Blichmann Burner

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DrKeiser

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This has been bothering me all day. I have been toying with the idea of getting a new burner as mine is not the best. A lot of people say that Blichmanns are simply the best because they:

1. Have a stainless steel frame
2. Don't blow out due to wind
3. Use less propane

1. I could care less about as I am trying to brew amazing beer and looking cool in the process is not a concern.

2. It would be quite easy to create a wind buffer that would function similar to what you see on a Blichmann. Once again, it would not look as nice but see point 1 above.

3. If you are using a banjo burner and a 30 psi high pressure hose, how could the output of propane be any different?

Please enlighten me. The money is not an issue. The issue is paying more for something the is style over substance.
 
I'm not positive, but I believe point 3, is a low pressure versus high pressure thing. Meaning that the Blichman uses less propane for the same amount of time and BTU intensity when compared to another high pressure burner. Therefore you use less propane.

I also gave to say that I have two Blichmans and I love them. I also like the look of the new NB burner, but I like the Blichman stands.
 
DrKeiser,
2 more big benefits.

1 - with the leg extensions I can use gravity to empty my bot directly into my fermentation bucket via a tube attached to the ball valve.

2 - its whisper quiet. I don't like the sound of roaring burners.
 
I own two Blingmann burners, they work very well indeed, and they'll likely outlive all of us.

But...there are a hundred topics just like this one. Instead of spoiling for Yet Another Tiresome Fight, do some reading - then just buy the KAB6. Sure, it'll rust away in time, but maybe you'll be dead before that happens...
 
I love my Blichmann's and comparing my rates of use for 10 gallon batches to some of the other guys in my clubs that are doing 5 gallon batches, I do tend to believe the efficiency claims. Also they are dead quiet, sometimes I have to check the burners just to make sure they're still lit. That being said, do what makes you happy.
 
Well, being stainless is not just about looking cool. It's going to be more durable, rust free and will out last you. Burner frames made of painted steel will burn off the paint on first use, rust, and deteriorate over time.

Sounds like you already have a chip on your shoulder based on your initial analysis. Just go with a cheaper option and be done with it, you can still make great beer with any burner.
 
Thanks for all of the feedback. A KAB6 will run you $113 with shipping but then you will have to modify the stand because of a design flaw. Meanwhile a Blinchmann will run you $150 + about 50 more for the legs and shipping. The noise factor has to count for something and based upon your comments and others that I have read, it seems like the Blinchmann does probably use less propane. I don't have access to a welder and it may cost as much as 50 to get the KAB6 modified.

I have a buddy that just bought a Blinchmann. I think that I will do a brew session with him and then make a decision.

Once again, thanks for all of the feedback.
 
I own a Blichmann burner. You'll love it. Worth every penny. I use maybe 1-1.5lb of propane for a 10 gal batch.

I agree with the other poster, you do have to check it periodically to make sure it is still lit because it is so quiet.

Also, I do not have the extension legs. I just set it on top of 4 cinder blocks. Works great for me, but to each their own. Easier to store without the legs, and I just lay the cinder blocks right outside against my house. Less space taken up by the burner.
 
I'm buying one locally Friday and maybe selling my propane burner. I'm looking forward to faster brews with less propane and I'm sure there is a learning curve. Mostly the higher BTU.
 
Durty.. What burner do you use now, I'm curious. I do not have a chart explaining gas use versus economy, but there is a line where efficiency is. For my burner, there doesn't seem to be a line where BTU's and efficiency agree. I know I am burning more propane with a larger "fire", but if the flames are up around the side of the pot, how much of that extra gas usage is the BK actually using? I guess I wasn't asking you personally, but if someone has a idea, I would like to hear it. My Bayou Classic style burner burns very clean after I adjusted the inside ring, because when it came out of the box, I just hooked up the gas and went for it. What an incredible waste of gas, and even through that my wort heated up, so fast, it almost boiled over.
 
Some Walmart turkey fryer. I've done full 10 gallon extracts with it. Now I read about low vs high pressure propane and have no clue what that means
 
Love my blichmann, I had a cheap turkey fryer burner before it and it produced so much soot that trying to clean the kettle was impossible. the blichmann is more efficient and produces more heat than my old cheap burner
 
Love the Blichmann burner. It was worth the money. I opted for the leg extensions like a lot of folks because throwing away your auto siphon and draining to your fermenter through the ball valve is extremely satisfying. I kept my old banjo burner to use as a spare burner in case I need one. I find it useful for heating my hot liquor.

If you have the space, hold on to your old one. You never know if you'll need it!
 
I have a blichmann with the leg extensions as well and to this point in my very short brewing career it is probably one of the top 3 best investments I have made. As stated earlier, being able to open a ball valve and drain the boil kettle is invaluable. It allows me to start cleaning up and doing other things while my BK is draining.

You can always take the extensions off if you decide to mount it on a brew sculpture too.

In a couple years when I make the leap to building my Electric brew rig I will use the blichmann for boiling crawfish :D :rockin:
 
I have the Blichmann + leg extensions. It works great and it's hard to say something that hasn't been said. I went with it through the same research you are doing now, and it is the most I have spent on a 'single' piece of brewing equipment but it was worth it.

I bought kegging equipment after brewing my first beer (while it was still fermenting) and the burner before brewing my second beer...I am glad I did both.

Next will be a 20gal boil kettle and 10 gal batches :)
 
This is sort of on topic, but I am looking to start using a burner and get off of the stove but I live in Yuma, AZ and it's dusty as all hell. Are there potential issues with brewing outside in these elements? Regardless, if it is OK I'll be starting with my turkey fryer burner and hopefully upgrade to something a little more economical in the future. Cheers.
 
I wouldn't move outside until I had the Blichmann first if I could do it all over. If you can do full boils inside I would save up for the burner then move outside. I have brewed outside since my second batch and I don't worry about anything people talk about fearing outside. Way too many people brew outside with the lid off or even mash outside to believe it harms anything.
 
+1 for brewing outside. I could not imagine it any other way. However, I have only had to contend with acorns and falling leaves. I have no experience with dust.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
DrKeiser said:
+1 for brewing outside. I could not imagine it any other way. However, I have only had to contend with acorns and falling leaves. I have no experience with dust.
Click to expand...

This fall I had a Bee fly into my wort. It was during the mashing to it probably added some proteins.
 
orphanmeat said:
I own a Blichmann burner. You'll love it. Worth every penny. I use maybe 1-1.5lb of propane for a 10 gal batch.

I agree with the other poster, you do have to check it periodically to make sure it is still lit because it is so quiet.

Also, I do not have the extension legs. I just set it on top of 4 cinder blocks. Works great for me, but to each their own. Easier to store without the legs, and I just lay the cinder blocks right outside against my house. Less space taken up by the burner.
Click to expand...

My Blichmann is on cinder blocks too, works great, perfect height to gravity feed into
 
I'll never miss the jet-engine roar of my cheap burner. I got a Blichmann with the legs and I've never once regretted it. It's very solidly built and looks good, too. My brew days are nice and peacefully quiet, and I can hold a normal conversation as if the burner wasn't even there. If you don't get the Blichmann, at least look at other models that use a quiet burner. Totally worth it.
 
Since we're talking about the burner still I have a new questions,

Why does the natural gas connection have the needle valve? I'm thinking of connecting this to the line off my water heater if possible and just buying fittings locally instead of ordering a kit and paying shipping and handling.
 
I'm going to piggy back on this thread with a questions as well. I got the blichmann for Xmas and used it a couple times. Following the manual to tune the flame I think I'm still pushing too much gas. Granted I was trying to boil ~13.5gals in the dead of winter, but does anyone have any more specific tips for getting the optimum flame?

things like 1.5turns on the regulator, with air baffle 1/2 open.

thanks!
 
DurtyChemist said:
Since we're talking about the burner still I have a new questions,

Why does the natural gas connection have the needle valve? I'm thinking of connecting this to the line off my water heater if possible and just buying fittings locally instead of ordering a kit and paying shipping and handling.
Click to expand...

I think Williams Brewing (and there may be others) sells an "all in one" needle valve and low pressure orifice...

Cheers!
 
They are definitely much more quiet. Price and value is up to you. It will sip propane, I usually get 3-4 AG batches per tank. But it can still be blown out.
As for brewing outside, use the garage with a folding table on its side to keep out anything getting blown in.
Good luck


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Ok, later this month we are going to have a challenge. I have a buddy that bought a Blichmann. I have a used SP-10 (or something like it.) It has the standard burner and sits up high enough to drain into a fermenter. I want to do a side by side test and see what the difference is in boil time using water drawn from the same source. I will admit that I have made a $30 modification to my burner. I bought a 30 PSI high pressure hose.

Results and photos to come.
 
millsbrew said:
They are definitely much more quiet. Price and value is up to you. It will sip propane, I usually get 3-4 AG batches per tank. But it can still be blown out.
As for brewing outside, use the garage with a folding table on its side to keep out anything getting blown in.
Good luck


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
Click to expand...

You only get 3-4 batches per tank??? I get 5-6 with my $45 SP10.

It is loud on full blast but not too loud once I get to a boil. In fact I have to run the gas so low that it is hard to keep the flame going.

It sound like you need to adjust your Blichmann.
 
I have a generic Wally World turkey fryer I use for my burner. It is the "cup" design. I think it's like the SP10. When I filled my propane tank it weighed 36.6 pounds, and now it weighs 33.8 pounds. This after heating my mash water, my sparge water and running a 5 gallon 90 minute boil. I must have measured wrong somewhere, because the possibility of getting 12 batches compared to everybody else's 5 or 6 doesn't seem right. I have a 5 psi regulator, and maybe that's part of it.

EDIT: I went to Bayou Classic's website today, I found out the burner I have is the BG10 or it's exact clone. This burner with a 5 psi regulator, is way more heat than I can use. I mean, why have the flame running half way up the side of the pot, heating the air? Yes, I know there will be heat absorbed, but it seems like a terrible waste of gas. To be honest, I am comparing this burner to one from an old smoker I have been using to heat my wort, water, etc., so it isn't a fair comparison.
I am quite sure this burner uses way less gas to boil my wort. Maybe next time I will see how fast (within reason) I can get water to boil in my 40 qt pot.
 
I have been leaning toward a Blichmann to replace or add to my current Bayou SQ-14 burner. The question I have is if I buy a dual regulator hose, will I need to change one of the ends to accommodate one of the burners? In short, are the hose fittings for the Blichmann and the Bayou SQ-14 the same?

Also what is the Blichmann's height? I made a small portable stand that's just high enough for me to dump wort from the BK to my fermentor. Just curious if it's the same height as the SQ-14.
 
DrKeiser said:
+1 for brewing outside. I could not imagine it any other way. However, I have only had to contend with acorns and falling leaves. I have no experience with dust.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
Click to expand...

The dust has me nervous simply cuz it's in the air all day long. I know there are brewers from Az on here so I'm hoping they weigh in on the subject. Regardless, I'd like to get off the stove ASAP since it takes a long time just to get the water boiling and I do have a gas stove. Even then, the boil isn't as vigorous as I'd like it to be. I even use two burners and put the pot in the middle. :confused:
 
DurtyChemist said:
My question is what is the point of the needle? Why is it necessary?
Click to expand...

I suppose the needle valve would be useful as a pre-set metering device that would live downstream of a more binary gas valve - like a ball valve or solenoid - so you could leave the needle valve set for the desired burn rate. On an automated system, that would be handy...

Cheers!
 
Ok, my buddy with the Blichmann bitched out on me this weekend, but I actually picked up a banjo burner from Agri supply that I wanted to post about. First off, without a doubt, you get much more heat from the banjo burner. So much heat that I actually burned off the plastic handle of my HLT valve. Also, the burners are exceptionally quiet, especially in boil maintenance mode. A drawback that I did notice though is that the burner seemed more affected by the wind. Blichmann owners, how does the wind affect your burners?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Like all burners, the Blichmann isn't going to operate to its fullest when there is lots of wind present. Some effort to shield it from wind is necessary. Since I wouldn't ever try to brew in strong winds, I can't tell you what difference it makes. Light breezes aren't a big deal though, that's for sure.

The only people who have negative things to say about Blichmann burners are those who don't own one.
 
Well, I ordered a Blichmann burner last week and it arrived a couple of days ago. I wasn't expecting it to ship for another week or two, but anyways....

I went to my cousin's to brew today. We did a Heady Topper clone and I brought my burner as he has been interested in one as well. The two biggest things that impressed me were how much faster we got to a boil than on my Bayou Classic and how dead quiet the burner runs. The burner manifold is freaking huge compared to my SQ-14.

The only 'concern' (I use that word lightly) I have is how hot the valve on the boil kettle gets. The way my Bayou is set up, I have a small stainless heat shield I can place between the kettle and burner frame (The Bayou pots comes with a heat shield). The Blichmann doesn't have much frame to wedge a heat shield between its frame and the kettle. We tried it earlier today, but the heat shield looks like it was going to melt due to the heat of the Blichmann, so we run this batch without one.

For you Blichmann owners, is it alright to use a shield for your ball valves? If not, what do you suggest? I don't want the rubber to melt on the handles on mine, so I'm thinking about just removing them or get one of those clip on shields like Bobby M sells.
 
I used to use aluminum foil as a heat shield for my ball valve, but I got tired of doing that. I removed the plastic cover from the handle and replaced it with a piece of silicone tubing. Works great, hasn't melted or burned, and keeps me from burning my hand on a hot valve handle.
 
Yesfan said:
Well, I ordered a Blichmann burner last week and it arrived a couple of days ago. I wasn't expecting it to ship for another week or two, but anyways....

I went to my cousin's to brew today. We did a Heady Topper clone and I brought my burner as he has been interested in one as well. The two biggest things that impressed me were how much faster we got to a boil than on my Bayou Classic and how dead quiet the burner runs. The burner manifold is freaking huge compared to my SQ-14.

The only 'concern' (I use that word lightly) I have is how hot the valve on the boil kettle gets. The way my Bayou is set up, I have a small stainless heat shield I can place between the kettle and burner frame (The Bayou pots comes with a heat shield). The Blichmann doesn't have much frame to wedge a heat shield between its frame and the kettle. We tried it earlier today, but the heat shield looks like it was going to melt due to the heat of the Blichmann, so we run this batch without one.

For you Blichmann owners, is it alright to use a shield for your ball valves? If not, what do you suggest? I don't want the rubber to melt on the handles on mine, so I'm thinking about just removing them or get one of those clip on shields like Bobby M sells.
Click to expand...

I use a 15 gallon kettle and have not had any problems with the valve getting torched. It has got hot a few times and I turn it down a wee bit. I really like the burner; I call it Flame Tongue. If you wanted to make a shield, you could probably cut part of a coffee can and hang it with wire from the valve.
 

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