BC SQ-14 convert to high pressure

[Cooner]

Hi All,

Does it make sense to attempt to convert the burner on a SQ-14 from low pressure to high pressure? Will I be able to cut my time to bring things to temp? I know I'd have to change the orifice, but what are the alternatives for a regulator? Can you get adjustable regulators like what came as the low pressure regulator with the SQ-14 or do you get a high pressure regulator and then use a ball valve inline?

The burner does pretty well now, but I thought I could cut my time from about 6 hours for my ten gallons batches to about 4 1/2 hours like my 5 gallon batches.

Just trying to save time.

Thanks,

Cooner

 

[kladue]

A couple things to consider first, are the flames coming up the sides now with burner wide open?, and have you closed the air shutter disk until the top of the flame starts to show yellow. If the flames are going up the sides now, more pressure is not going to help. If the air shutter is wide open and the burner is making noise then a lot of the heat is getting wasted with excess air flow through the burner. When the burners are adjusted correctly they make almost no noise at all, not the rocket sound which seems to prevalent. Last thing to consider is a shroud around the keg with a 1" gap to keep hot gasses in contact longer, especially important when brewing outdoors.

 

[Chad]

Interesting. Are you saying that I don't want the air shutter as open as possible?

I'm all for improving efficiency and saving propane. I'd assumed that an open shutter was a good thing. This an area where I'm not as well schooled as I'd like. Enlighten me.

 

[Catt22]

Hi All,

Does it make sense to attempt to convert the burner on a SQ-14 from low pressure to high pressure? Will I be able to cut my time to bring things to temp? I know I'd have to change the orifice, but what are the alternatives for a regulator? Can you get adjustable regulators like what came as the low pressure regulator with the SQ-14 or do you get a high pressure regulator and then use a ball valve inline?

The burner does pretty well now, but I thought I could cut my time from about 6 hours for my ten gallons batches to about 4 1/2 hours like my 5 gallon batches.

Just trying to save time.

Thanks,

Cooner

The SQ-14, as set up from the factory, is a high pressure burner, not low pressure. The one I bought came equipped with a 0-10 psi adjustable regulator. IMO, the SQ-14 burner efficiency drops off substantially when operated at pressures higher than 10 psi. I'm gonna guess that you want to save time heating the strike/sparge water. I would look into heating this water electrically as this could be done automatically in advance of starting your brewing session. That's the way I do it.

 

[bandt9299]

I have this burner and my regulator broke, when I ordered a new one of course I went bigger, the 20 PSI. Don't waste your money. It burns like crap and if you turn it up too much it will blow itself out. It still works ok, you just have to be very careful when dialing in the flame. Hope this helps.

 

[Catt22]

I have this burner and my regulator broke, when I ordered a new one of course I went bigger, the 20 PSI. Don't waste your money. It burns like crap and if you turn it up too much it will blow itself out. It still works ok, you just have to be very careful when dialing in the flame. Hope this helps.

Is the replacement regulator adjustable like the OEM regulator or a fixed pressure model? You say it now "burns like crap" then follow with "it still works OK". Which is it?

 

[Mike_A]

I have a SQ-14 (BG-12) burner set up in the same system as two KAB4 (BG-14) banjo's. They are all run off the same regulator - 0-20psi. I use needle valves immediately before the orifices to fine tune pressure/flow. It took a few minutes of tweaking to get the best range of flame while keeping the air flow correct. kladue is correct about the flames - my air shutter on the BG-12 is almost closed, probably 85-90% and the flames are blue with slight yellow tips.

I am also able to achieve the same efficient flames on the BG-14's with the needle valves. I don't have ball valves to control on/off flow from the manifold, I just use the needle valves to shut off and the tank valve as a second shutoff. For all burners, the needle valves aren't open very far in order to go from minimal flame to max flame (above "max" propane just pours out so fast it blows out the flames, an obvious inefficiency) - probably a quarter or half turn range.

My advice - don't worry so much about the regulator if you can use needle valves.

 

[bandt9299]

Yes just like the OEM regulator just 20 PSI, its burns yes, it is just very finicky and it seems like it needs constant adjustment to keep a good flame, where with the 10 PSI regulator it burned perfectly once dialed in, like a typical guy I needed more power. My other burner is the KAB6 with the burner raised to the top of the legs and that thing is awesome, heats fast with minimal propane.

 

[Cooner]

Thanks everyone for the input. It sounds like it's more hassle than it's worth. Like I said, it works pretty well, but I'm always looking for ways to cut the time.