burner selection: is it all about the Btu's?

[JayMac]

Hey everyone,

I've used my stove and (sometimes) my friends 'turkey fryer' for the batches I've done, and I've concluded that it's ABSOLUTELY necessary to buy my own burner!

Through the ones I've looked at, it seems they are all centralized around 55,000-60,000 Btu's. I'm wondering if the higher Btu rating necessarily makes one burner better than the other.

Of course I'm sure you should consider the strength of the stand, but for what I'll be doing (5 gal batches) I think almost any burner should hold. When I decide to move up to 10gal, I'll be making my own stand so there's not much worry about it being able to hold a keggle.

I've linked the two I've been looking at below. (I'm in Canada, so I can't really just buy from the states, duty and shipping will cost me a LOT). Also, the second burner (Bayou classic) is rated at 55,000 Btu, I'm not sure why this page doesn't show that, because the regulator is included and that should be a set value.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...0853259P/Masterchef+Stand+Fryer.jsp?locale=en

http://ihomebrewing.ca/single-burner-patio-stove.html

 

[boscobeans]

I don't know what is or isn't for sale in your area so this is just my experience.

I have a Bayou single jet burner ( SP1 ) that is sturdy enough to hold way more than 10 or 15 gallons.
In a 10 gallon aluminum pot ( Winware ) it takes about 24 minutes to bring 6.5 gallons of 53 degree water to a rapid boil with the regulator valve about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way open. It sounds like a jet engine but outdoors this is no problem and once the boil is going I can cut back the gas to a loud whisper and easily maintain the boil.

Hot wort from my mashing cooler takes only a few minutes and I have a full boil going.

For $35 it is perfect for me.

OMO

bosco

ps. It is rated at 185,000 BTU's (???) and has a 20 PSI regulator. It is not that bad on propane (more than 4 boils on a tank and it seems not to be affected by normal breezes since it is a jet burner.

 

[JayMac]

I just remembered, I have a PO box in Niagara Falls, USA (I live near Toronto) so I can easily hop down and just pay a little duty. With that being said, it's pretty easy for me to buy from Amazon (they usually have free shipping). With all of these new options open, I was wondering if someone experienced with burners, could tell me (in their opinion), which burner they find most effective for boiling about 6-9 gallons. Below I've linked the burners that are available in my price range. Thanks for the help

Random Canadian Tire burner: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...0853259P/Masterchef+Stand+Fryer.jsp?locale=en

Bayou Classic SQ14: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009JXYQ4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Bayou Classic SP10: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000291GBQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Bayou Classic SP50: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009JXYPU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Bayou Classic SP1: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002913MI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Gasone SP20: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004KNRUM4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Camp chef SHP-RL: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...eywords=OUTDOOR+BURNER&ie=UTF8&qid=1340285291

 

[JayMac]

**sorry, double post

 

[ajwillys]

For me, there are three things to look at (other than general build quality). BTU's as you mentioned, fuel type, and pressure (psi). If you have natural gas available, you should at least consider using it. You may determine its not worth it and that is fine, but for me its awesome. I never run out and its significantly cheaper than propane canisters. If you have a large tank of LP at your house, hooking into that is similar to NG in cost as well. As for BTU's, you want to have "plenty", but not too much. If you get a 200k btu burner, you might have a VERY hard time controlling the boil for a 5 gallon batch. I think the range you are looking 50k-80k (max) is good. The last thing is pressure. Generally, burners are either low pressure (2ish psi) or high pressure (20-30ish psi). I personally prefer the low pressure types, the only problem is they are generally more expensive for the same BTU output. The reason I like them is because they are VERY quiet. I use the Hurricane Low pressure burner and I can't even hear the burner over the sound of the boil. Loud, incessant noises tend to really get to me, so switching to this much quieter burner really improved my brew day.

But, to sum it all up, they all work. I'd at least get a name brand rather than a big box store turkey fryer set. I have one of those... and replaced it asap.

 

[sillbeer]

UPS dropped off my Bayou Classic SP50 yesterday. I haven't used it yet and it'll be 2 more weeks before I can use it. I chose this one because it is tall and will allow me to drain straight into a carboy without the use of a siphon. The only issue I see is that the base the keggle sits on is just a hair small. I will be welding a slightly larger base for the keggle to sit on.

- Destin

 

[onthekeg]

I have used the SQ-14, and I used it solely for HLT. It was weak bringing 10 gallons of cold water to 175.
I have another similar to the SP10, which is a jet burner and it was harder on fuel, (wouldn't give a nice blue flame all the time), and would soot up the kettle when running low. No matter the air setting on the front. I would have to take it apart occasionally and wire brush it to get a clean flame.

Out of all those choices, I would buy the KAB4.

 

[logdrum]

I have the SP 10 & it is a monster. That being said, I had to add a couple of "wings" to the trivet in order to accomodate my keggle. I think it's 170k BTU. The SQ14 wouldn't need any modification, but i think it is a lower BTU rating. Keep in mind that burner shape is also a factor, lots of people prefer the "banjo" type burner.

 

[JayMac]

Thanks for the input guys.
As I previously mentioned, I won't be brewing a 10 gallon batch on this burner, the most would probably be a 7 gallon- and even then that wouldn't be very often.

It looks like I'm kinda stuck between the SQ-14 and the SP10 (both from Bayou). Will the SP10 be a waste of propane? will the SQ-14 be able to handle the job?

 

[dbrewski]

I have both of those burners. They use about the same amount of propane, I don't really notice a difference. The SP10 is a higher BTU rating and it does boil water faster. I built a stand and use both of these burners. I use the SQ14 burner for my boil. The SP10 puts out more heat but it can also have problems in wind. It does come with a wind shield for this reason. If you are reasonably sheltered against wind I would go with the SP10.

 

[dbrewski]

I would say that I grabbed a 30psi adjustable regulator at a Menards (like a Home Depot) for $19.99. I had to fiddle around with fittings and such to make it work but it will make that SP10 scream. I use tejassmokers.com for fittings and orifices. But the default 10psi it comes with is still good for general use.

 

[dbrewski]

sorry, last comment, the SP10 will not hold a keggle! It will require you to add some kind of wings, a keggle is not stable on one, it is just a hair smaller than the base of the keg.

 

[sillbeer]

sorry, last comment, the SP10 will not hold a keggle! It will require you to add some kind of wings, a keggle is not stable on one, it is just a hair smaller than the base of the keg.

That's what I'm noticing on the SP50. It has the same top on it. I'm going to look around for a 16" circular grill grate to weld to the top.

- Destin

 

[the_bird]

I have the SP 10 & it is a monster. That being said, I had to add a couple of "wings" to the trivet in order to accomodate my keggle. I think it's 170k BTU. The SQ14 wouldn't need any modification, but i think it is a lower BTU rating. Keep in mind that burner shape is also a factor, lots of people prefer the "banjo" type burner.

I have the SQ14, and it's got plenty of power. The BTU ratings are meaningless if the burner doesn't burn clean; I used to have one of the Banjoes that was rated for like 210k, but it wasn't as good because it would not burn clean; I could not get enough air to it.

 

[JayMac]

I just ordered the SQ14, as I liked the square design-looks very rigid and reliable. I also figured that there was no need for high pressure as I will only be heating up approx. 7 gallons, and I think the 50,000 Btu output will be good enough.

Thanks for all your input!

 

[theBFG]

I use a burner with a temperature gauge that cuts off if it gets to a certain temperature. It seems to ALWAYS cut off. Anyone have any experience with this and know how to get around it? I tried to just move the sensor off the flame but can't get it to start when I do that. This burner drives me insane

 

[static]

I bought the SQ14 not too long ago for a portable burner that i could leave at the in-laws in Northern WI. I was really surprised at how well it worked when i fried a turkey in January when it was 8 degrees out. Set up a wind break to block the breeze and it worked as well as if i was in my own backyard that was 40 degrees warmer at the time.

 

[ajwillys]

I use a burner with a temperature gauge that cuts off if it gets to a certain temperature. It seems to ALWAYS cut off. Anyone have any experience with this and know how to get around it? I tried to just move the sensor off the flame but can't get it to start when I do that. This burner drives me insane

Does it have a cage around the pot and the temperature gauge just kinda sits against the pot? My friend had one just like that. He fixed it with a pair of wire cutters.

 

[theBFG]

Does it have a cage around the pot and the temperature gauge just kinda sits against the pot? My friend had one just like that. He fixed it with a pair of wire cutters.

Ah, interesting. I was afraid it wouldn't work if I did that, but since it doesn't really work now, I will be giving this "fix" a try!

Thanks -

 

[ajwillys]

Ah, interesting. I was afraid it wouldn't work if I did that, but since it doesn't really work now, I will be giving this "fix" a try!

Thanks -

Yeah, he was too but he was at his wits end with it. For him it worked fine, but I'm not sure if yours is the same kind. It looked pretty similar to this:

http://www.lowes.com/webapp/wcs/sto...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

 

[theBFG]

Yeah, he was too but he was at his wits end with it. For him it worked fine, but I'm not sure if yours is the same kind. It looked pretty similar to this:

http://www.lowes.com/webapp/wcs/sto...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

Hmm I may have misread your original post a little, this is what mine looks like:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...&langId=-1&keyword=turkey+frier&storeId=10051

But still, it looks like the wire cutter is my best bet at this point. I can't get the burner to stay on long enough even to bring my kettle to a boil, so it is just collecting dust as is. I'm still going with your suggestion...if it doesn't work, no real loss!

 

[ajwillys]

Hmm I may have misread your original post a little, this is what mine looks like:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...&langId=-1&keyword=turkey+frier&storeId=10051

But still, it looks like the wire cutter is my best bet at this point. I can't get the burner to stay on long enough even to bring my kettle to a boil, so it is just collecting dust as is. I'm still going with your suggestion...if it doesn't work, no real loss!

Go for it! That's where he was as well. Worthless with it, what's the worst that could happen? If nothing else, you could probably bypass all that fanciness and just go straight to the burner from the regulator. The odd thing about these thermometers is that these things are designed for frying turkeys at 375 degrees!

 

[theBFG]

Exactly! I have no idea how you would fry a turkey of you can't even boil water!

So, I cut the wires last night and was still having trouble with it. After playing around with it, I was able to bypass the fancy turnoff valve entirely so now it's pretty much just a straight connection. Thanks for all the input.

Hopefully I don't blow up today!