blichmann?

New to brewing, starting to assemble my kit. should I start of with the Blichmann burner? I have heard lots of good things. Dont want to buy crap that I have to replace after a couple months.

No need IMO. I used the same cheap turkey fryer with no issues for a few years. Only replaced it when my keggle didn't fit on it. I've heard great things about the blichmann burner. But to get things started, you can find a much cheaper alternative that you won't have to replace any time soon.

That or the KAB4 burner if you don't want to spend the extra for stainless or blingman name.

^ Point well made, just get something that fits a keggle, but I would prefer the hurricane style burner.

If you have plenty of $$ and want to skip any upgrading, go for it. I cannot afford one so my SP10 is loud but plenty adequate. The HLT is on my first burner which is a turkey fryer. Total investment in burners $90

Id say it depends on how deep your pockets are. No doubt that Blichmann make the best stuff but you pay for it. I've use a banjo burner myself for about 3 years and barring dropping it off my roof or running over it with my car I don't see any reason why it won't last 10 more years. Im able to get 7.5G to a rolling boil when its 20* outside easily.

It's not necessary, but it is a nice thing to have. I have one and love it. It is very quiet and looks good too. I got the leg extensions and it is very sturdy with them attached. I do 10 gallon batches with it, and I feel like it could easily handle bigger batches than that. When I started out I had a cheap burner that sounded like a jet engine, which wasn't fun to listen to for over an hour. There are cheaper options (without the stainless construction) that perform just as good as the Blichmann, but I'd definitely recommend getting a quiet burner no matter what route you go.

Have both a KAB4 and a Blichmann....both heat well. Besides the obvious stainless advantage, the Blichmann performs much better in windy conditions. It does seem to heat a bit faster though not enough to justify the price difference. I've not done a controlled test to verify this as I don't have two identical pots.....but I'm convinced.

The Blichmann burner isn't going to make your beer any better but it might make your brew day shorter or easier. If you want to brew good beer focus on temperature control during fermentation and your yeast health/numbers.

Darwin18 said:

The Blichmann burner isn't going to make your beer any better but it might make your brew day shorter or easier. If you want to brew good beer focus on temperature control during fermentation and your yeast health/numbers.

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+1 to this. If you got extra $ to blow a used chest freezer and a temperature controller will greatly improve your beer. As will a stir plate and flask to make yeast starters.

+2 on this. I have a Blich burner and love it, but it is a lower priority compared to good oxygenating, pitching, and fermenting control.

I am now of the opinion that you spend the money once. I upgraded to a blich burner, and now i am pissed at myself that it took me that long. Do you need it to make beer, No! Does it make my brew days easier and more enjoyable, Yes! Just my opinion.

My first and only burner for brewing is a Blichmann. I have used others for caterings, off-site cooking events, etc with other (lesser) equipment.

The kettle is more important than the burner.
I am a firm believer in the stainless advantage.
The blichmann might be more expensive, but its not a ton of money in the grand scheme of things.

I bought the Blichmann burner and am happy with it.

Disadvantage
It costs twice what other burners cost

Advantages

Its *UNBELIEVEABLY* quiet compared to other burners. If you spend time near it, thats worth something every time you brew.

Supposedly it uses less fuel? Maybe it's true, I don't know, but it would take A LOT of brew sessions to save enough on Propane to break even. On the other hand running out of fuel earlier and making more trips is worth something

It's probably better made and wont rust/fall apart, where as a crappy burner might after 15 years?

It has a better wind screen, though you can make one your self.

Can support a 55 gallon pot if you need it. It might be safer to use in that it is built to support more weight than other burners. It also has attachments to prevent a pot from slipping off the side and spilling boiling wort on you. It wont slide off, but it can still be knocked off.

Bottom line - for $75 more I like it better and if I use it for 15+ years, thats a $5 per year premium, which I can afford.