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AleHole · 02-15-2007, 02:59 AM

Today I just did a test boil on my new Banjo Cooker and Keggle. It took me approximately 1/2 hour to achieve a full boil with 6.5 gallons of water. How long does it take for others out there. Also what do you find to be the most efficient flame adjustment when trying to achieve a full boil before you turn the heat down?

bobbyc · 02-15-2007, 12:47 PM

I just got a 210K BTU Banjo cooker for Christmas (best girlfriend ever). The brews I've done with it take very little time to get 6 gallons boiling in my keggle. I didn't time it, but I'd say it's under 30 minutes... maybe 15?

What temp. is the water you're starting with?

I actually managed to almost boilover my keggle with this thing. I had the lid on to aid in coming up to boil. Foamed up to the very top of the keggle.

**the_bird** · 02-15-2007, 12:53 PM

It's been maybe fifteen minutes, tops, from mash temps to boiling. Probably more like ten or twelve, and that's without having it run full-bore. I've never started with cold water, though (I've been doing my mash water on the stove still).

AleHole · 02-15-2007, 08:35 PM

OK, all those numbers seem about right. My water was approx 55* F. So I guess 30 minutes is pretty good for 6.5 gallons. That Banjo Burner rocks. Its so quiet and my keggle fits on there perfect and stable. The price is right too. I will probably get another one so I don't have to keep moving my HLT and boil kettle.

bobbyc · 02-15-2007, 08:53 PM

Is that the big nasty from Amazon for $60? I love mine.

My 10-15 min boil time was from mash temps, too, BTW.

Erbium:YAG · 02-15-2007, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AleHole

Also what do you find to be the most efficient flame adjustment when trying to achieve a full boil before you turn the heat down?

You should rotate your air intake plate until you get nothing but nice blue flames. You shouldn't need to turn the heat down. You want as vigorous a boil as possible for the entire boil period.

thereefgeek · 02-15-2007, 10:22 PM

My burner can bring about 10 gallons of 65 deg. water to a boil in roughly 20 minutes.

I'm still doing 10 gallon extract batches, so the grains in a 3 gallon pot and the "sparge" water in a 2 gallon pot on the stove at approx. 160 deg. by the time I dump the extract and grain liquor in the keggle. A few more minutes of flame and I'm rolling a mad boil.

My propane regulator is rated at 30 p.s.i. (adjustable), and most I've seen are only 10. I use a needle valve to fine tune the flame during the boil, and I think the burner is rated at 200K b.t.u. @ 30 p.s.i.

I didn't get mine here, but this place has some seriously high ratings on regs & burners: http://www.tejassmokers.com/

**the_bird** · 02-16-2007, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erbiumyag

You want as vigorous a boil as possible for the entire boil period.

Not necessarily. It is possible to boil off too vigorously, and unless you have a reason to want a huge evaporation rate (like making a huge beer), your hops will get beaten up plenty with a normal, moderately-aggressive boil. I don't see the need to put the thing on full-bore; in fact, once it is up to boil, the gas only needs to be barely on to maintain a pretty vigorous boil.

bobbyc · 02-16-2007, 12:22 PM

Yeah, my burner ("The Burninator"), runs full blast until I get the full boil... then I just turn it down a bit, and it maintains a good rolling boil. I almost expected it to burn through an entire propane tank in one brewday.... but so far it's done pretty good.

**the_bird** · 02-16-2007, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobbyc

Yeah, my burner ("The Burninator"), runs full blast until I get the full boil... then I just turn it down a bit, and it maintains a good rolling boil. I almost expected it to burn through an entire propane tank in one brewday.... but so far it's done pretty good.

I went through about half a tank on my first batch, when I was way more aggressive than I needed to be. Since, I've dialed it back to *just enough* for a roiling boil, and I seem to be on pace for at least four, maybe 60-minute boils per tank.