Recommended Burners

Good morning, home brewers.
I've been thinking of upgrading my equipment and the first thing I would like to get is a new burner. My old one was a cheap model and I've had it for 5 years now; I want to get something that will heat up hotter and leave less soot on the bottom of the pots. Plus, we might be starting to make larger batches (15 gallons) and/or all-grain in the near future, so I would rather buy something of that caliber now.
Thanks!

I'm interested as well! I currently boil water on a 'turkey burner' inside a converted keg. It takes a lot of time and am looking to cut that time down a little.

im gonna jump in here to. I use the stove top and it takes forever for the boil to start. i also have a keg im turning into a kettle. any recommendations would be very appreciated.

I have the Bayou SQ-10 burner. It is about 14-15 inches in diameter. It does a good job of heating up quickly - 7 gallons takes about 20 minutes. The only downside to this is if your pot is not fully flat (keg) then it might not sit well on the circular burner. If thats the case I think the a lot of people use the SQ-14 which is square.

This is mine:

The Bayou Classic SQ-14 would be my choice. I have one and prefer by far over the other two that I have:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009JXYQ4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

It's the all around best burner for the typical home brewer IMO and the price is right as well.

I have a bayou classic sq-14 and i hate it.

The first time I used it, it fired, but I couldn't get it to fire HARD, it would barely boil my wort, and so on... my husband cleaned it out and got it to work, and it was fine until New Year's eve brew... It wouldn't fire at all. I could hear propane coming out, and it would light, but the flame wouldn't hold. I tried poking out the holes, in case they were clogged, but that didn't work. I'm going to have hubby the chef look at it again (he's used to dealing with burners), but my hopes are not high.

So did I get a bad one? I'm not sure I want to go buying another since this one was crap, but if it was a single "bad" unit, and most people don't have a problem with theirs, I might give it the benefit of the doubt. Or is there an alternative that anyone could recommend?

marcycaulkins said:

I have a bayou classic sq-14 and i hate it.

The first time I used it, it fired, but I couldn't get it to fire HARD, it would barely boil my wort, and so on... my husband cleaned it out and got it to work, and it was fine until New Year's eve brew... It wouldn't fire at all. I could hear propane coming out, and it would light, but the flame wouldn't hold. I tried poking out the holes, in case they were clogged, but that didn't work. I'm going to have hubby the chef look at it again (he's used to dealing with burners), but my hopes are not high.

So did I get a bad one? I'm not sure I want to go buying another since this one was crap, but if it was a single "bad" unit, and most people don't have a problem with theirs, I might give it the benefit of the doubt. Or is there an alternative that anyone could recommend?

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These burners are rather simple appliances and there's not a lot that can go wrong. The regulator is pretty much the only thing that can malfunction other than the tank itself. I would disconnect the burner from the tank and start over being sure to turn the tank valve on BEFORE turning on the burner valve. Check the obvious things like having fuel in the tank. If you are still having problems, remove the supply hose from the burner casting and check to be sure that the gas orifice is not plugged. Gas should flow freely through the tiny orifice when you open the regulator control knob. If not, you may have a plugged or partially obstructed orifice.

The only thing I haven't done is remove the supply hose from the burner casting. I did try a brand new full tank, and I always open the tank valve first. My husband seemed to suspect a leak in the line, but he hasn't had a chance to test it.

The other possibility is that I was being an idiot and rushing that night, so it might decide to be just fine when I try it again.

marcycaulkins said:

The only thing I haven't done is remove the supply hose from the burner casting. I did try a brand new full tank, and I always open the tank valve first. My husband seemed to suspect a leak in the line, but he hasn't had a chance to test it.

The other possibility is that I was being an idiot and rushing that night, so it might decide to be just fine when I try it again.

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Yes, open the tank valve first, but be sure that the regulator knob is fully closed first (turns counter-clockwise to close), otherwise you risk tripping the anti-surge mechanism which will drastically reduce the gas flow until you reset it. This is a very common problem. It is very unlikely that the supply hose is leaking. It could be, but just not very likely IMO.

My SQ 14 has been very good and reliable. I have had to clean it a couple of times but I have had now for 2+ years. I boil 14 to 15 gallons on it without to much effort.

brettwasbtd said:

I have the Bayou SQ-10 burner. It is about 14-15 inches in diameter. It does a good job of heating up quickly - 7 gallons takes about 20 minutes. The only downside to this is if your pot is not fully flat (keg) then it might not sit well on the circular burner. If thats the case I think the a lot of people use the SQ-14 which is square.

This is mine:

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I have this burner as well! Its great. Definitely recommend

Thanks! I'm going to upgrade my burner with the Bayou Classic with the Bayou Cast Iron high pressure:

FensterBos said:

Thanks! I'm going to upgrade my burner with the Bayou Classic with the Bayou Cast Iron high pressure:

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Excellent choice IMO! Use it with an adjustable pressure regulator for best performance. (0-10 psi or 0-15 psi would be my pick)

the biggest bang for the buck is the jet style burners like the like the SP1 this thing is wicked powerful but it's also super loud. Sounds just like a jet engine.

The mac daddy of all burners is the KAB6 Super hot, easy to control and whisper quite.

I have one of each.

maida7 said:

the biggest bang for the buck is the jet style burners like the like the SP1 this thing is wicked powerful but it's also super loud. Sounds just like a jet engine.

The mac daddy of all burners is the KAB6 Super hot, easy to control and whisper quite.

I have one of each.

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The SP-1 jet burner would be near the bottom of my list of choices. They are loud, tend to concentrate the heat in a small area and they don't burn very efficiently.

The KAB6 certainly puts out a lot of heat, but it wastes a lot of fuel in the process. It would be OK for a boil kettle, but too powerful for use on a direct fired MT IMO.

I still think the SQ-14 would be the all around best burner for most homebrewers.

Catt22 said:

The SP-1 jet burner would be near the bottom of my list of choices. They are loud, tend to concentrate the heat in a small area and they don't burn very efficiently.

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I agree it's loud but it's very affordable and works very well. At 185,000 BTU it's plenty strong for even big 10 or 15 gallon batches. It can be use like a jet or you can spread the flame out with the deflector plate. Lastly, I'm not sure what you mean by "does not burn very efficiently". Propane makes the same amount of heat no matter how you burn it. Your pot and how well the heat it absorbs has more bearing the efficiency then the burner.

Catt22 said:

The KAB6 certainly puts out a lot of heat, but it wastes a lot of fuel in the process. It would be OK for a boil kettle, but too powerful for use on a direct fired MT IMO.

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Once again there is no fuel wasted. all the fuel gets burned. It's simple math fuel burned = heat. too powerful? How so? You do know it comes with a knob that allows you to dial the flames down to whatever level you want.

Catt22 said:

I still think the SQ-14 would be the all around best burner for most homebrewers.

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This is also a nice burner. My good friend has one and it works well for his 5 gallon batches. But it's much less powerful then most of the others on the market. It will do a 10 gallon batch but it takes a bit more time. It's certainly a good burner. Kinda middle of the road between price and power. The stand is strong and wide enough to hold a keggle. If your doing anything larger then 10 gallon batches I'd go with the stronger and more powerful KAB4 or 6.

I agree it's loud but it's very affordable and works very well. At 185,000 BTU it's plenty strong for even big 10 or 15 gallon batches. It can be use like a jet or you can spread the flame out with the deflector plate. Lastly, I'm not sure what you mean by "does not burn very efficiently". Propane makes the same amount of heat no matter how you burn it. Your pot and how well the heat it absorbs has more bearing the efficiency then the burner."

I've never believed the 185.000 but/hr claims. Most btu ratings are highly exaggerated and there are no regulations preventing the mfg from doing so. Run a burner at that rate and most of the heat will escape out the sides anyway. It's a case of diminishing returns. You'll use a lot more fuel but you won't get a lot more heat into the kettle contents. IOW, it's not an even trade at all. Regarding an efficient burn, I mean that comparatively, my SQ-14 uses considerably less fuel than the jet burner I once had for an equivalent boil. Sure you can use a diffuser plate, but why not get a better burner to begin with and be done with it.

"Once again there is no fuel wasted. all the fuel gets burned. It's simple math fuel burned = heat. too powerful? How so? You do know it comes with a knob that allows you to dial the flames down to whatever level you want."

Nonsense. Yes, burning a given amount of fuel will generally produce a given amount of heat, but once again, heat applied over and above what the kettle will absorb escapes out the sides of the burner and is wasted. The problem I experienced with the Banjo was that it puts out a huge amount of heat even at very low settings. Turn it down to a usable level and the flame becomes so feeble that even the slightest breeze will blow it out. These burners are somewhat OK for an HLT or even a BK, but totally too hot to use with a direct fired mash tun. They would, however, be a good choice for a very large kettle. I'm going to be using one this weekend to boil some 30+ gallons in a stainless steel 55 gallon drum. I think it will work well for that job.

"This is also a nice burner. My good friend has one and it works well for his 5 gallon batches. But it's much less powerful then most of the others on the market. It will do a 10 gallon batch but it takes a bit more time. It's certainly a good burner. Kinda middle of the road between price and power. The stand is strong and wide enough to hold a keggle. If your doing anything larger then 10 gallon batches I'd go with the stronger and more powerful KAB4 or 6."

I regularly boil 14 gallons in a converted keg with my SQ-14 no problem at all. It will easily maintain the boil at about 1/3rd throttle or so.

I have a Blichmann burner and it is great. My regulator broke and I emailed Blichmann to see where I could buy a replacement but they sent me one instead fast and free. The burner is huge and efficient and did not leave any soot. It was pricey, but the quality is top notch. Also, the wind has little effect on the burner.

I upgraded to a KAB4 last year and it was one of the best things I have ever done in my 7 years of brewing. It's cut a lot of time off of my brewing day due to the rapid rate at which it heats water and gets the wort boiling. Plus, you maintain a nice rolling boil with very little fuel.

Now, a caveat. As was discussed here, the height difference between the burner and the pot is a bit large:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/burner-question-kab4-108477/

However, I spent $20 at a local welding shop and had the height reduced:

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=88514&hilit=KAB4&start=15

Now, I have $88 into it. I cannot imagine a more powerful burner. Oh yeah, it's silent too.