The Burning/er Question?

Ok, so a little forward: I'm moving into a new apartment, and the stove is old, which means I won't be able to brew on the stove top anymore. Not a huge deal, it just means I need to buy a burner.

I've been doing a lot of reading, and can't seem to find any consensus on these things. I'm currently doing 5g batches, and intend to keep doing that (in my 34qt pot), but I can't say that if some kegs show up on the cheap, I won't whip out the grinder and make some keggles.

Are there any downsides/risks to going with the "buy big, buy once" idea and buying a KAB6 or something along those lines? Am I going to burn my wort or anything?

If you think you might want to use a keggle in the future, get a burner with a square base. Any of the burner styles will give you enough BTUs, so don't worry about that too much. The KAB6 is really overkill IMHO. That's not to say that they don't work, just that you don't need them. I've used the simple cast iron burners on both of my brew stands where I start boiling with 13+ gals and they work just fine without the regulator turned all the way up. More flame would only waste propane.

Lil' Sparky said:

If you think you might want to use a keggle in the future, get a burner with a square base. Any of the burner styles will give you enough BTUs, so don't worry about that too much. The KAB6 is really overkill IMHO. That's not to say that they don't work, just that you don't need them. I've used the simple cast iron burners on both of my brew stands where I start boiling with 13+ gals and they work just fine without the regulator turned all the way up. More flame would only waste propane.

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If the KAB6 is overkill, is something like the KAB4 worth the $20 more than the SP10 or SQ14? or am I just wasting money here?

Build a heatstick and keep stovetopping if that is more suited to your living arrangements.

wilserbrewer said:

Build a heatstick and keep stovetopping if that is more suited to your living arrangements.

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tiny kitchen in the new apartment.

I do have my own basement and patio though... no 220 though... just 20A 110s

Synovia said:

If the KAB6 is overkill, is something like the KAB4 worth the $20 more than the SP10 or SQ14? or am I just wasting money here?

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It's overkill, too. If you've got the extra cash and want a big, cool burner and want to waste some propane, go for it. Both the SP10 and SQ14 will do fine. Like I said before, I'd recommend the SQ14 if you plan on using a keggle in the future.

Synovia said:

... no 220 though... just 20A 110s

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Two 20 A 110s will work for five gal. Two 2000W elements.

I have a simple jet burner that I use to boil seafood in a 20 gallon pot. I use it with my keggles and haven't burnt anything yet.

wilserbrewer said:

Two 20 A 110s will work for five gal. Two 2000W elements.

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Hrm.

Will 2x2000w work for 10g batches? If not, will I be able to just grab another 2 elements or something when it comes to that (most likely in another apartment).


I assume I'd need to snake two separate extension cords to two separate outlets in different parts of the house with mostly unpopulated outlets, right?

Synovia said:

I assume I'd need to snake two separate extension cords to two separate outlets in different parts of the house with mostly unpopulated outlets, right?

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Sounds about right. Make sure the outlets really are on separate circuits and use extension cords rated for the amperage.

Synovia said:

Hrm.

Will 2x2000w work for 10g batches?

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Probably would...might be a tad slow to reach boiling. Use heavy ext. cords for long runs, on a GFI of course.

Perhaps insulate the kettle if needed.