Any drawbacks to the Bayou Classic SQ-14?

CornyKegs 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Glibbidy

Glibbidy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
2,371
Reaction score
15
Location
Sunny Southern Vermont
I'm researching a new burner for my setup and it looks like everyone who owns a Bayou Classic SQ-14 is pretty happy with it. Seems to be a very cost effective solution without having to build something.
For those that use it, have you noticed any drawbacks?

Anyone want to stear me away and suggest something else? Ideallu I'd like t spend less then 60.00, and keep in mind this will be a second burner. My king kooker already does a fab job.

BTW this will be used for 10 gallon batches :)
 
The only downside I can think of is that it's too short to rack into a carboy from unless you elevate it. I find that a cinderblock laying on it's side for each side of the burner does the trick perfectly.
 
I've been using it for a while, and I like it better than the Banjo. Very easy to control the flame, and it seems to run a lot cleaner. Plenty big and robust to hold a keggle. As you know, I've just been doing five gallon batches, but it brings those to a boil quickly enough where I have no doubt it'll work well for 10 (I know lots of others use it for bigger batches).

Is this to be integrated into the Basement Brewery, or is this for a portable setup?

EDIT: You want to borrow mine and see how you like it?
 
hollowdp said:
The only downside I can think of is that it's too short to rack into a carboy from unless you elevate it. I find that a cinderblock laying on it's side for each side of the burner does the trick perfectly.
Click to expand...
Sounds like an easy enough work around. I already have cinder blocks in place so I can rack to my 14.5 gal conical.
the_bird said:
Is this to be integrated into the Basement Brewery, or is this for a portable setup?
EDIT: You want to borrow mine and see how you like it?
Click to expand...
It will be used mostly in the basement brewery, but also as a portable set-up for brewing and picnics. Seems to be a much more low profile unit then my king kooker.
I got to thinking about this after reading about Evan!'s double batch day. I figure I could brew up 20 gallons, and it would only add about 90-120 minutes to my brewday.
As far as borrowing yours, let me get back to you on that. :mug:
 
I have no complaints about mine other than having to move the brew kettle to fill the fermenter. Not a big issue with 5G batches in my aluminum pot, but 10G batches would be a challenge.
 
I've been using the sq-14 for awhile and have no complaints about it. I will agree with the other replies that you have to put it on blocks if you want to siphon to your fermenter. The unit itself is nice, not very heavy yet plenty sturdy. I've brought mine to family picnics to use for cooking big pots of lobsters and other shellfish. I got mine for $45 including shipping off ebay, definitely worth the money IMO.
 
I have one, and a King Cooker. The SQ-14 is much more flimsy than the KC, but is probably adequate. The only real problem I have with it is the lack of a wind shield. On a couple of occasions, the flame has been blown out during the boil. (Only a problem on windy days.) One day, I'll get around to fabricating a wind shield for it

-a.
 
ajf said:
I have one, and a King Cooker. The SQ-14 is much more flimsy than the KC, but is probably adequate. The only real problem I have with it is the lack of a wind shield. On a couple of occasions, the flame has been blown out during the boil. (Only a problem on windy days.) One day, I'll get around to fabricating a wind shield for it

-a.
Click to expand...

Will a keggle fit on a King Cooker? I thought that one was ill-suited for keggles because of the circular base, but maybe i'm thinking of a different make.
 
My keggle's fit just fine on my King Kooker. In fact the model I have could easily support something wider in diameter then a keggle.
 
I just did my first all grain and first 11 gallon batch today with this burner, no problems at all getting 13 gallons to boil, and it boiled over easily at full throttle. Why would I need a bigger burner?
 
It works pretty well as long as there is no wind. I use mine in my basement. It's a walk out basement with a gazillion windows. I brew in front of an open sliding glass door and leave all the other windows open so I have no CO exposure and I do have a CO detector down there too. It works great for chicken wings too! I've done a batch of fifty or sixty wings with it and had no problem keeping the oil at 375* after putting in a whole sh1tload of cool wings in the hot oil.
 
I have an SQ-14 also and love it. I brew in the garage, so wind is not an issue. This thing is really easy on gas too, I think because it has a LP regulator, but heats up 7 gallons of wort in no time. I've been moving my kettle to the table for siphon, but the blocks are a good idea, I'll try that next time.
 
RayInUT said:
It works pretty well as long as there is no wind. I use mine in my basement. It's a walk out basement with a gazillion windows. I brew in front of an open sliding glass door and leave all the other windows open so I have no CO exposure and I do have a CO detector down there too. It works great for chicken wings too! I've done a batch of fifty or sixty wings with it and had no problem keeping the oil at 375* after putting in a whole sh1tload of cool wings in the hot oil.
Click to expand...

Here is a cheap and easy fix to the wind issue with the sq14, cost about 6 bucks.

05082009_01.jpg



05082009_05.jpg
 
masonsjax said:
Whiskey: I can't tell from the pics what that is, or how you went about attaching it. Could you elaborate please?
Click to expand...

Sorry about that...


It a "thimble wall adapter" they can be found in the heating and air section of Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Just had to cut a notch for the burners arm to sit in. The burner is holding it in, I have yet to permanently attach it.

Works fantastic.
 
springer said:
I hope you don't do wings inside the house.
Click to expand...
Where else would I do them??? I've used my SQ-14 in the kitchen on the floor to boil wort before when it got too windy on the deck. I do my wings in the basement though. I don't like to stink up the house with oil.
 
I've been using an SQ-14 for several years now and I think it is one of the best burners available. I switched out the OEM regulator for an adjustable 0-10 psi model. That mod improved the max output considerably.
 
RayInUT said:
Where else would I do them??? I've used my SQ-14 in the kitchen on the floor to boil wort before when it got too windy on the deck. I do my wings in the basement though. I don't like to stink up the house with oil.
Click to expand...

Dude Hot oil open flame in the house?! Good way to burn the house down. I use mine to fry turkeys too but never in the garage or house
 
I picked one up off Amazon last week for 39.99 including shipping due to a damaged box. It arrived in less than a week in perfect shape, except , of course, a slightly damaged box. There are deal out there to be had.
 
today, amazon has the SP10 marked down to $39.96 with free shipping. i was going to get that one last week when it was $54 and i'm glad i decided to wait.

however, the SQ14 has been marked UP to $66 now.
 
Love my Bayou Classic SQ-14, with water temp of 70 F (sunny FL), took me 1 hour to boil 11 Gallons in my keggle. Stand is pretty sturdy, I dragged it around with the 11 Gal. keggle on it. Things I like: it can hold my keggle stable, cheap, I usually do 5 Gal. so 55 K BTU's seemed fine, good flame control!

If I had a pot and not a keggle I might have went with taller one, making transfer to the carboy possible without moving the pot/keggle (I just happened to have an old metal chair in the patio... perfect height!)
 
Before I bought a pump, I made some leg extensions for my SQ-14 from sections of black iron pipe. These simply slip over the existing legs. You can have the pipe cut to the desired length. I think I used 1-1/4" ID black iron pipe for this mod. Now I pump everything, so they are no longer needed when brewing, but I do use them to elevate the burner when I use it for cooking on camping trips and such. The sections of pipe can also be used for self defense around the home and at the camp grounds if the situation should call for it.
 
Catt22 said:
Before I bought a pump, I made some leg extensions for my SQ-14 from sections of black iron pipe. These simply slip over the existing legs. You can have the pipe cut to the desired length. I think I used 1-1/4" ID black iron pipe for this mod. Now I pump everything, so they are no longer needed when brewing, but I do use them to elevate the burner when I use it for cooking on camping trips and such. The sections of pipe can also be used for self defense around the home and at the camp grounds if the situation should call for it.
Click to expand...

Wow, thats heavy duty! using a length of gas pipe as a defence weapon!:rockin: I usually just carry my Taurus Judge loaded with winchester PDX1 .410 shotshells.
 
azscoob said:
Wow, thats heavy duty! using a length of gas pipe as a defence weapon!:rockin: I usually just carry my Taurus Judge loaded with winchester PDX1 .410 shotshells.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong! I did not say that the pipe is my only self defense weapon. I keep my old 12 ga. Ithaca pump handy much of the time. I load it with #1 shot shells for general use. The barrel is a bit shorter now than it was when I used it for hunting, but not illegally so. The #1 shot sure can tear things up. I have some other firearms, but that's my favorite for defending the homestead. :D
 
Love my SQ-14. Holds my 15 gallon Polarware pot with ease, and I use a March pump for all liquid transfers, so height isn't an issue. Had some issues with wind and heating up the surface below the stand, so I used some leftover aluminum flashing and made a quick head shield that also nixed most wind issues.

02_21_09_0023.jpg


Plastic clamps used to hold the aluminum in place while I put in self tapping machine screws.

Have done 20 gallon brew days with consecutive 10 gallon batches through the system, and only needed the old 7 gallon pot and stand to heat strike and sparge water.

04_11_09_0029.jpg
 
Whisky: I was at Lowe's today and did not see anything labeled "Thimble Wall Adapter". You wouldn't happen to have the receipt and look up the SKU for me, would you? :) You said it's 6", I'm guessing diameter...how tall is it?

The salesperson hadn't even heard of one before...I wish I had the pic with me at the time.

I just got home and went to Lowes.com and they don't have one either...:confused::mad:

I have to go back to "the city" on Monday so I'll drop back in to see what they have compared to what your pictures are in your gallery.
 
+1 I'd love to buy one of those too.

And also, I don't suppose anyone knows the size of bolt that holds the "airflow adjuster" on the burner? My SQ14 didn't come with any...
 
I tried to do some research before asking this question and this was the best thread I could find, so I apologize if this has been discussed before. I got an SQ14 for Christmas and took it out of the box from Amazon today to put it all together and it appears it is missing a bolt/screw to attach the burner to the crossbar. It appears that this bolt would be the only thing that holds the burner to the stand and it didn't come with it in the box.

Also a couple things that I didn't know if it was normal or not: the first is the stand, the burner, and the regulator all come in separate packaging in the box. I'd assume this was normal but wasn't sure. Also, the stand doesn't have any Bayou Classic labeling on it like I see in all the pictures. This isn't a big deal to me as I'm sure it will just burn off but I'm wondering if maybe I got some knockoff.

Anyone have any similar issues/experiences with this burner? Thanks.
 
cincybrewer said:
I tried to do some research before asking this question and this was the best thread I could find, so I apologize if this has been discussed before. I got an SQ14 for Christmas and took it out of the box from Amazon today to put it all together and it appears it is missing a bolt/screw to attach the burner to the crossbar. It appears that this bolt would be the only thing that holds the burner to the stand and it didn't come with it in the box.

Also a couple things that I didn't know if it was normal or not: the first is the stand, the burner, and the regulator all come in separate packaging in the box. I'd assume this was normal but wasn't sure. Also, the stand doesn't have any Bayou Classic labeling on it like I see in all the pictures. This isn't a big deal to me as I'm sure it will just burn off but I'm wondering if maybe I got some knockoff.

Anyone have any similar issues/experiences with this burner? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yes, the single bolt is the only thing that holds the burner to the stand. You can buy a replacement at any hardware store for about 20 cents or so. I think it's 1/4 X 20 thread size. If in doubt, take the burner with you to the store.

IIRC, the Bayou Classic label is actually a metal tag held in place with two small rivets. The burner will function just fine without it, but it does raise some suspicion about the authenticity of the unit. Where did you buy it?

The regulators often come in a separate box packed inside the larger box along with the burner. Nothing to be alarmed about there.

Show us a pic and we can go from there if you'd like.
 
I just checked mine and:
-Yes, there is just that one bolt, you should have no issues getting it locally.
-Mine has the tag.

The tag deal is suspicious, but I wouldn't worry too much, as long as it works, some things about mine that are worth pointing out are:
-it regulates pretty good over a fairly wide range (lower flame to higher-more intense), although I'll admit the burner looks a little on the cheap side, although I think they are all like that (it looks like it has a cheap silver shinny paint -which hasn't come off yet-.
-I have done 10 Gal. batches without issues, although the stand will wobble a bit if you drag it around, so although the stand is sturdy I wouldn't go as far as to say it is super strong.

Hope this helps...happy new year!
 
IMO, the SQ-14 stand is super strong. I can safely and securely stand on top of it with a full mug of beer in each hand. It will easily support a full 15 gallon kettle and more.
 
cincybrewer said:
Here are some pictures that help. This is basically all that came with it. No Bayou labels or anything. I can get a screw but it leaves me a bit suspicious. I'll have to figure out what Amazon vendor it came from and give them a call since this was given to me as a gift.

http://picasaweb.google.com/scooter.lyons/Beer#5556129421224484386

http://picasaweb.google.com/scooter.lyons/Beer#5556129630723135874
Click to expand...

That appears to be the genuine article. If not, it's a damn good copy. It has the correct burner and the preferred adjustable regulator with the stainless steel clad gas supply line. Be happy. You have a good one.

I think that it may actually be a refurbished unit. The flat black paint is not original. They are usually painted in gloss black. The missing name tag is another hint. The tag was likely removed when it was painted, but I don't see any rivet holes either which makes me a little suspicious.

I would not be at all concerned. I think you have a good burner there whether or not it is absolutely OEM.
 
I used a metal coat hanger to wire the end of the burner to the edge of the frame just to make it a little more sturdy. To me the single tiny screw doesn't inspire much confidence. Otherwise, it's a great burner. It's quiet, plenty of output, and very easy on gas.
 

Similar threads

W
Bayou Classic cooker burner has too much orange
Replies
16
Views
6K
wahoowad
W
CallMeKiupid
Kiupid's Mead Guide for Beginners (like me)
Replies
3
Views
1K
Barzahl
B
Skåldy
A Hobby Obsessed Vet
Replies
6
Views
886
IslandLizard
IslandLizard
tennesseean_87
Recirc eBIAB Improvements: Whirpool Recirc, New Mill, Temp Probe, New Bag?
Replies
23
Views
2K
odie
odie
TristanLowery
Bayou Classic BG10 burner woes
Replies
15
Views
2K
billsteiner26
billsteiner26
CornyKegs 300

Latest posts

Back
Top