Bayou Classic SP1 Jet Cooker

[DShoaf]

Has anyone used the Bayou Classic SP1 Jet Cooker to brew beer with. I want to put a keggle on top of it and use it for my boil. It is cheap and packs a helluva punch. Just wondering if anyone has used this burner. Thanks
Dan

 

[JCastro]

I used a sp1 with by 11 gallon pot. It is too small for a keggle so you'll need to rig something to support the keg like a grill or something. It is also noisy and a gas hog.

I'll recommend the SQ14 I'm using the same burner on my new brewstand with the SP1 regulator. It is a lot quieter and it distributes the heat better using less gas.

 

[Dougan]

x2 SQ14.

From what I hear it's not really practical for 10 gallon batches but it's great for me, who brews 5 gallon batches.

 

[DShoaf]

That was my fear unfortunatly. I think I am going to save up for the Banjo plus and get that. I will be doing my boil in a keggle.

 

[Dougan]

That was my fear unfortunatly. I think I am going to save up for the Banjo plus and get that. I will be doing my boil in a keggle.

Yeah. If cost is a factor I'd definitely say SQ14. I bought it because it seemed to be the cheapest keggle solution.

KAB* if you want to spend the extra $30 from what my research told me. I decided not to.

 

[DShoaf]

You know money is a factor... At least being broke and brewing are two easy things to make work. See I have a burner now and it was intended for a 5 gallon kettle. My 10 gal sits on there but not how I would like it too. It takes a little know how to get it where it needs to be. The Banjo I like for a couple reasons. The stand can support pots up to 168 Qt. For those who speak gallons thats a 42 gallon pot. I don't plan on using anything more than 60 Qt or 15 Gal, but the fact that this burner is wide enough and strong enough by a factor of 2.5X makes me gravitate towards it. Now secondly the burner seems like it will be more efficiant for 10 gal batches. Thats a lot of water to heat and the banjo will provide pleanty. I would be interested to know how long other models take to heat your sweet wort to full boil?

 

[Catt22]

x2 SQ14.

From what I hear it's not really practical for 10 gallon batches but it's great for me, who brews 5 gallon batches.

I have an SQ14 and use it to boil 12 gallon batches and it works just fine for me. Plenty of power. The stand is well built and very stable.

 

[Dougan]

Interesting. I've heard some people say the SQ14 works great for their 10 gallons, some say that it never would. I've only used mine twice and both on windy days. It didn't take forever to heat the 5 gallon batches, but it wasn't that much faster than my (admittedly awesome) electric stove. I'm sure if I had tried to boil 10 gallons that day it would have been a struggle. But maybe without the wind... I don't know? I'd trust you, though.

I agree that the stand is stable. I actually stood on it (190 lb) yesterday to show my buddies that it was stable... because it doesn't really look the part. And absolutely no issues with fitting a keggle.

 

[sharpstick]

i've had one for a year or more.
- it is noisy.
- it is hard to start. it seems to be actuating the safety valve(which is either on the regulator or in the tank, i'm not sure).
- my keggle didn't fit on it until i bent the circular rim and put some bolds on the keggle bottom rim.
i the jet makes hot spots on the pot, even with the deflector.
i'm considering moving up to a KAB-4.

 

[JayInJersey]

When I first started it was bundled with my Turkey Fryer pot and I used it all the time.

As others have said...it's loud as hell and uses a ton of gas.

I used to be able to count on 1 propane bottle for each batch...but I heated Strike Sparge and Boil with it.
I switched to electic Strike/Sparge and was able to limit it to about 2/3-3/4 of a tank per batch.

I have the SQ14 now and can get about 3 boils per batch now....already paid for itself

 

[sharpstick]

I have the SQ14 now and can get about 3 boils per batch now....already paid for itself

are you saying that the SQ14 is more efficient than the SP-1? or switching to electric for sparging made the difference? if the former, i don't understand how one burner can be more efficient than another when they're both turned down to the minimum flow required.

 

[JayInJersey]

I'm fairly certain its the burner as the SQ14 actually has a burner where the SP1 is just a blow torch.

I can't quote any math or any officialy reasons...just my observations.

I relate it to a garden hose. while yes I can water my lawn directly from the hose it is much more effcient to use a sprinkler to disperse over the whole lawn than a power washer turned way down from where it wants to go.

That make sense?

 

[sharpstick]

I'm fairly certain its the burner as the SQ14 actually has a burner where the SP1 is just a blow torch.

I can't quote any math or any officialy reasons...just my observations.

I relate it to a garden hose. while yes I can water my lawn directly from the hose it is much more effcient to use a sprinkler to disperse over the whole lawn than a power washer turned way down from where it wants to go.

yes, the burners have different patterns, the yard will receive exactly the same amount of water from the sprinkler as the hose if the flow is the same. the only variable that would affect total heat is if some heat escapes to the side and doesn't transfer into the pot. newton's 2nd law of TD and all that.

 

[JayInJersey]

That might be the clincher...I'm not sure the flow is the same.

My SQ14 came with a 10PSI reg and the SP1 has a 20PSI reg


Then again I slept through most of my Physics in HS and copied off the girl in front of me...probably should ahve paid a bit more attention in retrospect

 

[sharpstick]

That might be the clincher...I'm not sure the flow is the same.

My SQ14 came with a 10PSI reg and the SP1 has a 20PSI reg

yes but if they're both turned down to the same flow rate that won't matter. only when they are at their respective maximum burn rate would that matter, and with a higher flow, more heat is available and the burn time to boiling is less. total heat btus per volume of gas burned should still be theoretically identical. granted a higher burn rate may possibly waste a bit of heat even if it boils faster.
ie. it is my understanding that available max PSI would create a proportionate amount of flow rate. a 10PSI 55kbtu burner uses less gas per minute, but the 20PSI 185kbtu will use more gas, but will heat to boil much faster.
if all the gas is combusted, an equal amount of heating btus are released.

 

[JayInJersey]

The logic seems sound...all I can use to argue are my results.

Although I do think the SQ14 takes longer than my SP1 did...we aren't talking hours just say from 15m on the SP1 to 20m on the SQ14...and the SQ14 does it using less gas which I guess means it applies the heat more efficiently.

 

[sharpstick]

The logic seems sound...all I can use to argue are my results.

Although I do think the SQ14 takes longer than my SP1 did...we aren't talking hours just say from 15m on the SP1 to 20m on the SQ14...and the SQ14 does it using less gas which I guess means it applies the heat more efficiently.

fair enough. tangible experience is worth more than theory. documented results and measurements would be better, but the average person doesn't have the equipment or expertise to do that.
a simple example would be to weigh the propane tank, bring exactly 5 gallons from exactly 70 degrees F to 200 (or 212), keep track of the time and weigh the tank afterward. repeat with the second burner and determine exactly how much gas was required to accomplish the task. Repeat by holding 5 gallons at the boiling point, or slightly below for one hour. holding it at boil is harder because you need to apply just enough heat to maintain that level. it's hard to determine that when the water does not raise above 212. you could be inadvertently applying more gas than needed.
anecdotal testimonials have their place, but are not accurate. humans are too erratic to be considered reliable scientific instruments.