For the past five years I've been happily brewing 5-11 gallon batches on a propane Bayou Classic SP10 (w/ 10 PSI regulator, apparently ~40k BTU in real life). I now have a 1" natural gas pipe running to the back yard and am looking for a natural gas burner that will suit my needs.
Will the first-generation Blichmann floor burner (rated at 72k BTU with propane) be sufficient after conversion to natural gas (60k BTU with natural gas), assuming that I make mostly 11 gallon batches but want the flexibility to do 16 gallons in the future? I'm currently doing 11 gallons with the SP10, and am not unhappy with it, though it's noticeably slower than when I used it for 5 gallon batches! I ask because I've found a pretty good deal on an original Blichmann floor burner with the leg extensions, and if that will suit my needs I could save a stack of cash going used.
Or should I suck it up and buy the new Blichmann "Hellfire" floor burner (rated at 140k BTU with propane, not sure about natural gas but assuming the standard 20% reduction, ~112k BTU) at full price? Another question that occurred to me is whether the burner itself is any different, or if they've just swapped in a higher-rated propane regulator, in which case the change in BTU rating wouldn't translate if I convert to nature gas.
Or is there another option you'd recommend for a natural gas burner for 5-16 gallon brews, with the limitation that I want a moveable stand-alone burner (not building a brewstand here) and have no welding experience or equipment?
Thanks!
Will the first-generation Blichmann floor burner (rated at 72k BTU with propane) be sufficient after conversion to natural gas (60k BTU with natural gas), assuming that I make mostly 11 gallon batches but want the flexibility to do 16 gallons in the future? I'm currently doing 11 gallons with the SP10, and am not unhappy with it, though it's noticeably slower than when I used it for 5 gallon batches! I ask because I've found a pretty good deal on an original Blichmann floor burner with the leg extensions, and if that will suit my needs I could save a stack of cash going used.
Or should I suck it up and buy the new Blichmann "Hellfire" floor burner (rated at 140k BTU with propane, not sure about natural gas but assuming the standard 20% reduction, ~112k BTU) at full price? Another question that occurred to me is whether the burner itself is any different, or if they've just swapped in a higher-rated propane regulator, in which case the change in BTU rating wouldn't translate if I convert to nature gas.
Or is there another option you'd recommend for a natural gas burner for 5-16 gallon brews, with the limitation that I want a moveable stand-alone burner (not building a brewstand here) and have no welding experience or equipment?
Thanks!