Banjo Cookers + sanke kegs...incompatible?

I just ordered a Bayou Classics Banjo Cooker. And, I'm in the process of getting a keg to convert to a kettle. I've just read that sanke kegs won't work with a Banjo Cooker, unless the stand is modified. If this is true, what am I going to have to do to get this to work?

Honestly, I was somewhat surprised to read this. I know a lot of folks on HBT use this particular burner, and it seems that converted kegs are the boil kettle of choice, so it would seem to me that a good number of people here cook their wort with these two pieces of equipment. I don't remember people having issues with this. If the stand modification is beyond my abilities, perhaps homedepot.com will let me cancel the order so I can get a burner setup more suited to my needs. But, man, the 210,000 BTUs would be sweet...

You don't have a lot of extra room, but it fits (and is very stable). There's maybe an extra quarter or half inch all the way around. I may have my old man weld some pieces of metal onto the burner, but I'm comfortable with it as-is.

Just don't bump into the keggle!

the_bird said:

You don't have a lot of extra room, but it fits (and is very stable). There's maybe an extra quarter or half inch all the way around. I may have my old man weld some pieces of metal onto the burner, but I'm comfortable with it as-is.

Just don't bump into the keggle!

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That's good to hear. I just received an email from homedepot.com after making that post, and the burner's already on it's way. I was thinking about buying a cheaper outdoor cooker, and transferring the burner from the Banjo to that, but I'm glad to hear you've had success with the Cooker as is.

It's nice and sturdy as well. I like that it's low to the ground, although it does mean you have to move it before draining the kettle.

the_bird said:

It's nice and sturdy as well. I like that it's low to the ground, although it does mean you have to move it before draining the kettle.

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I did take into the account that it's low to the ground. Since I'll just be doing five gallon batches, moving the keggle up to the top of my picnic table shoudn't be a problem.

And, I did finally get a keg tonight! I talked to the owner of a liquor store yesterday, and he said he didn't have any in back, but he'd ask his distributor to leave one for me today. Sure enough, I had one waiting for me this evening, for a grand total of $12. I'm almost tempted to get a bunch of these while/if I can, although one is enough for me now.

Now, for modifying the keg...be prepared for many questions!

Modification is a piece of cake. Angle grinder to cut out the top. Some folks cut them to ~12" diameter to allow for an immersion chiller, but you can cut it to any size you need for your setup. I cut it just smaller than the largest pot lid I had because I keep the lid on to help bring it to a boil. Other than that, the lid just keeps dust out while in storage. A step drill is the easiest to use for cutting the hole for the spigot. I believe that it was 7/8" to allow for a standard 1/2" MPT pipe nipple. It took me less than an hour to have mine ready to go. I bought my banjo burner after seeing Birds' post on it and he's right, this thing kicks a**.

When cutting out the keg, do it in a couple passes with the grinder. Also, the bottom of a bottling bucket is just about the perfect size for the hole (you may want to find a lid, for use when bringing things to a boil only).

My sanke and kab4 banjo burner works great. You'll be glad you purchased this combo, Imo it's the best of the best when it comes to brew pots and burners in the market today!!!! bar none!!!!

I received my banjo burner today. Sure enough, the keg fits on there nicely, albeit without a lot of room for error. I have no worries that this will work.

Boy, that burner is built solid! Thanks to all who recommended it to me. I paid $65 for the burner and $12 for the keg. That's significantly cheaper than any turkey fryer w/ SS pot that I've seen. And, from the sounds of it, this setup's much more practical than the turkey fryer route. With 62 qts., I think boilover worries are a thing of the past. The largest SS turkey fryer pot I found is 44 qts, which I can't find around here. All in all, I'm one happy soon to be all grain brewer.

Great!!!!! see we said it would work greg75 Trust Us all of us can't be wrong!!!!
Brew on!!!!!

Get brewing. Watcha doin' in the morning?

orfy said:

Get brewing. Watcha doin' in the morning?

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I still have to do the keggle conversion...I'm looking at a bulkhead fitting, and a Bazooka T Screen right now, in fact. And, I've already made arrangements with a friend who's good with metals (and he has an angle grinder). I guess a thermometer hookup would be nice, too. So, after I order all that stuff, and finally get it done, I should be good to go...in about two weeks, I'm guessing. Oh...I need a wort chiller too. The counterflow design in the DIY forum seems like something even I could do. I was going to buy an immersion chiller, but I'm erring on the side of caution in the event I ever want to do a ten gallon brew, so the CFC makes more sense for that reason.