Burner Question

Before I went on sabbatical I had a burner that was rated at 300KBTU. It sounded like a jet taking off. I found that my turkey fryer ain't got what it takes to get a boil going so I was hunting for a new one.

I found this one that seems pretty good:

Bayou Double Jet Propane Burner
Item #: SP40
Retail: $150.00
Our Price: $99.99

Not being "current" on all the equipment available these days I kinda wanted to get a sanity-check on my purchase.

What does the collective think? Or are there other gems I might be missing?

I wasnt too familiar with that burner so I did a little looking online. According to amazon it operates at 185k btu.

Another popular option (but one that is often listed as "overkill") is the KAB4. It operates at 210k btu, but has been noted to run through propane rather fast. It looks like it is comparable in price to the SP40.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JXYQY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


Another popular option is the SQ14. It's cheaper than the SP40 or the KAB4, and uses less propane. It operates at 50k btu but people note that it can bring the keggles up to a nice boil.

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

I myself am in the market to get a burner and haven't made up my mind yet so I'd be interested in seeing what other people have to say too.

That burner is also going to be really loud and they are not very efficient.


I have some friends that are very happy with their KAB4 and KAB6. I have the Blichmann Floor Burner and love it.

I just bought a Blichmann and LOVE it! Super fast boil times, whisper quiet, propane sipping, and easy to control steady heat. I highly recommend it. It was expensive and I was hesitant to buy it because of cost, but it should last me a super long time as it is built like a tank.

PJoyce85 said:

That burner is also going to be really loud and they are not very efficient.

I have some friends that are very happy with their KAB4 and KAB6. I have the Blichmann Floor Burner and love it.

Click to expand...

The heartburn I have with the fancier ones (Blichman) is that a guy REALLY seems to be paying for the name (and the SS of course). For instance there does not seem to be a functional difference between the "Kick A Banjo Burner Plus" at $98 and the "Blichmann Floor Burner" at $149.

I am aware that the "jet" burners are less efficient, but then again that one I had way back when was FAST. Making a 1/2 BBL batch was pretty nice on that.

So many choices!

AVLbrewing said:

Another popular option is the SQ14. It's cheaper than the SP40 or the KAB4, and uses less propane. It operates at 50k btu but people note that it can bring the keggles up to a nice boil.

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

I myself am in the market to get a burner and haven't made up my mind yet so I'd be interested in seeing what other people have to say too.

Click to expand...

Well I can tell you that particular one is less than impressive. That's basically the one I have for my Turkey fryer and it's fine for temperate weather but I was unable to get a boil going the other day when it was snowing.

Some folks may be able to plan around weather better than I ... they are lucky.

LBussy said:

The heartburn I have with the fancier ones (Blichman) is that a guy REALLY seems to be paying for the name (and the SS of course). For instance there does not seem to be a functional difference between the "Kick A Banjo Burner Plus" at $98 and the "Blichmann Floor Burner" at $149.

I am aware that the "jet" burners are less efficient, but then again that one I had way back when was FAST. Making a 1/2 BBL batch was pretty nice on that.

Click to expand...

They are functionally different. While you are paying for the stainless (and a bit for the name) with the Blichmann, simply looking at the 2 will show they are different.

There is a lot more "air" between the burner and the kettle with the KAB series of burners leading to decreased wind performance, decreased heat transfer and ultimately, lower gas efficiency. They have the same burner, but the mount/stand design does make a difference.

Also, the BTU rating of the KAB is the output of the burner, but because of the amount of space between the burner and the kettle, the actual heat transfer to the kettle is significantly lower.

But as I said, my friends are very happy with theirs and I am happy with my choice.

I mauled over the same options when I was researching for a new burner.

My grandfather always said to buy the best tools and you'd never be unhappy afterwards. I just have to sneak up on that eventuality I guess.

My dad said the same. You get what you pay for.

I have adopted this mentality for brewing as I have wasted a lot of money going the inexpensive route just to buy the more expensive item a few months down the road.

Good luck

I'm really happy with SQ14 and have used it for a year now. Just added a windscreen and BK heat shield. You may not need the windscreen/heat shield with the Blichmann.