To put it simply, I'm looking to upgrade my burner, as well as to acquire a chiller and pump. I'll explain specifically below:
Burner:
Right now, I have a 35k burner that I use, installed on a custom framework, that used to work perfectly with 2-3 gallon batches. However, I've migrated up to 6-10 gallon batches, and am having difficulty maintaining a boil, as well as even reaching high temperatures. We just brewed last Sunday, and it took 8 gallons of water somewhere around an hour to reach strike temps, and an additional 30-45 minutes to go from post-mash temps, to boiling. It's becoming impractical, so I'm looking to upgrade my burner. As it stands, I've sought out some relatively inexpensive choices. I'll share them below, and wait for your opinions and suggestions to lead me in the right direction. Thanks!
Presently, this is close to the one that I use:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MA6D0GI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
What I'm looking for is a 100k+ BTU burner (or at the very least 80k+), with an appropriate regulator to put out the full capability of the burner. I know very little at the moment about what a good pairing of burner/regulator would be, so basically what I'm seeking is a cost-effective pair of burner and regulator, appropriate for heating 10-15 gallons of water, if need be. Below are the burners which I've tentatively thought would suffice, but don't know for sure. Hopefully you all can point me in the right direction!
1.) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JXYSW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
2.) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JXYTG/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
3.) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JXYTG/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
4.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016NA3XAO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Chiller:
I've only ever chilled wort using an ice bath. This worked well for smaller batches, but now that I'm working on larger ones, this is an incredibly inefficient way to chill wort. So I'm looking to go with a chiller, but am not sure myself how much faster immersion is over, say... counterflow. I realize that it depends on thickness of the copper, the diameter of the tubing, etc., but that's what I'm looking to know. So, what is the best chiller out there, in your experience? Please include volume of wort chilled, cooling times, and any other important information that I would need to consider.
Pump:
Perhaps the most commonly suggested pump out there is the stainless steel chugger pump. I'm not sure there's much else to discuss, but I did have some questions. I've found other pumps that are food grade, but they're not stainless steel, they're food grade plastic. I've been strongly suggested not to utilize these plastic pumps, regardless of their "food grade" designation. Can anybody out there explain this, as well as suggest their preferred pump?
Burner:
Right now, I have a 35k burner that I use, installed on a custom framework, that used to work perfectly with 2-3 gallon batches. However, I've migrated up to 6-10 gallon batches, and am having difficulty maintaining a boil, as well as even reaching high temperatures. We just brewed last Sunday, and it took 8 gallons of water somewhere around an hour to reach strike temps, and an additional 30-45 minutes to go from post-mash temps, to boiling. It's becoming impractical, so I'm looking to upgrade my burner. As it stands, I've sought out some relatively inexpensive choices. I'll share them below, and wait for your opinions and suggestions to lead me in the right direction. Thanks!
Presently, this is close to the one that I use:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MA6D0GI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
What I'm looking for is a 100k+ BTU burner (or at the very least 80k+), with an appropriate regulator to put out the full capability of the burner. I know very little at the moment about what a good pairing of burner/regulator would be, so basically what I'm seeking is a cost-effective pair of burner and regulator, appropriate for heating 10-15 gallons of water, if need be. Below are the burners which I've tentatively thought would suffice, but don't know for sure. Hopefully you all can point me in the right direction!
1.) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JXYSW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
2.) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JXYTG/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
3.) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JXYTG/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
4.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016NA3XAO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Chiller:
I've only ever chilled wort using an ice bath. This worked well for smaller batches, but now that I'm working on larger ones, this is an incredibly inefficient way to chill wort. So I'm looking to go with a chiller, but am not sure myself how much faster immersion is over, say... counterflow. I realize that it depends on thickness of the copper, the diameter of the tubing, etc., but that's what I'm looking to know. So, what is the best chiller out there, in your experience? Please include volume of wort chilled, cooling times, and any other important information that I would need to consider.
Pump:
Perhaps the most commonly suggested pump out there is the stainless steel chugger pump. I'm not sure there's much else to discuss, but I did have some questions. I've found other pumps that are food grade, but they're not stainless steel, they're food grade plastic. I've been strongly suggested not to utilize these plastic pumps, regardless of their "food grade" designation. Can anybody out there explain this, as well as suggest their preferred pump?
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