Bayou Classic SQ14 ??

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Puddlethumper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2013
Messages
1,946
Reaction score
328
Location
San Joaquin Valley
My Brinkman turkey fryer burner died a premature death so I need a replacement ASAP. I do 5 gal. AG brewing and am looking at the Bayou Classic SQ14 as a replacement. The price looks good but I would sure like to know if others who have used this unit liked it.

Biggest concern with the Brinkman was that it was very difficult to control the flame. At the lowest settings it would just pop out and quit. Bayou Classic's website says this unit is really controllable at low settings. True?

Need to get this purchase made in time for brewing session this weekend, so any comments would sure be appreciated.
 
I'd say go for it. You can get anything from 1/8in tiny blue flames all the way to large jet engine-sounding flames. With the durability of the square base and the price, its a winner in my book.
 
I have one and it works very well. Not as powerful or as strong as the KAB6 but the SQ14 has what you need to make beer.
 
The other really nice thing about the SQ14 is it's very quiet. The first burner I had was an SP1 jet style burner and it sounded like a jet engine. So much nicer to be able to hear the music or just hear yourself think while the burner is working. Ah... it's the little things that make all the difference.
 
Ah... it's the little things that make all the difference.

Thanks for that. And yes, I agree about the little things making the difference!

IMG_0152 modified.jpg
 
Thanks to all who replied to this thread. The FedEx guy showed up with my new SQ14 burner today. It came almost completely assembled so I had it set up for a test in just a few minutes. This unit is obviously far superior to the Brinkman offerring. From the bigger and more robust base, to the braided stainless hose, to the high quality regulator. I fired it up for a test run and, just as advertised (and as stated by others on this thread) the flame can be easily controlled from a jet engine blast to a flame so low it would be good for melting butter.

My only regret is that I didn't buy one of these in the first place. Like others have said on this thread, I highly recommend this unit to anyone working with up to a 10 gallon batch. Bigger batches might need another unit with higher output. For my purposes I can tell already that this will fit my needs just fine.
 
I use the SQ14 burner mounted on my own rig for 10 gallon batches and it works great, and it is a lot quieter than the brinkman burner I have up top for my HLT.
 
taekwondd said:
I use the SQ14 burner mounted on my own rig for 10 gallon batches and it works great, and it is a lot quieter than the brinkman burner I have up top for my HLT.
I can already foresee picking up another one. Would like to have heat for my mash tun so I can experiment with rests/steps during the mash. Ever tried that?
 
I haven't, I still use my rectangular igloo cooler I built when I went AG. It works great and I always get 85% or better efficiency so I've never been able to justify to myself upgrading my mash tun. Plus I can already see the look in SWMBO's eye if I told her I was going to spend more money on equipment.
 
I just used my new SQ14 on a batch of Vienna/Cascade SMaSH. Wow. This is a great burner. This is an upgrade from my 4 year old, $30 basic turkey burner from Menard's

I do BIAB right now, and I could keep the flame at the lowest setting, which just barely kept me in my mash range with periodic stirring. No lid, no insulation, no nothing.

Assembly was amazingly simple. The welded base is far superior to a bolted or screwed-on base. Mine shipped next day for $4 extra dollars with Amazon Prime. Total cost, $49 to be done with my old, leaky burner and be brewing 24 hours later.

I'm a believer!
 
I have always been impressed with Bayou Classic products. While I haven't owned one of the others I often hear how those who have end up owning a Bayou eventually.
 
I love my SQ14. It will easy go low enough to cook a small pot of chili or high enough to put a rolling boil on 13.2 gallons of wort for an 11 gallon batch! Very efficient on propane too...I could do at least 5-6, 5-gallon batches including heating mash/sparge water with one 20lb tank!
 
Do you think the SQ14 could get about 15-20 gallons boiling if needed? I have a 25gal kettle, and will need to get about 20 gals up to strike temp for BIAB, and then about 14 gallons boiling. Should I be looking for something with more output like 30psi regulator?
 
Do you think the SQ14 could get about 15-20 gallons boiling if needed? I have a 25gal kettle, and will need to get about 20 gals up to strike temp for BIAB, and then about 14 gallons boiling. Should I be looking for something with more output like 30psi regulator?

I've never tried to boil anything that big so I'm just guessing here, but I'm sure it would be a lot slower than a higher output unit. If you're going out to buy something new I think you'll want a stronger unit for batches that big.

Heck, when my Brinkman crashed I ended up boiling a 6 1/2 gal. kettle on the side burner of my natural gas BBQ grill. It worked, but it just took a long time to get up to boiling. I was late getting to bed that evening!
 
The one thing missing from the SQ14 is a wind screen. There's a couple good threads floating about that describe methods to work some metal ductwork in around the burner itself to act as a screen. Definitely useful if you're brewing outside!
 
Do you think the SQ14 could get about 15-20 gallons boiling if needed? I have a 25gal kettle, and will need to get about 20 gals up to strike temp for BIAB, and then about 14 gallons boiling. Should I be looking for something with more output like 30psi regulator?

probably but a larger burner would be better suited to such a large pot. Look at the Blichmann burner or the KAB6 f
 
Do you think the SQ14 could get about 15-20 gallons boiling if needed? I have a 25gal kettle, and will need to get about 20 gals up to strike temp for BIAB, and then about 14 gallons boiling. Should I be looking for something with more output like 30psi regulator?
I heat 10 gallons of sparge water to 180F in about 20 minutes with my SQ14. I also do full boils of 13.2 gallons for my 11 gallon batches and it boils that much just fine. 20 gallons to 170-180F should be possible but you need to make a wind/heat shield!

The one thing missing from the SQ14 is a wind screen. There's a couple good threads floating about that describe methods to work some metal ductwork in around the burner itself to act as a screen. Definitely useful if you're brewing outside!

I made a wind shield/heat retainer using galvanized roofing metal. I just bent it around into a semi-circle and get it as tight to the pot as possible. You want something at least 24" high. It makes a huge difference in heating times when the heat can only escape up the sides of your pot! :rockin:
 
I love that heat shield.

I just cut an arc out of a cookie sheet and slide it under the valve/sight/thermometer.
 
Back
Top