I’m looking to upgrade my system from 5 gallon batches to 10 gallon batches. I currently own a Bayou Classic® – bayouclassic.com that is rated at 55,000 BTU. Since I’m upgrading the size of my boils i’m thinking that i’m going to need more BTU so that I’m not waiting forever to bring to a boil.
after some searching i’ve been able to find burners that put out about 55k-80k BTUs and then +200k. the +200k ones come with quite a variety of warning labels on them that makes me nervous. What BTU burner should i be looking at to make sure I’m at a boil in ~30 mins?
Are my expectations of a boil at 30 mins realistic?
You should have no problem getting to a boil within 30 minutes. It’s rated up to 185K BTU. Yes, the owners manual makes you afraid of burning down the neighborhood but it really not that bad.
You should be fine with 55K. We have two 55K burners (Homebrew Propane Burners & Accessories) and we boil water just fine. Actually, we usually turn down the boil burner once we have a rolling boil. Pushing out more BTUs is just a waste of gas. We’re boiling 13-14 gallons.
I routinely do 10 gallon batches. I use the SP10 Bayou Classic High Pressure Propane burner (185,000 BTUs max). http://www.bayouclassicdepot.com/sp10_propane_burner.htm
It is noisy when it is on full-blast, but it will heat 17 gallon of water in a 20 gallon SS kettle to 150+ F in about 30 minutes.
After the first runnings are placed in the boil kettle, I start the burner, and take it above Mash Out temps while lautering (typically batch sparge method). Depending on the intended style (e.g., if I want a light colored beer with no kettle mailliard reactions), I may stir the high-gravity first runnings frequently, and keep the burner turned down lower for the lighter beers, and on full-blast for the darker beer styles that accept kettle-derived Mailliard reactions.
I collect the wort in a 5.5 gallon SS kettle and dump it into the 20 gallon SS kettle. Lautering takes about an hour. During this whole time, the ever increasing volume of wort in the boil kettle is being heated and never quite makes it to a boil by the time I transfer in more wort. By the time I’m done lautering, the wort is practically at boil temps and we’re ready to deal with the hot break and start the hop additions. IMO, I don’t think you need a bigger burner. I am intrigued, though, by the banjo burners that are supposed to be quieter.
+1 (or +2 or +3, seems lots use it) on the SP10. The range on this thing is amazing from screaming jet engine afterburners down to the tiniest simmer. Love mine.
I always have to kinda laugh when my neighbor sees me brewing & tries to have a conversation, from 30 yards away.
I never have a clue what she’s saying.
I use the square frame bayou classic with 12 gallon batches (Amazon.com). This should be the same burner as yours, and I have no trouble getting the water heated quickly. I definitely don’t need to turn it up to full blast to keep a good rolling boil.
I don’t know if they are as I haven’t heard the SP-10. However, if I was to guess I would say the KAB4 is louder because it produces more BTU’S than the SP-10.
I don’t know that BTU’s equate to noise. I thought I had heard somewhere that the banjo style like the KAB4 is quieter since it has lots of smaller holes versus the SP10 that just has the sort of one “all around” opening. The noise on my SP10 doesn’t bother me.
One thing I always wondered about with the KAB4 is does the 30PSI regulator give you any trouble with regular 20-pound tanks? I thought I remembered something about higher PSI regulators not working so well with smaller tanks. The SP10 is 20PSI.
I have both the SP-10 and the KAB4. The KAB4 is WAY quieter than the SP-10, uses less propane too. The SP-10 is better in the wind. I have a 82 quart kettle and the SP-10 just wasn’t getting the job done, but the KAB4 is too big (wide) for my 44 quart kettle.
The noise will be a funcion of the gas velocity. More holes for the same BTU will give lower gas velocity and hence, less noise.
I often have to say I am and engineer, then have a discaimer that the subject is not my specialty. I am a N&V engineer, so for once it matches my specialty.
I have driven a 3500 HP locomotive. Not much of a challenge, until you try and stop 200 tons with steel on steel. That was just one locomotive, and no freight behind!