help me understand propane burners, and check some out...

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Zymurgrafi

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Okay, first thanks folks for bearing with me on my other related threads. I am pretty clueless about all this stuff. If I want to bbq or anything, I make a fire.

Yeah, I am primitive. So I do not understand all this "modern" fire stuff but am an eager learner... okay.

So, can someone explain the basics of the different types of propaen burners, regulators, types of propane, etc. in terms a neandrathal such as myself might understand :confused: uh, me like fire.

and also, I came across a couple of burners on craigslist. I was going to post the pic but I cannot find the ad anymore. They were pretty industrial looking and the guy wants$75 each. Any advice on checking them out? I will go have a look next week but I am not confident I can estimate their potential.

Thanks again for helpin' out this clueless fool. :D
 
I probably know about as much about propane burners as you do. i.e. very little, but I've had three over the past 14 years. They have all been adequate heat wise for 5g brews, and could probably also handle 10g brews as well.

I bought burner #1 14 years ago. It looks very much like
http://www.brew-winemaking.com/productimages/4072.jpg
and gave me about 3 - 4 batches per gallon.

Two years ago, I replaced it with the Karp’s Special King Cooker see http://www.homebrewshop.com/ and look under equipment.
This is advertised as 175,000 BTU, and has a really solid frame. This one gives me about 6 batches per tank of propane. However, see http://pivo.northernbrewer.com/nbstore/action/search-do?searchTerm=king+cooker
This looks identical to mine, but advertised 55,000 BTU.

Too weeks ago, SWMBO parked her car on the connector between the tank and the burner, shattering the connector. As I couldn't get a new connector, I had to buy a new burner. (I found this out between the sparge and the boil).

I bought https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=29426
BTU wise, it's more than adequate ( advertised as 150,000 BTU), but the frame is downright pathetic. I certainly wouldn't trust a 10g batch on this burner.

I don't know how much propane this burner uses yet as I've only done two batches with it. If it turns out to me more efficient than the King Cooker, I'll try mounting the burner in the King Cooker frame. Otherwise, I'll go back to the King Cooker (I managed to get a new connector on Friday).

Hope this helps

-a.
 
OK. I'll give it a whack.

There are 2 things to consider, the regulator pressure and the burner design. Some will only work with 10 psi (low pressure), some will work with either low or a 20 psi (high pressure), and then you've got the banjo burner that's designed for a 30 psi regulator.

Note the following descriptions come directly from www.bayouclassicdepot.com

Starting w/ the most common burner type. It's sold by many different people with different ratings. The difference is the regulator that comes with it. BTW - I've got 3 of these w/ a 10 psi regulator and they work fine on my brew stand for 10 gal batches.

bcbg10_cast_iron_propane_cast_burner.jpg


The High Pressure Cast Iron Burner replaces the Bayou Classic propane burners in the round burner frames. This particular high pressure cast iron burner can handle a higher heat then our fry burner and a regulator with a higher PSI. This burner gives off a blue high heat flame. The face of this cast iron burner measures 4 inches in diameter.

Now the less common, potentially less powerful fry burner.

bcbg12_cast_iron_propane_cast_burner.jpg


The Bayou Classic high pressure cast iron fry burner is considered a high pressure burner but in Cajun terms is low pressure. This cast iron fry burner performs well when used with 10 PSI regulators. If you put a higher BTU, the flame is less controllable. You will also have an issue with the burner receiving too much propane, which will result in your flame blowing itself out. We do use this burner in the SQ14 propane outdoor cookers and 1114 stainless steel propane outdoor cookers. The face of this cast iron burner measures 5 1/2 inches in diameter.

And then of course the banjo burner.

bcbg14_large_cast_propane_burner.jpg


The Bayou Classic High Pressure Banjo Burner is one of Bayou Classic’s most powerful cast iron burners. This cast iron burner is the same burner found in the KAB4 outdoor propane burner. The BTUs of this burner can produce over 210,000 BTUs plus! In order to obtain a nice, crisp flame, you will need at least 20 PSI regulator. For best results, we suggest purchasing a regulator (7850, 0-30 PSI), a propane hose (7906, 7908, 7910) and orifice (5235). The face of this cast iron burner measures 10 inches in diameter.

Hope that helps a little. Cheers!
 
So I don't know a lot about propane stuff either. I know it is great to grill on (easy on/off) and I just bought the cheapest turkey fryer I could get at Wal-Mart. This had the burner like the first one pictured above. I figure if it is good enough to get a pot of oil up to 350 or whatever if should have no problem boiling water. I was right. I never planned on doing full boils, but after collecting all the run-off of my first mini mash I had nearly 5 gallons which boiled quicker than I can get a big pot of water to boil when I am making pasta.

So my inexperiences opinion is if it is good enough to fry turkey it is probably good enough to make beer. Now if you are doing 10 gallons or something crazy like that you will want something with "more power."
 
Lil' Sparky said:
OK. I'll give it a whack.

There are 2 things to consider, the regulator pressure and the burner design. Some will only work with 10 psi (low pressure), some will work with either low or a 20 psi (high pressure), and then you've got the banjo burner that's designed for a 30 psi regulator.

Note the following descriptions come directly from www.bayouclassic.com

Starting w/ the most common burner type. It's sold by many different people with different ratings. The difference is the regulator that comes with it. BTW - I've got 3 of these w/ a 10 psi regulator and they work fine on my brew stand for 10 gal batches.

bcbg10_cast_iron_propane_cast_burner.jpg


The High Pressure Cast Iron Burner replaces the Bayou Classic propane burners in the round burner frames. This particular high pressure cast iron burner can handle a higher heat then our fry burner and a regulator with a higher PSI. This burner gives off a blue high heat flame. The face of this cast iron burner measures 4 inches in diameter.

Now the less common, potentially less powerful fry burner.

bcbg12_cast_iron_propane_cast_burner.jpg


The Bayou Classic high pressure cast iron fry burner is considered a high pressure burner but in Cajun terms is low pressure. This cast iron fry burner performs well when used with 10 PSI regulators. If you put a higher BTU, the flame is less controllable. You will also have an issue with the burner receiving too much propane, which will result in your flame blowing itself out. We do use this burner in the SQ14 propane outdoor cookers and 1114 stainless steel propane outdoor cookers. The face of this cast iron burner measures 5 1/2 inches in diameter.

And then of course the banjo burner.

bcbg14_large_cast_propane_burner.jpg


The Bayou Classic High Pressure Banjo Burner is one of Bayou Classic’s most powerful cast iron burners. This cast iron burner is the same burner found in the KAB4 outdoor propane burner. The BTUs of this burner can produce over 210,000 BTUs plus! In order to obtain a nice, crisp flame, you will need at least 20 PSI regulator. For best results, we suggest purchasing a regulator (7850, 0-30 PSI), a propane hose (7906, 7908, 7910) and orifice (5235). The face of this cast iron burner measures 10 inches in diameter.

Hope that helps a little. Cheers!

Interesting! A football website gave you all this information? Was it found under the tailgating section? LOL! Sorry! I couldn't resist. Bayou Classic Fryers I'm assuming this was the link you were trying to post. :mug:
 
um, still lost I am afraid. Thanks for trying. I guess I need more specific questions. Which the explanations thus far have helped me to narrow in on a litte. I think...

Um, start with propane. There appears to be 2 types of propane? High and low pressure rated? Am I way off here? Remember I have never bought propane except for my household stove/water heater etc. and I have no idea other than the tank gets filled a few times a year and I get billed. Oh and propane torches.

Okay, burner unit. Blow torch type not yet shown but basically just a pipe like a propane torch blows gas and burns. Not very efficient. Yes?

Than you have the round cast iron ones with holes around the face more like a stove top? Now these put the gas out at different pressures? Pressure effects efficiency or heat output? Or is pressure only controlled by the regulator??? :confused: :confused: :confused:

Okay, I am a lost cause here... Thanks for your patience!
 
wish I could find the pics of those beasts I found on craigslist. They looked pretty heavy duty or at least the frames were super solid possibly custom welded. NO idea about the burner though.
 
OK, are you looking to buy just the burner (to hook up to a brew sculpture or something), or are you looking for the whole setup, with a burner housed in a frame, with a regulator, and all of that?

For the latter, I really, really like the Bayou Classic Banjo Cooker (which is also referred to as Kick-A). Look in my gallery for a pic (if you can spot the burner in the photo). I paid $65 for it, I think it may have jumped to $90, but it's awesome. Everyone else who has it seems to love it. It's got a high-pressure regulator. It throws off a ton of BTUs, 210k. The frame is plenty strong to hold a full keggle (although it's a little small). The only thing it's not great for is doing a step-mash or anything that requires a REAL delicate touch with the heat. It's very quiet, and seems to be about-average with its propane usage. I'm not sure what you would call it, but it's not the blowtorch kind.

Now, if you're looking to build your own setup and want to bold/weld just the burner part in place, sorry, I can't help you there; sorry to waste your time ;)
 
I think the thing you need to decide is whether you want to run off a portable 20lb tank or your house propane. I have natural gas at my house so I don't know much about whole house propane. Does the house have a central regulator to get the pressure down to 20/30psi for your appliances? I'd imagine so. In that case, you can have a plumber run another line to your brewing location. Hey, no dragging empty tanks for exchanges!

You can buy a burner and stand together or you can buy just the burner and build it into a DIY brewstand. Many options. By the way, when they say low or high pressure, I believe a 10psi reg is considered "low" and 20 or 30 psi regs are "high".
 
knights of Gambrinus said:
um, still lost I am afraid. Thanks for trying. I guess I need more specific questions. Which the explanations thus far have helped me to narrow in on a litte. I think...

Um, start with propane. There appears to be 2 types of propane? High and low pressure rated? Am I way off here? Remember I have never bought propane except for my household stove/water heater etc. and I have no idea other than the tank gets filled a few times a year and I get billed. Oh and propane torches.

Okay, burner unit. Blow torch type not yet shown but basically just a pipe like a propane torch blows gas and burns. Not very efficient. Yes?

Than you have the round cast iron ones with holes around the face more like a stove top? Now these put the gas out at different pressures? Pressure effects efficiency or heat output? Or is pressure only controlled by the regulator??? :confused: :confused: :confused:

Okay, I am a lost cause here... Thanks for your patience!

I was just showing the typical burners installed in most turkey fryer setups and explain the difference. I didn't show the jet burner you had asked about before because it basically sucks. ;)

There's not different kinds of propane, the regulator determines the psi, and most of them have an adjustment knob. The psi rating is the max that the regulator will allow, but most often you won't need it wide open. The higher the psi rating, the more propane will flow, and the more potential heat from your burner. However, if you use a regulator rated higher than what the burner is designed for, it won't work right at WFO.

Are we getting anywhere?
 
okay, starting to see... I think.

To clarify for you folks what I need (guess I should have started there!)

5 gallon batches. Saving for an 8 gallon brewpot, maybe a keggle in the distant future (where the hell do you find a keg around here??? Don't want to ship one...)

um, self contained unit, i.e. stand and all, no I am not making a brew stand/sculpture. Hey, if I barely know anything about propane it would be a bad idea for me to be welding ;) I did some oxy/acetylene once... I sucked at it.

Portable tank, I do not really want to mess with hooking up to my house tank. I have no idea if there is a central regulator for my house propane.

Would prefer to spend less than $50


Think that covers it.
 
Lil' Sparky said:
Oh, and I didn't mention this type, because I know it would really blow your mind. ;) I need some of these!!

2689.jpg

okay that looks just plain ludicrous :fro:

Is that cooking or space travel?!!!
 
Buy a turkey fryer - nothing more complicated than that. For $50, you get an aluminum pot (don't worry about the naysayers, it's fine). When money allows, you can upgrade to a nicer SS pot, but the big AL pot will always be nice to have around for heating sparge water, etc.

Unfortunately, your timing is off; after Xmas, seems like basic turkey fryer kits were running for $30 - $40 at most places.

Factor the cost of a propane tank into the equation, too. I do the Blue Rhino deal where I swap tanks - the swaps are only like $16, but you've got to drop $46 when you get the first tank to cover the deposit. Ideally, you'll have two tanks so that you can run one dry and not worry about running out mid-boil. Investing in two tanks will save you money in the end, since you won't be returning tanks that still have a half-hour of burn left in them.
 
the_bird said:
Buy a turkey fryer - nothing more complicated than that. For $50, you get an aluminum pot (don't worry about the naysayers, it's fine). When money allows, you can upgrade to a nicer SS pot, but the big AL pot will always be nice to have around for heating sparge water, etc.

Unfortunately, your timing is off; after Xmas, seems like basic turkey fryer kits were running for $30 - $40 at most places.

Factor the cost of a propane tank into the equation, too. I do the Blue Rhino deal where I swap tanks - the swaps are only like $16, but you've got to drop $46 when you get the first tank to cover the deposit. Ideally, you'll have two tanks so that you can run one dry and not worry about running out mid-boil. Investing in two tanks will save you money in the end, since you won't be returning tanks that still have a half-hour of burn left in them.
x2. If you've got an Academy, Home Depot, or Lowes around, you'll be able to make this happen for < $50. The last time I checked at our Walmart, they weren't stocking them because they're "seasonal". If you've got a Costco they also have some good deals sometimes.
 
OK, high pressure is considered anything over the normal operating PSI of a house (0.5 - 2.somethhing). All Bayou Classic outdoor cookers are considered high pressure. The three burners listed above are BG10 4", BG12 6", BG14 10". Either of these burners will boil a 60 Qt. pot. However, the BG12 is considered what many people call a high/low burner. Meaning this burner is easier to control at a low setting. If you were doing a lot of simmering or pan frying this would be your best bet, BUT WE'RE BREWING BEER. (this burner operates best off of a 10 PSI regulator.

The BG10 4" burner is a great all around burner able to run up to a 20 PSI regulator, and good to get a medium sized pot (36 - 60 Qt.) up to boil quickly if needed. They are in stock at the manufacturer, and I would recommend the M5HPR-1 20 PSI Hose/regulator/valve assembly, which has an orifice built on to it. This is the setup found in their model SP10 gas cooker (which is out of stock, but I might have one around the office). Expected in stock soon.

The BG14 10" burner is a bad mother. It increases the surface area of the fire, and has a much larger BTU rating. It normally runs a 30 PSI regulator, and should put off plenty of heat to boil most stockpots or kegs out there. However the BG14 is out of stock from the manufacturer right now. FYI the 5235 orifice does not fit. The KAB4 is the hottest cooker they offer, but it is out of stock and should be in within a month.


Over the years we have had a lot of people try to hook their outdoor gas cooker to their existing home propane tanks. Most of them were not successful. I recommend buying a regular 20 lb. propane tank (like for a grill). This will allow you to brew in a safe location without burning your house down.

Also, if you can wait until the KAB4 "Banjo Cooker" is in stock this will solve a lot of your problems, and you will have a ready to go unit minus a propane tank. I sell them for about $70, but there are many sellers on the Internet. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
There are no conversions for natural gas at this time.

Sorry The tread was to a 15 PSI regulator, but I have changed it now.
 
You need this

and

this

The second one only has to be 5 gallons. Tell them at the store you need a full one and they will fill it or send you somewhere to fill it. Even better, have the guy who fills the one at your house fill it. If you can hook up the hose to your home tank, you don't need the tank. That stuff above comes with everything you need to make it work. Just screw the tank to the burner and you are set! Even comes with a pot big enough to do full 5g boils.
 
I've been looking into burners too and here is what I found out.

The BG10, BG12, and BG14 burners with;
10psi regulator will give you 65k BTU
15psi regulator will give you 120k BTU
20psi regulator will give you 185k BTU

The BG14 can take a 30psi regulator and give you 210k BTU.

My local expert said he would use the higher BTU's for the HLT since your only warming water and speed may be important. He also suggested using less BTU's for the boil kettle so you don't camelize the wort on the bottom.
So I guess the regulator is the most important for determining BTU's and the burner selection is less important, selection depends on surface area you want to heat.

FWIW,
Dave
 
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