New Propane Burner

I'm in the market for a new propane burner, since my el cheapo burner from Lowe's is busted and the prospect of brewing on the stove in July is not that appealing.

Does anyone have any suggestions on burners/turkey fryers? I tried searching around but can't find any conclusive thoughts on the subject... plus I trust you guys more than an random internet search. I want to make sure I get something a little beefier than my previous burner... something that can take the punishment I dish out as well as boil my 5 gallon batches as quickly as possible.

Two burners I looked at were the Hurricane Burner from NB (sold out) and the "High Output Propane Burner" from AHS (also sold out). Anyone have either of these? Are they worth the money and the wait until I can get them?

Thanks!

That High Output one from AHS is the Banjo Cooker. I picked up one from Amazon for $65 with free shipping. It's the KAB4, but I think it is discontinued.



It is very controllable and puts out an amazing amount of heat. Yesterday, it took about 5 minutes to heat my mash water.

It's been replaced by the KAB5



We had reports of bad welds and broken legs on it. This new one looks to have solved that problem. Here's a place that is selling it for $65 plus $22 shipping.

In any event, this puppy will reduce your wait on heating the HLT and bringing your wort to a boil and keeping it there. On my old burner I would have to stop the clock when I dropped my immersion chiller in, but with the banjo, I just give it a little more gas and it's boiling again in a matter of seconds.

It Rocks! :rockin:

Oh man, that video made me cry tears of joy... I think I might have to get my hands on one of those!

I think I found my next toy....

...can I rip the burner out of the stand, and incorporate into a brew sculpture?

98EXL said:

I think I found my next toy....

...can I rip the burner out of the stand, and incorporate into a brew sculpture?

Click to expand...

you bet. No problem. Bayou Class has a cool rig.




RBA5 Cajun Cooking Station RBA5


Upper Level
30" Tall Cooker
6" Fry Burner
Stainless braided hose with 10 PSI Regulator

Lower Level
Folds out 18" from upper level
10" Banjo Burner
Stainless braided hose with 20 PSI Regulator
Fold and roll for compact storage
87 lbs


Price $199.95
List Price $240.00 ~ You save $40.05

I had found a webpage where they recommended the Jet Burner over the Banjo Burner for large boils. This is because the KAB5 only comes with a 20 psi regulator whereas the KAB4 had the 30 psi regulator.

I had posted and asked for any advice on the jet burner but it appears no one has any experience with it. The jet burner also happens to be $30 - $35 dollars cheaper.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=31985

I called weliveoutside.com and the guy I spoke to said the KAB5 is not the same beast as the KAB4 and actually steered me clear of it. YMMV.

What reasons did he give you, Dan?

Fingers said:

What reasons did he give you, Dan?

Click to expand...

He said that it's a lower pressure regulator (20 vs. 30). Then he mentioned that the flames instead of going up the sides of the pot, like on the KAB4, tended to go downward due to the windguard. So basically it was tamer and it had a tendency to scorch the floor.


Dan

I recently got this burner and couldn't be happier. It's big enough to hold a keg and be perfectly stable and it will bring your wort up to a boil between 15-30 minutes depending on whether or not you do AG or not. I really like it.
http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-1114-Single-Burner/dp/B000291GDO/ref=sr_1_5/102-8222965-2107325?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1184039605&sr=8-5


Dan

I have the same one as Dan...very happy with it. I'm getting a 7 gallon wort to a rolling boil in 10 to 15 minutes.

So the quality is good on these Bayou brand cookers, no matter what model? Like I said, the last one I had was the el cheapo model that Lowe's was offering at the time, and it seems to have leaks in the fittings after only a few uses.

ryser2k said:

So the quality is good on these Bayou brand cookers, no matter what model? Like I said, the last one I had was the el cheapo model that Lowe's was offering at the time, and it seems to have leaks in the fittings after only a few uses.

Click to expand...

As with anything, you get what you pay for. While I could have gotten the $49 version, complete with burner and pot, I decided for the banjo burner version that didn't come with a pot...for $45 at Home Depot (mine isn't the SS version like Dan's, but it's the same in all other regards). This is rugged, strong, and the regulator works just fine...I get a good, blue flame and I am able to get a fast, rapid boil. Better yet, once the boil starts, I'm able to turn down the flame remarkably low, sustaining the boil and preserving LP. To me, this is a no-brainer...the best way to get into all-grain.

And these burners aren't just useful for all-grain... even doing a full 5 gallon boil for your extract or partial mash is impossible on a stovetop.

I guess I'll scope out Home Depot later this week and see what they've got.

I didn't know HD sold that kind of stuff

Update -- I picked up the Bayou Classic SQ14 for $45 at my local Home Depot. Brewed on it today and it's much much better than the cheap ring burner that broke on me. It's quieter, sturdier, and more powerful, and it didn't come with another cheap aluminum pot that I wouldn't need. Oh yeah, it also has a stainless steel gas hose which makes me feel much safer than the cheap rubber one on my last burner.

So all in all I recommend this burner if you can't find the Banjo cooker that EdWort posted. I'm still jealous of that thing.

PS - Looking at the picture, this is the same burner that AHS offers here:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_415&products_id=11030

Much cheaper at Home Depot!

Now, would you guys please clarify your timing for me?

I've tried taking cold water, about 54 degrees and bringing it to a boil, and in a fifteen gallon keggle, it took nearly an hour.

Are the times you're quoting from cold, or after sparging into the boil kettle?

How many gallons of water and what kind of burner, Jim? I'm still looking for a burner that will be able to handle 10 - 15 gallon batches myself. Most of the information is for 5 gallon batches.

It makes it even harder considering I'm Canadian. A lot of places either don't ship here or want a small fortune to do so. I REALLY need a burner.