Burner btu

[vp1839]

So I’m checking out my local meijer sale items when I stumble across a turkey fryer and fish fryer. Which is better to brew with the turkey fryer with 38k btu or the fish fryer with 58k btu? They cost $30 and $25 respectively. But I’m not worried about the $5 just if they are good to use for brewing.
Thank you for the help

 

[Keith81]

I'd go with the 58k btu, it'll save some time getting to a boil. Once you get to a boil you'll turn down the heat so the 38k will also work, it'll just take longer to get to boil.

 

[Keith81]

I'm assuming 5 gallon batches. If you do 10+ then you may need the extra power (I only do 5 gallon so I'm not sure how much power for 10+).

 

[mongoose33]

Go with the higher BTUs. I had a burner that was 54k BTUs, and it was relatively slow for 5-gallon batches, I thought. No way I'd go lower.

Here's another thing to consider: you've committed to spending $30 on a burner; what are you going to wish you'd done six months from now? If it were me--and you're not, so YMMV--I'd be looking for something with even more than 58k BTUs.

Admittedly, all this depends on how much reducing time spent brewing matters to you, and how you allocate your resources. Good luck!

 

[IslandLizard]

The one that has a windshield around the burner is usually the better one. It should go up to around 1-2 inches (max) below the bottom of your kettle.

BTUs are like amplifier or loudspeaker Watts, typically highly overstated.

Don't we have a repository here with some burners' actual heat output?
There are not that many different burner elements actually, it's the housing around them that vary widely.