A Few Recommendations for a Propane Burner

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Berube05734

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Good Morning,

I've been brewing my 5 gallon batches on my gas cookstove. Although the stove is certainly up to the task, I'd like to move this part of the operation outdoors due to the condensation/humidity from the typical 60-90 minute boil...and it'd be nice to erect some type of hoist to remove the mash as it's a PITA to wrangle the bag (BIAB) out of the kettle.

I'm doing my online research and I've been to the online brewing supply stores that I typically frequent. I see the burners, but they appear to be mostly components of a burner system and not necessarily an entire system. For example, I've been out to More Beer this morning and see that they have a "Hell Fire" Blichmann burner, but just the burner and then you order the legs separately?

My first thought was a turkey fryer, but from what I've been reading, the BTUs aren't sufficient to bring to boil and maintain the boil.

I hate making mistakes when I'm looking at $$ - $$$ for a burner.

Thanks!

Pam

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Pam
 
I have the hellfire, it's a beast. Better than any "turkey fryer" I have ever seen. You'll never need an upgrade from one.

Without the legs it's a little low but no big deal, wasn't for me anyhow. If lifting the bag is an issue at all it won't be so much any more when the pot is closer to the ground.

I stuck mine on a small 14"x14" metal plant stand on wheels so I could scoot it around the garage (i.e. closer to the door when it's time to chill, so any spilled water just runs down the driveway).

I'd sell you mine since I've sort of moved to electric but it's a heavy thing and won't be worth the shipping. I do still however highly recommend it.

Also - it's a consideration as well to move to electric if you have 240V available.
 
I have the hellfire, it's a beast. Better than any "turkey fryer" I have ever seen. You'll never need an upgrade from one.

Without the legs it's a little low but no big deal, wasn't for me anyhow. If lifting the bag is an issue at all it won't be so much any more when the pot is closer to the ground.

I stuck mine on a small 14"x14" metal plant stand on wheels so I could scoot it around the garage (i.e. closer to the door when it's time to chill, so any spilled water just runs down the driveway).

I'd sell you mine since I've sort of moved to electric but it's a heavy thing and won't be worth the shipping. I do still however highly recommend it.

Also - it's a consideration as well to move to electric if you have 240V available.
Thanks for your opinion on the hellfire. Question - can the burner rest on any type of surface without legs or a stand such as you used? The burner itself doesn't seem to be that high and I'm curious if the bottom gets hot.

Thanks,
 
Go Hellfire (80K BTU/140 MAX BTU) vs the Bayou Classic (41K BTU). If you ever want to do larger batches, the Hellfire can keep up. I've had both, and there's no comparison, especially in colder months.
 
Something like this would be ideal. Use both rings to quickly bring to the boil and then turn one ring off to maintain the boil. Amazon.com: CONCORD Roadster Burner. 13" Cast Iron Single Propane Wok Burner. Dual Controlled Burner Rings, 90,000 BTU. Outdoor Cooking, Wok Stir Frying, Countertop Burner. : Patio, Lawn & Garden
I use one of these, but I don't know if they ship to the US. It has three burners.
https://www.amazon.fr/Meva-Rechaud-...find the best price. Thanks for the info!
 
Turkey fryers are fine depending on your batch size. They usually come with an eight gallon pot which is about the max you really want out of a burner that size. If you brew 5-6 gallon batches, it does the job just fine. It's not going to be quick to reach a boil, especially in cold months. If you brew larger batches or the speed to reach boil is important to you, then you need something with a larger burner.
 
Question - can the burner rest on any type of surface without legs or a stand such as you used? The burner itself doesn't seem to be that high and I'm curious if the bottom gets hot.

Thanks,
The metal I put under it gets warm but not hot. You can still touch it after an hour. The heat seems to really primarily go upwards. I would not put it on a piece of plastic, would be sketchy for wood, but certainly fine over any metal or concrete.

It's a good question. I didn't ever have an issue but it's certainly something to keep in mind.
 
I had a turkey fryer type for years. It worked well for me, doing mostly 5, but some 10 gallon batches. I’m not in a hurry, so speed isn’t an issue. I’m not sure if it makes any quality difference faster versus not so fast. Someone who has used both may chime in and straighten me out. I don’t do monstrously HUGE boils. I’ve read… gentler boils/vigorous simmers are better. YMMV.
Cheers
 
The metal I put under it gets warm but not hot. You can still touch it after an hour. The heat seems to really primarily go upwards. I would not put it on a piece of plastic, would be sketchy for wood, but certainly fine over any metal or concrete.

It's a good question. I didn't ever have an issue but it's certainly something to keep in mind.
I'd definitely get the legs with it. Easier to work with the kettle, and obviously, I wouldn't recommend using this on wood or plastic. I use it in my garage or driveway.
 
fwiw, I used to run Blichmann's predecessor to the Hell Fire with the same shorty legs atop a 20" square paver and at the end of the brew session that paver would usually be very damp from condensation. Pretty much the opposite of "hot" under the burner :)

Cheers!
 
I used a generic (Brinkman) "Turkey Fryer" burner for ~twenty years. No real complaints but it definitely took longer to achieve boil than the Edelmetal burner that I bought when I received a gift card a couple years ago. I still have that original one.
The new one works fine, no complaints. I personally don't want it any higher than stock legs but that's my personal preference.
I have one critique; the orifice tube that screws into the burner housing would be very easy to cross-thread if you weren't careful, and I take it out for storage to reduce the footprint so I do introduce that chance frequently.

I did also used a "Dark Star" that I got for free from NB for a short time (2 yrs). No complaints with that unit though it is nothing special, just a glorified turkey fryer. I just donated that one to my daughter when she started brewing.
 
Thanks for your opinion on the hellfire. Question - can the burner rest on any type of surface without legs or a stand such as you used? The burner itself doesn't seem to be that high and I'm curious if the bottom gets hot.

Thanks,


Yes you can set it on something other than the leg extention. Yes it does get hot so a wood surface might be an issue, but I have seen someone use that cement backer board or a cement stepping stone to put on top of wood.


2020-09-13 10.38.02.jpg
 
fwiw, I used to run Blichmann's predecessor to the Hell Fire with the same shorty legs atop a 20" square paver and at the end of the brew session that paver would usually be very damp from condensation. Pretty much the opposite of "hot" under the burner :)

Cheers!
A big paver or the cement backer board are great ideas and solves my problem of finding a solid base to sit one on! Truth be told, when I'd first looked at the Hellfire, I didn't realize that those four short 'legs' were actually legs...I'd initially assumed that they were a part of the burner.
 
Good Morning,

I've been brewing my 5 gallon batches on my gas cookstove. Although the stove is certainly up to the task, I'd like to move this part of the operation outdoors due to the condensation/humidity from the typical 60-90 minute boil...and it'd be nice to erect some type of hoist to remove the mash as it's a PITA to wrangle the bag (BIAB) out of the kettle.

I'm doing my online research and I've been to the online brewing supply stores that I typically frequent. I see the burners, but they appear to be mostly components of a burner system and not necessarily an entire system. For example, I've been out to More Beer this morning and see that they have a "Hell Fire" Blichmann burner, but just the burner and then you order the legs separately?

My first thought was a turkey fryer, but from what I've been reading, the BTUs aren't sufficient to bring to boil and maintain the boil.

I hate making mistakes when I'm looking at $$ - $$$ for a burner.

Thanks!

Pam

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Pam
You cannot go wrong with the Blichmann, either the standard or Hellfire.
I’ve b en using mine for 12 years without issues. It’s also very efficient on propane and can be easily adapted to natural gas if you have easy access.
One very nice feature is that it is quiet!! I often check just to make sure it’s still lit!
 
Another thing w/ the Hellfire - it can crank out enough heat you can get well beyond 1 gallon / hour boil-off. Nice if you are trying to boil down an Imperial stout to boost the gravity. It will keep on cranking and you can notice your propane tank cooling down because it's releasing the propane so fast (doing the PV=nRT thing, pressure down = temperature down).
 
Go Hellfire (80K BTU/140 MAX BTU) vs the Bayou Classic (41K BTU). If you ever want to do larger batches, the Hellfire can keep up. I've had both, and there's no comparison, especially in colder months.
This /\. I started with the Bayou Classic and scorched more than a few boils-the heat is very centered. The Blichmann burner spreads the heat out more. I've also found that it's more efficient, reducing the amount of propane needed for a 90min boil.
 
Great tips on upgrades from everyone. I have been using a very old bayou turkey burner (round style) for 10 gal batches, typically a 14-15g boils. It has worked well. I can get 10 gal of sparge water from to 60 to 170 deg in about 30 min, and the post sparge boil take about 20 min. It boils off about 1.8 to 2 gph depending on the humidity. Cheap and reliable, but could be a bit faster.

Has anyone tried natural gas burners? I would love to stop hauling propane tanks around and natural gas is a lot cheaper.
 
Free shipping when ordering the Hellfire directly from Blichmann. More Beer is matching the price, but tacking on almost $24 for shipping. Another example of why it's always good to check directly with the manufacturer as often times its cheaper for some reason or another.
 
I own a variety of turkey fryer burners and finally broke down and bought a Hellfire. I wish I'd bought the Hellfire years ago. Hence, I brew on and easily recommend a Blichmann Hellfire. I'd buy it again if need be.
 
Free shipping when ordering the Hellfire directly from Blichmann. More Beer is matching the price, but tacking on almost $24 for shipping. Another example of why it's always good to check directly with the manufacturer as often times its cheaper for some reason or another.
And, I see that the burner ships directly from Blichmann if ordering from More Beer...why charge for shipping if it's coming directly from the manufacturer...and that manufacture offers free shipping when ordered directly from them?!?!?
 
And, I see that the burner ships directly from Blichmann if ordering from More Beer...why charge for shipping if it's coming directly from the manufacturer...and that manufacture offers free shipping when ordered directly from them?!?!?
Because Blichmann isn't leaving Morebeer enough margin to make any money selling their products. Hence, Morebeer adds a processing fee to cover their expenses. If you need Blichmann products, it's better just to deal directly with them.
 

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