Which to purchase???

Schnitzengiggle · 03-25-2009, 07:42 PM

I am finally going to full boils after my first four batches. My stove takes much too long to bring 3-4 gallons of water to a boil, and when I get it there it isnt a nice rolling boil. I have searched these threads, as usual, but would love some advice. Which outdoor burner to get? It seems as though the SQ-14 is a decent all around burner. It seems the SQ-10 has more BTU's and is regarded highly as well. It is the consensus that the Banjo Burner is the monster of heat. So, which is the most efficient? I don't want to have to refill my LP tank after every batch, on the other hand, I dont want to wait an hour for my water to come to a boil. I haven't bought my pot yet, but I will either get the Bayou Classic 36qt or 44qt. I will be doing only extract brewing for a while, however, I will eventually go AG and would like to incorporate this burner into future AG brew days.

flyangler18 · 03-25-2009, 07:46 PM

I have both the SQ10 and SQ14 and they rock!

As far as a pot, I'd buy a 40QT at minimum, preferably a 60QT if you ever (and you will) foresee yourself doing double batches.

Yankeehillbrewer · 03-25-2009, 08:42 PM

Both are good, but I would go for the SQ14 because of the stand. A 40 to 60qt pot sits on there perfectly. You can always swap out the burner if you want to try something different.

Schnitzengiggle · 03-25-2009, 09:15 PM

flyangler18, how long would you say it takes to get 6-7 gallons of water to boil with either of you burners? How much gas do they use, or better yet how many full boils do you get out of a standard LP tank?

michaelm · 03-26-2009, 12:06 AM

this is the stainless turkey fryer I got from ebay a few years ago...

the pot it came with is a 36qt pot(8 gallons) and other then being the beefiest turkey fryer I had seen I bought it because a keg will fit PERFECTLY inside the top ring of the stand.... Think I paid about 70 bucks for it back then... unfortunalty I just did a search and didnt see any around...

Schnitzengiggle · 03-27-2009, 07:24 AM

Thats a serious turkey fryer, nice rig too! I am still extraact brewing, but working my way toward AG. I have read many mixed comments on Extract vs. AG. I understand the infinite possibilitie of AG and the limitations of extract, but right now I am focusing on brewing a "great batch". I have 3 under my belt and #1 was okay, got better with age, I was definetly drinking it green ( w/o this forum I would have never known). Batch #2 has a hot dog aftertaste but it has only been bottled 1 week and was in primary for 14 days. I think some bottle aging for about a month will do it justice (hopefully, it is a belgian wit). #3 sitting in the fermenter now, a stout recipe that I put together researching a bunch of recipes and adding/deducting what I thought would be to my taste. Again, I want to begin full boils, especially because the LaughingGnome said it improved his beer significantly. I may just be drinking them green, but my 2 brews that I have under my belt have had a certain "flavor" that I definitely detect between commercial craft brews and my homebrew. My 3rd (Stout) I will leave in primary for three weeks and secondary for at least 2 before bottling. I know homebrew will be just that "homebrew" but it should still taste great, and I have yet to produce a "great" homebrew. I have used a starter for my #2 and #3 and have definitely noticed a shortened lag time. My stout only took about 3 hours to begin! (WL Irish Ale 004) AMAZING! Anyhow, just like most, I wanna be the best with what I have and, unfortunately, it ain't there yet!

jp1316 · 03-27-2009, 09:03 AM

I have the SQ10 and the banjo burner and both will work. That being said I prefer the banjo burner. It has better flame control, higher btu's, its quieter and from what I can tell its more efficient. The SQ10 does have a better wind screen, but you can(and should) build a wind screen for the banjo to improve efficiency.

michaelm · 03-27-2009, 01:13 PM

Yea I would reccomend getting a fryer setup with a nice big pot so you can go full boils...... just shop around for stainless turkey fryers and you WILL find a deal sooner or later.....

Doing full boils with extract and learning to do some specialty grain/partial mash will make a BIG difference in your beer!!!!!! steeping specialty grains or doing partial mashes is the biggest thing you can do to freshen up the flavors in your beer(IMHO)

oh and for the stout?? I would leave it in primary for only 2 weeks and if the finished gravity is reached go ahead and bottle it...... (unless its a imperial stout and is really big) and let it bottle condition for about 3 weeks..... Only real reason to secondary for any period of time is either the clear up a beer or for those big beers that take a LONG time to ferment out it gets them off the yeast cake and helps to prevent off flavors from developing from the dying yeast...... Your stout doesnt really need any major clearing up (comeon you cant see through it anyways

) and you didnt say it was an imperial with some big #'s so its already probably fermented in the first week......... Now it WILL help to let it bottle condition especially if you have alot of roasted grains in there as it will let the flavors smooth out......

Thumper · 03-27-2009, 01:59 PM

I currently have the SQ-10. Last night I "seasoned" a new alumium 40 quart pot with it. It boiled 9.5 gallons in an hour. I started with less than half of a tank of propane, and still have propane left. I am happy with the SQ-10. It was sturdy with all of that weight on it too.

Schnitzengiggle · 03-27-2009, 06:31 PM

It's a cream stout that I adde a little extre DME to for a higher SG. It was 1.060. Still a bubble here and there out of my airlock and it has been 10 days (today actually) and I think it still has some time left. I wanted to secondary this brew so I could harvest some yeast from the secondary for my next brew. I was real impressed with this yeast. Took off quick! I may add a little coffee to it in the secondary also, depends what it tastes like when I take a gavity reading this coming Tuesday Mar. 31st.

As for the burner, how much gas does a banjo use? I have read that between the SQ-14's lower BTU and lower pressure valve, it uses little fuel and still gets your pot to a boil. I understand it will obviously take longer than with the SQ-10 or the Banjo. I've also read that the SQ-10 and Banjo have a minimal difference in heating times to the boil, and the SQ-10 uses less gas. The Banjo has that huge burner and over 200,000 BTU's and I know will heat 6-7 allons of water quick, but will you burn through gas, or is the Banjo more efficent because it boils the water that much more quickly? I'm just trying to make the best decision I can with the information at hand. I'd like to get a few brews out of one cylinder of gas too.