Propane Burner Help

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Swank88

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After 5 brews on my glasstop stove and being frustrated by long heat times and a weak boil I have decided buying a propane burner may be a good idea. I live in an apartment but have a fairly large (4' W x 10' L x 10' H) tile floored balcony that I think can safely accommodate a propane burner. Right now I do BIAB using a 5 gallon kettle in 2 - 2.5 gal batches. So my question is does anyone recommend one burner over another?

I see AIH has an inhouse burner that looks solid and there are similar options from Bayou and Darkstar. Not looking to spend the money on a Blichmann unless it really is worth it. In the future I would like to upgrade to a 10 gal kettle as well. I have one neighbor who is directly below me so if any of the burners are quieter than the others that is a big plus. Don't want to freak out anyone with the roaring of a burner and boiling liquid.

Edit: EBIAB would be ideal but I don't trust the wiring in my apartment and its a bit out of my price range at the moment.
 
A KAB4 or KAB6 can be had right now for $60-70 on Amazon Prime. Same type of burner as a blichmann but much cheaper. They have a painted frame that burns off for the first few uses, but after that it is fine (this is my only con). I have a KAB4 and it works great. Would be a good consideration if increasing batch size in the future, but is probably unnecessary for your current batch size.

If not needing a banjo/blichmann/BG 14 burner, a Darkstar 2.0/BG 12 burner is what I would get to help with upgrading batch size in the future.

I think these options have a good combination of flame pattern, power and wind screen for a reasonable price. However, a cheap turkey fryer would probably get you through your current batch size. Maybe check craigslist for a temporary fix unless you know an upgrade in batch size is in your near future.
 
Thanks for all the replies. After consulting with a friend who uses propane we have determined that even though the porch may work, if it were to go bad it would go very bad. Did some research and I am going to try the induction route. Just ordered a Avantco IC1800 induction cooker which should work for my 2 - 2.5 gal batches.
 
Good move. Many areas have laws specifically prohibiting outdoor gas appliances on upper levels in multi-level apartment and condo buildings...

Cheers!
 
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