Blichmann Burner

Fedex delivered my Blichmann Burner today. First impressions: WOW! This thing is massive, almost 30 Lbs of steel. Pictures just don't do this burner justice at all. The stainless steel fixture for the burner is heavy gauge, very well-constructed. I just can't wait to try it out! My Heavy Duty 15 gallon brew kettle from Morebeer sits perfectly on it.

Nice! I'm thinking of getting that one when its time to move off of the kitchen stove.

Ya, I am looking forward to moving out of the kitchen into full 5 to 10 gallon boils! I read that full boils improves the quality of extract and partial mash brews, although I am moving on to all-grain. Man, this newfound hobby is getting expensive!

Did you get the leg extensions? I'm still waiting on mine; apparently they are back ordered from Blichmann. I can't wait to try it out with my new 15g Boilermaker that's sitting on the shelf.

Haven't ordered them yet, but I plan on it. I haven't fired it up yet, but hope to very soon!

My leg extensions arrived this morning!

The gas company is coming out to evaluate running a gas line to my patio, so I will no longer need LP tanks. Wanted to provide an update here; the burner uses high pressure and will not work with the low pressure coming out of the regulator from a gas furnace. So for me, I'm stuck using LP tanks for the burner, but my grill is hooked up.

Soon I'll get to try out my new Blichmann burner, leg extensions, 15gal Boilermaker and Hop Blocker all at once!

Do the leg extensions replace the existing ones, or do they attach to the existing ones? It looks like they replace the existing ones.

Too bad about using natural gas, oh well!

I filled my propane cylinder and fired up my burner today. It was very simple and works like a charm.

I see you are gearing up with a nice setup, so let m know how it all works out.

The leg extensions replace the existing ones, which is a good design. The price for the extensions is quite reasonable for SS.

I have a 250gal LP tank (buried) and was hoping that I could supply both the grill and the burner from the tank's regulator. However, apparently it does not deliver enough PSI for the burner and grills require less ~.5 lb PSI.

I'll let you know how things go!

I have dreams about this burner. Glad I found a few here that have it. $135 seems reasonable if it is that solid. I have to wait until I get back from Hilton Head......Then, I want to make a Belgian Dark Strong!

I finally got to brew my first AG with the Bichmann burner last week, and it worked like a dream! Wow, I had to wait almost a month and a half to use it because I couldn't afford to buy the beer ingredients. I am impressed by my ability to delay gratification. Actually, I was chomping at the bit and couldn't wait to use it.

Had mine almost a month before the trial run as well. Made a batch yesterday and another one today. Really love this thing, solid as hell. Had 6 gallons in a 10 gallon Polarware at a full boil faster than I could imagine. Seems pretty easy on the gas as well. Have the leg extensions and gravity fed to the fermenters this time around. Next time will have the March pump recirculation hooked up during the chill (Jamil-O-Chiller setup) and probably pump to the fermenter.

zymurgy101 said:

My leg extensions arrived this morning!

The gas company is coming out to evaluate running a gas line to my patio, so I will no longer need LP tanks. Wanted to provide an update here; the burner uses high pressure and will not work with the low pressure coming out of the regulator from a gas furnace. So for me, I'm stuck using LP tanks for the burner, but my grill is hooked up.

Soon I'll get to try out my new Blichmann burner, leg extensions, 15gal Boilermaker and Hop Blocker all at once!

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Blichmann is now making a natural gas conversion kit for their burners. Check out there webpage for more details.

I am thinking of purchasing one of these burners with the leg extensions. I really like the 2 tier stand from Pin up Brewery in the Vendor section. Unfortuantely I don't think I have the room for it, plus it obviously costs a lot more. I think this product will be a good compromise.

rcrabb22 said:

Blichmann is now making a natural gas conversion kit for their burners. Check out there webpage for more details.

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Cool, glad to hear that! One of the reasons I started this thread was because I didn't see much excitement over their burners when I was researching which one to buy. There weren't any reviews/ratings in the equipment section, so I put one there. Really, what gives?

Has anyone who has this burner had problems keeping it lit? I bought two to go along with my stand, and I'm having an impossible time with them. The first time I chalked it up to 40+MPH wind gusts, but this past weekend the wind was really tame. I switched to my old hurricane burner and the damn thing didn't go out once.

It seems like this would be easy to dial in, and I even followed the site directions exactly, but it would blow out even after I dialed it in to a nice, blue flame. Any suggestions?

joyride75 said:

Has anyone who has this burner had problems keeping it lit? I bought two to go along with my stand, and I'm having an impossible time with them. The first time I chalked it up to 40+MPH wind gusts, but this past weekend the wind was really tame. I switched to my old hurricane burner and the damn thing didn't go out once.

It seems like this would be easy to dial in, and I even followed the site directions exactly, but it would blow out even after I dialed it in to a nice, blue flame. Any suggestions?

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I noticed this with mine as well. Although I did have the regulator wide open. :rockin:

As soon as I dialed it down a bit I had no problems after that.

I was running the regulator wide open the first time I tried to light it, but then actually sat down with the Blichmann site open and walked through it, with the same results. I emailed John and he said that it sounds like a regulator issue(the propane tank was actually pulsing at one point, then shut down completely), so he's sending a replacement out today. He replied in 10 minutes, had a Fed Ex tracking number for me in less than 15. :rockin:

Nice to hear you had a quick response and turnaround. I have not experienced this issue with mine which now has three brew sessions on it. Winds were blowing in the low 20mph range during the second brewing session which made the initial boil at little longer than it should have been. Otherwise, no issues.

Shepherd5 said:

Cool, glad to hear that! One of the reasons I started this thread was because I didn't see much excitement over their burners when I was researching which one to buy. There weren't any reviews/ratings in the equipment section, so I put one there. Really, what gives?

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I have a Blichmann burner with the leg extensions and I am very happy with it. It is soooo much better than the B3 burner (Camp Chef) I have been using for the last 2 years. It's so quiet I actually checked it a few times to make sure it was lit. It is ~50% (30 min vs 15 min to boil for last 9 brews) quicker to bring 14 gal from mash out to boil and uses about ~1/3 less propane than the B3 burner (B3 = 5.5 boils per 20lb of propane, Blichmann did 8.5 boils from 20lb).

The actual boil is more even and the gas flow adjustment is more precise than the B3 needle valve. I have had no issues with the keeping the burner lit as others reported even in windy conditions. I have never run the burner wide open though as the flame then extends past the edge of the kettle and wasted energy goes up and away.

My biggest complaint is now that I boil more evenly my evaporation rate has increased and it taken a while for me to dial in new boil volumes. I have 15 gal kettle so 14 gal is max volume I can start with and that's pushing it. I need to add some water to the boil after 30 min as well as adjust my recipes to get OG where I want it post boil.

I think there are "closet" Blichmann owners out there. HBT has a vocal contingent of respected members who believe Blichmann products are overpriced and deter some who would consider buying the equipment. Peer pressure comes into play.

I bought a TopTier with 3 burners and I absolutely love it... I know some people say its overpriced vs DIY, but when I ran the numbers it didn't come out that way. Don't get me wrong, I love making my own equipment, but between work, my wife, and a newborn, I would rather spend what little free time I have actually brewing. Based solely on the time it has saved me so far, I would highly recommend the TopTier or their burners to anyone.

I used my Blichmann burner for the first time this past Saturday and I love it. It is so quiet, I thought it was not lit. It came to a boil faster and once there, I could dial way back and still maintain a vigorous rolling boil. So far, some of the best money I spent on equipment.

I love my blichmann burner...Im brewing on a single tier now but I figure if i ever want to upgrade to a 1bbl system I can just buy a blichmann 55g pot and use it as a mash tun. Then transfer to 2 15g kegs and ill be able to do different hop additions. I am satisfied with this purchase!

I love the Blichmann burner. I have tried several different ones and this is by far the best. So quiet (almost silent), powerful and efficient. Also very solid and well built.

Mine is en-route...

It has taken me forever to find this thread, but hopefully someone can help me out. I have had my Blichmann Burner for just over a year now and am having the damndest time with it. My boils take longer than when I was on my stovetop, and I have a lot of trouble with it blowing out. I hoave solved the wind problem by wrapping my kettle (10 gallon aluminium) and burner in aluminium foil whilst in use, but my last boil of 5.5 gallons took just under an hour to reach boil and it was weak.

What sort of setting are folks using between the regulator and air supply? I would love some help getting the most out of what I know can be a great piece of equipment.

Drooled over one at my LHBS. On the list for my bday next month.

amccormi said:

It has taken me forever to find this thread, but hopefully someone can help me out. I have had my Blichmann Burner for just over a year now and am having the damndest time with it. My boils take longer than when I was on my stovetop, and I have a lot of trouble with it blowing out. I hoave solved the wind problem by wrapping my kettle (10 gallon aluminium) and burner in aluminium foil whilst in use, but my last boil of 5.5 gallons took just under an hour to reach boil and it was weak.

What sort of setting are folks using between the regulator and air supply? I would love some help getting the most out of what I know can be a great piece of equipment.

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You want the bluest flame possible. I've had no problems with mine. You could contact Blichmann and see if they have any advice.

planetscott said:

You want the bluest flame possible. I've had no problems with mine. You could contact Blichmann and see if they have any advice.

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I think the most important thing is that it should be as solid of a flame as possible.... you shouldn't hear any whooshing or see the flames dancing.... They should be nice solid blue cones.

I ordered mine yesterday. I have an old propane burner my keggle doesn't even fit on, I need to put a grill rack on top of it.

I thought it'd be sweet to get one, with a 15-gallon boiler maker, but I couldn't swing the $500 now. Anyways, I can still mash in my igloo tun, and just got tubing for my new setup.

I always hated using my keggle because it was so clumsy sitting on my burner. Now I can use my smaller burn to heat strike water, and just collect in my kettle.

I emailed BMW and asked if the keg would fit on it, I think they wanted to laugh at me.

I just bought one of these from Austin Homebrew Supply ($149.99 + $4.99 shipping). I second what the OP said. This thing is massive and built like a tank. The steel is alot heavier gauge than what it appears in the photos. Ran my first batch with it today. I've been using a $39.99 piece of crap from Academy with a 4" burner. A couple of observations:

1. No need to run the regulator wide open. You only need to open it about half way. Adjust the air damper to where you have no orange flames and the blue flames are touching the burner.

2. This thing puts off some HEAT. I didn't time it but I swear it took half as long to bring 7 gallons of wort from about 150F to boiling as it did on the old burner.

3. The Blichmann burns EXTREMELY clean if properly adjusted. My old burner would completely blacken the bottom of my pot and soot up a good 6" up the sides. I was completely surprised to find no soot on the bottom of the pot. A quick wipe with the sponge and it was clean. I used to spend 20 minutes on the pot with a green scotch brite and some Bar Keepers Friend.

4. This thing is HEAVY! Between the massive cast iron burner and the heavy gauge steel construction you should zero worries putting large pots on it.

Its worth the money if you can afford it!

Interesting story about these burners...

I really wanted to purchase a cheapo burner locally, checking the various big box stores last Saturday, with no luck. My LHBS had a Bayou Classic burner/stand combo for $89. I don't need a stand, as I intend to do BIAB brews on my BBQ island. I was looking at the shorter BC burner stands (e.g. the KAB4 and KAB6), but they were almost $90+ using Amazon Prime. Given the fact that my BBQ island is plumbed for natural gas, and since the Blichmann burner can be outfitted to run on natural gas, I was tempted. I intend to start with LPG, but really hate going down to purchase over-priced LPG refills (about $20 per 20lb tank), so will eventually switch to natural gas. Another issue is that those BC units are made from steel and will rust, thus I was also tempted by the Blichmann unit. Nice.. shiny... to much to resist! I think the price differential between the better BC units (and others) vs. the Blichmann was probably much more attractive only a few years ago. I imagine that many turkey fryer accidents over that time (and the ensuing lawsuits) have made those big box burners much more expensive, thus reducing the delta in price between them and the Blichmann.

So, I made the executive decision to a) have a homebrew and b) hit the purchase button on the Blichmann. Starting at a) made the choice to commit to b) much easier. I'll have my first run with it this Saturday. Wish me luck!

craigmw said:

Interesting story about these burners...

So, I made the executive decision to a) have a homebrew and b) hit the purchase button on the Blichmann. Starting at a) made the choice to commit to b) much easier. I'll have my first run with it this Saturday. Wish me luck!

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I purchased my first Blichmann because I thought I might eventually move to the Top Tier stand. I have since built a unistrut stand but I incorporated the Blichmann into that build. I also purchased a second Blichmann to go with the first in that stand. These were some of my better purchases.

Mark

LuiInIdaho said:

I purchased my first Blichmann because I thought I might eventually move to the Top Tier stand. I have since built a unistrut stand but I incorporated the Blichmann into that build. I also purchased a second Blichmann to go with the first in that stand. These were some of my better purchases.

Mark

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Mine just arrived today by FedEx. My SWMBO commented that it looks cool and "space age." I agree with the earlier comment that it really has a solid build and great quality. So, this has just confirmed my decision to get one of these. I'm really looking forward to trying it out on my new BIAB rig. I was thinking about going with an eBIAB setup, but I'm starting to rethink that. Has anyone set up their own automation using one of these burners (e.g. with a gas solenoid valve)?