Can't decide: BG12 or BG14 burners

Good Morning.....

I have decided to tackle a single tier/3 burner stand, but I am really struggling with the choice of burners...... I have read and in some cases re-read tons of posts about burners and I am just not sure what to do. I will be using keggles and doing mostly 5 gallon batches, but I want the ability to do 10 gallon batches as well.

I want a burner that is efficient (doesn't waste gas), powerful (time is important), and relatively quiet (this is important!). I've been using a BG10 burner on my SP-10 stand to do extact and the noise level is annoying to me.

I have seen a lot of people say that the BG14's are way overkill and use a crazy amount of propane, but that they are hot and quiet.

The BG12 seems like a good compromise between all the things I want, but they don't heat as fast due to much lower BTU's.

I'm stuck....... Anyone have anything to point out that I am not thinking of? Or, am I incorrect about the assumptions above?

Talk me through this, I only want to buy these things once......

I'm going to start welding tomorrow and would like to order the burners so I can have them for the end of next week.

Thanks in advance!

The BG-14's are good choices for HLT and BK burners if you want to go the automation or NG route later, the BG-12 is the right size for the MT.
If the burner you have is noisy then that indicates too much air, close the air shutter until the tips of the flame start to show yellow, that is max efficiency, and it should be quiet then.

Thanks kladue. If I never intend to automate,does that change your response?

Also, how would I run bg14's and bg12's off of the same regulator since they are set to run on different pressures? Would i just control the flow with ball/needle valves pre burner?

Start out with low pressure LP, conversion after the fact is painless, just add honeywell valves and pilots, the rest of the plumbing and burner jets remain the same. High to low conversion for the burners is $8 valve from Williams brew supply, and 5 minutes to change.

No trying to steal your thread just need the same info.
I already have one bg12 to work with and after pricing out the bg14 or bg12 a flexable hose and a needle valve and a regulator it is just as cheap to by the whole thing as one unit.
Have you thought about running a different adjustable regulator, the ones that come with the burner set, for each burner? If you did would you still need a regulator at the tank? Can the tank connection be removed from the regulator and piped into a manifold and then one hose go to the propan tank to feed all three burners? Would a 40lb tank handle 3 burners better then a 20lb tank?
I had my rack welded to accept these burners and they can be welded in place. Coneccted them to one 3/8" black pipe manifold and one flexable hose to the tank.
Again sorry for asking all these questions g-love

The BG-14 burners are available from AGSupply for around $30, low pressure valve/gas jet for $8, and low pressure metal flex connectors from HD/Lowes. Starting with 1 160K btu low pressure regulator feeding a 1/2" pipe manifold you can run a typical 3 burner single tier system without problems as usually only 2 burners are running at same time. Lower pressure reduces maximum burner output to a point which is more than needed in most cases, and is much easier to fine tune fire levels. By the time you invest in multiple high pressure regulators you will have spent much more than working with low pressure system which is easily automated later. The size of the propane cylinder will make a difference with cylinder pressure under load, the larger the surface area, the greater the heat transfer needed to boil the liquid propane into gas for the burners and keep pressure up for high pressure system regulators.

No worries ToManyHobbies..... I am still trying to wade through all of this. I am relatively handy and mechanical, but I've never mess with propane before..... I'm just as interested in the answers to your questions....

There are a number of "Brutus" clones found here that have used both the BG-12 and BG-14 burners, some high pressure, most low pressure. If you are mechanically inclined then building and automating are not that difficult as all the parts are off the shelf. The gas plumbing parts can be found at the big box building supply stores, 24V transformers ,gas valves and pilots from "PEX Supply", conversion jets from "Williams Brew supply". A budget figure for standing pilot gas valve, pilot burner, and thermocouple for valve is around $80 per burner, typically HLT and MT burners. If you start with BG-14 burners then if the opportunity to switch to NG comes along it is just a matter of changing gas jets, pilot burner orifices, and control valve springs to change from low pressure propane to NG, about 1 hours worth of work. Having a mega burner under a keg creates impressive flame display up the sides, but the reality is once the flame leaves the bottom of the keg no additional usefull work is being done and all the external keg parts get burnt up. Cutting vents in the keg skirt lets you direct heat away from work area and makes the burners run better, but you need to be tuned for minimum excess air through the burner (yellow tip flames), to get maximum heating.

Thanks Kladue. This information is helpful! I'm going to let this marinate today and see how I'm feeling about it tonight when I sit down to order my burners. I'll make the decision then. I am pretty sure I am not interested in automation at this point, but I will more than likely go with the burner set up you suggested. (2- BG14's and 1-BG12).

Ok.... Just an update. I just purchased the setup we had been talking about (2- BG14's and 1-BG12). I have only purchased the burners at this point. I'll get all the other hookup stuff later....

G-Love, how did it turn out? I am about to build a weldless single teir three burner stand with the BG14s and go to NG. I assume all i need is the burners, conversion kit and hose to my NG supply.

Man... I don't have anything to report at this point. I welded the stand and have my burners sitting in the garage, but I haven't had time to get everything hooked up. Work, grad school, and fatherhood are spreading me pretty thin.

Were you able to make any progress in installing the burners? I was planning on going almost the same route as you - if so, how is the banjo working at low pressures?

Is anyone sucessfully using the BG12 with the NG valve from Williams?

I ended up saying F it, selling the burners and building an all electric rig which I'm very close to finishing.

A thread back from the dead!

There might be some info here! Also Nice to see a fellow Orlando Brewer!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/bg12-burner-use-natural-gas-system-287386/

Yeah, I was thinking that it would be a way to save a couple of bucks, but after posting I read several more threads, and think I'm gonna go the BG14 route for all three, and throttle back with a ball valve since that's what most people are doing. If it ain't broke, don't fix it right? Plus if I have a problem, I'm more likely to get a response because everyone knows how a 3 BG14 rig should act.

I'm not technically from Orlando, in in Leesburg, am hour north of there, just put that as location because everyone knows where it is due to the mouse house. I still have to drive to Orlando or Sanford for supplies though