Value of Financial Derivatives Balance Sheet Locations

	July 31, 2019
	Asset Derivatives			Liability Derivatives
Derivative Instrument	Location	Fair value		Location	Fair value
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
Commodity derivatives-propane	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	910	Other current liabilities	$	14,198
Commodity derivatives-propane	Other assets, net		349	Other liabilities		1,817
	Total	$	1,259	Total	$	16,015

	July 31, 2018
	Asset Derivatives			Liability Derivatives
Derivative Instrument	Location	Fair value		Location	Fair value
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
Commodity derivatives-propane	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	17,123	Other current liabilities	$	1,832
Commodity derivatives-propane	Other assets, net		5,347	Other liabilities		78
	Total	$	22,470	Total	$	1,910

Offsetting Assets And Liabilities [Table Text Block]

	July 31, 2019
	Assets			Liabilities
Description	Location	Amount		Location	Amount
Margin Balances	Prepaid expense and other current assets	$	25,028	Other current liabilities	$	1,217
	Other assets, net		2,969	Other liabilities		—
		$	27,997		$	1,217

	July 31, 2018
	Assets			Liabilities
Description	Location	Amount		Location	Amount
Margin Balances	Prepaid expense and other current assets	$	2,851	Other current liabilities	$	12,308
	Other assets, net		927	Other liabilities		4,235
		$	3,778		$	16,543

Fair Value Hedge Derivative Effect on Earnings

								Amount of Interest Expense
		Amount of Gain Recognized on						Recognized on Fixed-Rated Debt
	Location of Gain	Derivative						(Related Hedged Item)
	Recognized on	For the year ended July 31,						For the year ended July 31,
Derivative Instrument	Derivative	2019		2018		2017		2019		2018		2017
Interest rate swap agreements	Interest expense	$	—	$	266	$	1,319	$	—	$	(6,825)	$	(9,100)

Cash Flow Hedge Derivative Effect on Comprehensive Income

	For the year ended July 31, 2019
				Amount of Gain (Loss)
	Amount of Gain		Location of Gain (Loss)	Reclassified from
	(Loss) Recognized in		Reclassified from	AOCI into Income
Derivative Instrument	AOCI		AOCI into Income	Effective portion		Ineffective portion
Commodity derivatives	$	(48,184)	Cost of product sold- propane and other gas liquids sales	$	(12,868)	$	—
	$	(48,184)		$	(12,868)	$	—

	For the year ended July 31, 2018
				Amount of Gain (Loss)
	Amount of Gain (Loss)		Location of Gain (Loss)	Reclassified from
	Recognized in		Reclassified from	AOCI into Income
Derivative Instrument	AOCI		AOCI into Income	Effective portion		Ineffective portion
Commodity derivatives	$	30,231	Cost of product sold- propane and other gas liquids sales	$	24,714	$	—
Interest rate swap agreements		—	Interest expense		(395)		—
	$	30,231		$	24,319	$	—

	For the year ended July 31, 2017
				Amount of Gain (Loss)
	Amount of Gain (Loss)		Location of Gain (Loss)	Reclassified from
	Recognized in		Reclassified from	AOCI into Income
Derivative Instrument	AOCI		AOCI into Income	Effective portion		Ineffective portion
Commodity derivatives	$	21,659	Cost of sales-propane and other gas liquids sales	$	154	$	—
Interest rate swap agreements		866	Interest expense		(2,092)		—
	$	22,525		$	(1,938)	$	—

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments effect on earnings

	For the year ended July 31, 2018
	Amount of Gain (Loss)		Location of Gain (Loss)
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Recognized in Income		Reclassified in Income
Commodity derivatives - crude oil	$	(3,470)	Cost of sales - midstream operations

	For the year ended July 31, 2017
	Amount of Gain (Loss)		Location of Gain (Loss)
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Recognized in Income		Reclassified in Income
Commodity derivatives - crude oil	$	(425)	Cost of sales - midstream operations
Commodity derivatives - vehicle fuel	$	1,090	Operating expense

Changes in Derivative Value Effect on Other Comprehensive Income Loss

	For the year ended July 31,
Gains and losses on derivatives included in AOCI	2019		2018		2017
Beginning balance	$	20,560	$	14,648	$	(9,815)
Change in value of risk management commodity derivatives		(48,184)		30,231		21,659
Reclassification of (gains) losses on commodity hedges to cost of sales - propane and other gas liquids sales, net		12,868		(24,714)		(154)
Change in value of risk management interest rate derivatives		—		—		866
Reclassification of losses on interest rate hedges to interest expense		—		395		2,092
Ending balance	$	(14,756)	$	20,560	$	14,648

Ferrellgas, L.P. [Member]

Fair Value of Financial Derivatives Balance Sheet Locations

	July 31, 2019
	Asset Derivatives			Liability Derivatives
Derivative Instrument	Location	Fair value		Location	Fair value
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
Commodity derivatives-propane	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	910	Other current liabilities	$	14,198
Commodity derivatives-propane	Other assets, net		349	Other liabilities		1,817
	Total	$	1,259	Total	$	16,015

	July 31, 2018
	Asset Derivatives			Liability Derivatives
Derivative Instrument	Location	Fair value		Location	Fair value
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
Commodity derivatives-propane	Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	17,123	Other current liabilities	$	1,832
Commodity derivatives-propane	Other assets, net		5,347	Other liabilities		78
	Total	$	22,470	Total	$	1,910

Offsetting Assets And Liabilities [Table Text Block]

	July 31, 2019
	Assets			Liabilities
Description	Location	Amount		Location	Amount
Margin Balances	Prepaid expense and other current assets	$	25,028	Other current liabilities	$	1,217
	Other assets, net		2,969	Other liabilities		—
		$	27,997		$	1,217

	July 31, 2018
	Assets			Liabilities
Description	Location	Amount		Location	Amount
Margin Balances	Prepaid expense and other current assets	$	2,851	Other current liabilities	$	12,308
	Other assets, net		927	Other liabilities		4,235
		$	3,778		$	16,543

Fair Value Hedge Derivative Effect on Earnings

								Amount of Interest Expense
	Location of Gain	Amount of Gain Recognized on						Recognized on Fixed-Rated Debt
	Recognized on	Derivative						(Related Hedged Item)
Derivative Instrument	Derivative	For the year ended July 31,						For the year ended July 31,
		2019		2018		2017		2019		2018		2017
Interest rate swap agreements	Interest expense	$	—	$	266	$	1,319	$	—	$	(6,825)	$	(9,100)

Cash Flow Hedge Derivative Effect on Comprehensive Income

	For the year ended July 31, 2019
				Amount of Gain (Loss)
			Location of Gain (Loss)	Reclassified from
	Amount of Gain (Loss)		Reclassified from AOCI	AOCI into Income
DerivativeInstrument	Recognized in AOCI		into Income	Effective portion		Ineffective portion
Commodity derivatives	$	(48,184)	Cost of product sold- propane and other gas liquids sales	$	(12,868)	$	—
	$	(48,184)		$	(12,868)	$	—

	For the year ended July 31, 2018
				Amount of Gain (Loss)
			Location of Gain (Loss)	Reclassified from
	Amount of Gain (Loss)		Reclassified from AOCI	AOCI into Income
DerivativeInstrument	Recognized in AOCI		into Income	Effective portion		Ineffective portion
Commodity derivatives	$	30,231	Cost of product sold- propane and other gas liquids sales	$	24,714	$	—
Interest rate swap agreements		—	Interest expense		(395)		—
	$	30,231		$	24,319	$	—

	For the year ended July 31, 2017
				Amount of Gain (Loss)
			Location of Gain (Loss)	Reclassified from
	Amount of Gain (Loss)		Reclassified from AOCI	AOCI into Income
DerivativeInstrument	Recognized in AOCI		into Income	Effective portion		Ineffective portion
Commodity derivatives	$	21,659	Cost of sales-propane and other gas liquids sales	$	154	$	—
Interest rate swap agreements		866	Interest expense		(2,092)		—
	$	22,525		$	(1,938)	$	—

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments effect on earnings

	For the year ended July 31, 2018
	Amount of Gain (Loss)		Location of Gain (Loss)
DerivativesNotDesignatedasHedgingInstruments	Recognized in Income		Reclassified in Income
Commodity derivatives - crude oil	$	(3,470)	Cost of sales - midstream operations

	For the year ended July 31, 2017
	Amount of Gain (Loss)		Location of Gain (Loss)
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Recognized in Income		Reclassified in Income
Commodity derivatives - crude oil	$	(425)	Cost of sales - midstream operations
Commodity derivatives - vehicle fuel	$	1,090	Operating expense

Changes in Derivative Value Effect on Other Comprehensive Income Loss

	For the year ended July 31,
Gains and losses on derivatives included in AOCI	2019		2018		2017
Beginning balance	$	20,560	$	14,648	$	(9,815)
Change in value of risk management commodity derivatives		(48,184)		30,231		21,659
Reclassification of (gains) losses on commodity hedges to cost of sales - propane and other gas liquids sales, net		12,868		(24,714)		(154)
Change in value of risk management interest rate derivatives		—		—		866
Reclassification of losses on interest rate hedges to interest expense		—		395		2,092
Ending balance	$	(14,756)	$	20,560	$	14,648