Blichmann burner

Just wondering if anyone knows the difference between the bayou banjo burner and the blichmann burner besides the stainless frame. It seems to be the same cast iron burner. Could the regulators be different? Are the BTU's the same?
Any info would be great.

Thanks

I own the Blichmann and I think it's a great burner. A little more costly than other burners, but it's extremely well made and worth the extra coin in my opinion.

I believe the regulators are different, but I'm not 100% sure. The Blichmann regulator has a precise control valve which I don't think comes stock with the Bayou. There's also an air damper to control the flow of oxygen. I feel like these two features increase the burner's efficiency. Relating to the frame, the frame is stainless steel, has adjustable retaining bars to keep your boil kettle a little more stable and optional leg extensions which are nice.

The Bayou also has an air damper but I am not sure about the regulator difference.

I love mine, don't know the specific differences but the stainless steel construction is enough for me to justify the extra cash

Since you have one, how long does it take to get ten gallons up to a boil? I am just trying to decide which one to get.

I have never really timed any of my heating times, though I know it is fast. Someone else can probably answer much better than I.

I batch sparge and heat my strike water while mashing (60mins) and the strike water (6gals @ about 50* last brew) to 180 waaaayy before i am done sparging, in under 20 mins.

Is it as easy on fuel as they say?

i have only used mine on a handful of batches but still have more about half my blue rhino propane tank left.

I have just done one brew on my new blichmann but am thoroughly impressed compared to my old turkey fryer. Much faster boil with much less noise. My friend has a cooker that has the same cast iron burner on it (can't remember exactly which cooker it is) but I believe the wind screen on the blichmann is better. It comes up higher above the surface of the burner and when the pot is on the cooker there is just a small gap between the bottom of the pot and the top of the wind screen. My friend has complained a little bit about how much the wind gives him problems.

According to a sales rep at Northern Brewer the burner itself is the same, I'm positive that the regulator is different. I believe the banjo runs at 30psi and the blichmann at 10psi.

Also I have the blichmann, I use for 11gal AG batches. I couldn't imagine using another burner it's nearly silent, a miser on propane usage, and very powerful.

+1 about how quiet it is compared to other burners. If you watch some homebrew videos on youtube, it sounds like some of these guys are brewing on an airport tarmac.

I had a Bayou burner (SP10?) and I switched to the blichmann and I could not be happier.

I brew 10 gal batches now, all grain so I also need strike and sparge and I can get almost 4 batches off of one 20# (real 20#) propane. With the Bayou I was getting 2 maybe 2.5. And its fast, I heat sparge water in 10-15 minutes from tap to 170.

The blichman is waaaayyyyy quieter and if you get the extended legs it works great for pre-priming the pump to run it through the chiller. And it looks awesome.

I know this is a little old, but why does the Blichmann burner come with a 10 psi regulator when that burner is supposed to run on 30 psi according to the manufacturer?

I have the SP10 and yes, it sounds like a jet taking off on my driveway. Other than that I've been happy with it.

MachineShopBrewing said:

I know this is a little old, but why does the Blichmann burner come with a 10 psi regulator when that burner is supposed to run on 30 psi according to the manufacturer?

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Not sure about the 30 psi thing. Blichmann's latest manual says 0-10 psi, http://www.blichmannengineering.com/brew_stand/Manuals/TopTier Floor Burner Owners Manual-V3.pdf.

Either way, it's a phenomenal burner.

MachineShopBrewing said:

I know this is a little old, but why does the Blichmann burner come with a 10 psi regulator when that burner is supposed to run on 30 psi according to the manufacturer?

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Because 10 psi is enough to do the job?

Cheers!

MachineShopBrewing said:

I know this is a little old, but why does the Blichmann burner come with a 10 psi regulator when that burner is supposed to run on 30 psi according to the manufacturer?

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I think it CAN run on 30 PSI, but its the 10 PSI that lets it work efficiently, saving fuel along the way.

Ok. According to the Bayou Classic depot website, they recommend a 20-30 psi regulator.

Not sure about 20-30 psi I don't think I have ever had my 10 psi blichmann regulator all the way open. Im only doing 5g batcues though

It's true that the Blichmann has a 10 psi regulator and the Bayou is 20 to 30psi. That's why the advertised BTU/hr is lower for the Blichmann (I can't remember the specs right now though). As a comparison, most cheap turkey fryers have a 5psi regulator. I have a Blichmann and, like others have said, I think it's awesome. Very well made and very quiet. The thing sips propane compared to those Bayou's that sound like a fighter jet taking off from an aircraft carrier.

I recommend the Blichmann hands down. You will more than recoup the extra money spent in propane saved.

Related story, the other week I was brewing with two guys who both use generic turkey fryer burners. We were sitting at my patio table about 8-10 feet from my Blichmann burner, both of them had their backs to it. After talking for about 10 minutes, one of them says, "I guess we should get started, let's heat up the strike water". I laughed. The strike water had been heating up the entire time we'd been sitting there. Neither one of them even noticed the burner was on and began to tell me how nice it was to brew without the jet engine noise of their normal burner. I take it for granted since I've had the Blichmann since I started all grain.

I used the Bayou for about 10 batches before upgrading to Blichman.
Save yourself money and do it right the first time.

I have a blichmann ive had it for just over 2 years. i brew a ten gallon batch at least once a momth. On my last brew day I noticed a crack has formed on the top of the burner in between the tips where gas can escape. I know it's not under warranty and I doubt Blichmann would do anything about it. I am thinking about getting just the bayo burner and swapping it for burner in the Blichmann stand. Will this work? Any advice is welcomed.

I think you can buy just the banjo burner portion without the stand, etc.

drksky said:

I think you can buy just the banjo burner portion without the stand, etc.

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That's what I meant. I contacted Blichmann they want me to email some pics of the issue to them. We'll see what happens. I don't mind paying for a new burner but buying a whole new setup is overkill for such an easy fix.

They have excellent customer service.

Update: sent them pictures of the crack that developed/ing. Dan in CS emailed me this morning say that there was an issue with the flow of molten metal into the mold. They are sending me a new casting of the burner. Even with the issue I had I will continue to recommend this burner. I couldn't imagine brewing 10gal all-grain batches without it. Blichmann's CS is awesome I was willing to pay for a new burner casting but instead they are sending one free of charge!

jheld00 said:

Update: sent them pictures of the crack that developed/ing. Dan in CS emailed me this morning say that there was an issue with the flow of molten metal into the mold. They are sending me a new casting of the burner. Even with the issue I had I will continue to recommend this burner. I couldn't imagine brewing 10gal all-grain batches without it. Blichmann's CS is awesome I was willing to pay for a new burner casting but instead they are sending one free of charge!

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That's the hallmark of a great company: one that can admit their mistakes and make it right at no cost to the customer. Sounds like they had a bad mold and didn't catch it in QC.

drksky said:

That's the hallmark of a great company: one that can admit their mistakes and make it right at no cost to the customer. Sounds like they had a bad mold and didn't catch it in QC.

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Exactly they didn't have to do anything they had every right to tell me I'm SOL. But they didn't and now they have a customer for life and free advertisement because I will always recommend their products from now on. When I graduate I will buy my self a Top Tier system as a graduation present.

When you buy blichman you are not just buying quality equipment, you are buying award winning customer service as well. They are known for it. Great company.

I love my blichmann burner, I got the natural gas orifice kit with mine. It takes a little longer to heat 10+ gallons with natural gas than propane but nothing crazy.

I had a bayou classic before it, it was really good too. I hated buying propane though, it's really expensive for a brewer on a tight budget.

If I had to do it all over again, i would buy a blichmann first and not look back.

I'm thinking of getting a Blichmann, but if it doesn't do turkey frying or woks, nothin' doin'. Please tell me that it will do turkeys and woks.

It will do turkeys and woks.

Cheers!

Can I store my Hellfire burner in a closed (a single non-sealed door) garage that is not-air conditioned? It gets a bit of humidity, but I can cover the burner with plastic sheet if that helps. That cast iron looks like a rust bin waiting to happen but maybe I'm overreacting. I'd prefer to not store it inside as it's got the extended legs and somewhat cumbersome as storage inside is limited.

KookyBrewsky said:

Can I store my Hellfire burner in a closed (a single non-sealed door) garage that is not-air conditioned? It gets a bit of humidity, but I can cover the burner with plastic sheet if that helps. That cast iron looks like a rust bin waiting to happen but maybe I'm overreacting. I'd prefer to not store it inside as it's got the extended legs and somewhat cumbersome as storage inside is limited.

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Mine has been in my garage for over 5 years and my garage isn’t climate controlled. No rust.