Burner Help

[brewhaus88]

I am doing a little research on BTUs of burners and which is best for 10 gallon systems. Currently I only brew 5 gallon batches and I feel like my 10 psi regulator and 4" Bayou BG10 is sufficient, I was wondering if the will do the trick with 10 gallon systems. I have seen mixed information about how much BTUs my current burner will do. Some say 35,000 others say 50,000, and others say it doesn't matter what size burner it is and it has everything to do with PSI regulators. I thought about buying a 6" burner but if wont increase my BTUs in the end whats the point?

 

[JohnSand]

Amazon lists the BG10 much higher, at 150,000. One review states that with a 10 psi regulator, it takes only ten minutes to boil 8 gallons. My SP10 is slower than that, but I do use it to boil ten gallon batches, with a starting volume of about 15 gallons. My suggestion would be to do a test boil with enough water for a ten gallon batch before changing your burner.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Bang for the buck, it's hard to go wrong with the Bayou KAB4. $70, huge output, built like a tank and relatively quiet. There are other very good burners for brewing that people swear by, but you'll pay more and not really get anything for the extra money.

I use the SAB4...same as the KAB4 but stainless. I got it on sale for about $110.

 

[IslandLizard]

Amazon lists the BG10 much higher, at 150,000.

I'd take all those BTU claims with a large pack of salt. Like HP, it tends to be wildly inflated.

IIRC, a few years ago Bobby ('our' Bobby, from BrewHardware) had posted a BTU test for burners. He may have a Youtube vid on it.

In short, you clean the orifice and other channels, adjust the burner to maximum power, all blue, no yellow flames etc. You weigh the tank, and 10-20' later you weigh it again. The difference is the amount of gas burned, and thus the maximum BTUs generated.

At the time, I think the Blichmann came in highest, but don't remember the actual BTU rating, could have been around 75-90k or so.
Many burners using that same large banjo burner will come in similarly.

Efficiency can be measured too, at the same time, how long it takes to heat a gallon (or 5, 7, 10 gallons etc.) in your kettle setup to a certain temperature, e.g., from 80-130F or 150-200F. Theoretical BTUs required vs. actual BTUs (e.i. gas weight) used.
That windscreen around the burner and (close) proximity of the burner to the bottom of the kettle are essential factors in high efficiency. If it's a windy day, put a wind screen around your setup, or boil in the wind shade.

 

[JohnSand]

And if you don't have any fear of aluminum, it transfers heat much faster than steel.

 

[LittleRiver]

... it's hard to go wrong with the Bayou KAB4. $70, huge output, built like a tank and relatively quiet...

I recently switched to KAB4 and couldn't agree more. It definitely cut down on my ramp times, but I think what I like most about it is how quiet it is.

 

[mongoose33]

I'd take all those BTU claims with a large pack of salt. Like HP, it tends to be wildly inflated.

At the time, I think the Blichmann came in highest, but don't remember the actual BTU rating, could have been around 75-90k or so.

Many burners using that same large banjo burner will come in similarly.

The Hellfire is rated at 140,000 btus; I don't doubt it.

If there were a problem w/ the hellfire, it was that at "high" the flame extends past the 10-gallon kettle I use, and that heat isn't being used, just warming the area around it.

Still a very fast burner.

 

[brewhaus88]

Thanks, I will probably stick with what I have and do a water test and time it.

 

[greywolf]

My hellfire works great. It can be too much when cranked up. I never run it wide open with the keggle but it does heat 10 gal much faster then my old turkey fryer. Quiet too. I als use a darkstar and its almost as fast.

 

[shelbymedic]

My gosh my KAB4 is incredible. A 4” burner will definitely do a 5 gallon batch but will add EASILY 30-60 minutes to your brew day. When I changed to the KAB4 combined with my exchilerator (I was previously using a 25’ immersion chiller), I’m down to about 4 1/2 hour brew day (previously about 6- 6 1/2 hours).

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

My gosh my KAB4 is incredible. A 4” burner will definitely do a 5 gallon batch but will add EASILY 30-60 minutes to your brew day. When I changed to the KAB4 combined with my exchilerator (I was previously using a 25’ immersion chiller), I’m down to about 4 1/2 hour brew day (previously about 6- 6 1/2 hours).

Yep. I went from a crappy home made immersion chiller and a cheap turkey fryer burner to a hydra chiller and an SAB4....really shortened my brew day. I've always milled my grains while the strike water is heating, but twice now I've overshot my strike temp because the SAB4 heats the water much faster than I expect.

 

[LittleRiver]

...twice now I've overshot my strike temp because the SAB4 heats the water much faster than I expect.

An alarm thermometer set a couple of degrees below strike temp works really well for that. Thermoworks has several alarm thermometer options.

I use the ChefAlarm. It also has a timer which is I use for mash and boil times. I got the 12" straight probe, and put a waterproof cover over the cable-probe junction, described in this post.