Burner size, Blichmann, Bayou Classic, etc.

[Nightforce]

Just wondering what size burners most use and if anyone is using a Blichmann burner. My homemade burner just seems pretty weak to me. It's about a 5-6" banjo style salvaged from a gas water heater. It appeared to be jetted for natural gas and I got a lot of orange tips, so I turned a new jet for it and it works a much better, however, it still takes me about 50-55 minutes to boil 8 gallons for mashing some corn and about 90 mintues to boil 10 gallons of stripped product. Doing a spirit run it doesn't bother me so much to wait an hour and half to start collecting but almost an hour just to boil water for mashing some grains seems like unjustifiable patience in a hobby that requires patience.

If I turn it up to high I get CO registering on the monitor. Blichmann has some exceptional products. I've been looking at their mash tuns, the 20 gallon one, but I can get by with what I have currently use, so looking at getting a new burner instead. I've read that the Blichmanns will run from barely a visable flame to wide open very nicely and have good wind resistance even though I don't need that feature.

[Nightforce]

Nobody seem to have a comment on this?

Well, my brother has a Bayou burner, I think the "classic" model which I'll borrow to see how well that works and I guess post of results here.

[D Major]

Hey buddy,
I am using the Bayou Classic burner and have a 7.5 gallon pot. I put a 6 gallon wash in it, and it takes me about 45 minutes to heat it up to the boiling points if I crank it wide open. But I don't do that any more because It tends to surge past the temps I want. So I turn it down at about half an hour and let it coast up to temp, so all told, still takes about an hour to get up to temp.

(Of course, that is in my garage at about 55 degrees F outside. Can't wait for the summer.)

Also, the first few times I used it, once up to temp, I struggled to get the flame low enough without it going out. That is less of a problem now that I have gotten use to it. But that valve can be sensitive on the low end.

Hope this helps.

[Nightforce]

I got a chance to use my brothers Bayou Classic (SP10) burner and it worked reasonably well, but it's LOUD. I was able to bring 2.5 gal. of water to a boil in my BOP in 15m flat, which is a little better than what my homemade one does. I've decided to get the Blichmann instead. I've read more reviews on it and will post my results once I have them.

[NineInchNails]

I got a chance to use my brothers Bayou Classic (SP10) burner and it worked reasonably well, but it's LOUD. I was able to bring 2.5 gal. of water to a boil in my BOP in 15m flat, which is a little better than what my homemade one does. I've decided to get the Blichmann instead. I've read more reviews on it and will post my results once I have them.

If I'm not mistaken, the only difference between a Bayou Banjo burner and the Blichmann burner is just the stand. From what I understand the burner itself is a Bayou Banjo burner. The Blichmann uses a stainless steel stand.

I suppose it is possible that the Blichmann unit 'could' have the burner itself mounted higher within the stand or something like that, but I wouldn't know.

[Buteo]

I use the Bayou Classic 10". It's like a propne burner on steroids. Nightforce is correct it does make alot of noise.
Sounds like a jet getting ready for takeoff.

[Nightforce]

I just got my Blichmann burner today. First impressions...WOW!!!! My brothers Bayou Classic would boil 2.5 gallons in about 15-16 minutes and the roar would really start to grate on you after a while; my old burner was about 20-25 minutes. The Blichmann is near silent, just a soft "Sshhhhhhhhh" sound and it's boiled 2.5 gallons of water in both my BOP and my keg boiler in 11½-12 minutes. It's fit and finish is class A too, no burning paint smell either.

I'll see how it runs down on low once I do a strip and spirit run and post back later. As of now, I'd highly recommend this burner.

[heynonny]

Much like in another subject w/ a reply since yesterday about 'if you dont have time to read up on the hobby, do you have time to actually enjoy it', you (me, anyway) take what? 2-3 hours to cook grain and /or corn, wait for ok temp for yeasting, fermenting out, (mine has NEVER finished out in less than 3 weeks, fine with me), setting up still, and NOW you want to get to boiling temp in 26 minutes or whatever, now we're speed demons!
I use the Bayou classic 'BG-10' burner with a welding regulator, 18 psi max (fine, fine, adjustments). I timed to initial distillate about 10 times and about 10 - 15 min. before, I park myself there till things happen. I charge with 12 - 12 1/2 gallons, in my 15 1/2 kegger, never puked, yet, knock on wood.
Why, now, at the end of the process, at the very best part of it all, do we need the ultra high speed to save, what, 45 minutes?? -hey-

[Nightforce]

True, this is a hobby of patience, however, most of us, I think, would choose to heat our mash water/boiler charge as quick as possible since it doesn't matter how fast it can be heated to the temperature we're looking for. To me, speed when needed and not detrimental, is a great thing; better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. If I can get a burner that will save me 20-30 minutes just getting it to temp for adding grains AND is quiet, then that is what I'm looking for. The information I tried to offer to the group was the difference between my old quiet burner and others with similar smaller banjo style burners and the this new burner, which is significant. Those using the Bayou Classic and similar jet type burners, and don't mind the noise, have an excellent burner that is quick; with an average of 6 minutes per gallon vs. 4.8 minutes per gallon by my testing. It is, I agree, negligable. On a 10 gallon boil of water, that would only be 12 mintues difference, not that great of a deal if you're talking 40min vs. 52min. The other information I was trying to offer was this burner seems to be able to back off and still run slow and stable for a spirit run but further testing on my part will confirm that theory.

Just my 2¢.

[NineInchNails]

I am so confused about the difference between the Bayou and the Blichmann.

Are you guys saying that the Blichmann is actually quieter than the Bayou?

How is that even possible? Aren't they the exact same burner?

[Nightforce]

The Bayou burner I'm referring to is the SP10 jet style burner. Bayou has a similar banjo type burner that I think uses the exact same 10" burner. I don't think it's rated the same as the Blichmann but I think it would still be an excellent burner, both are in fact nice burners, except personally for the noise of the jet style.

More info on the Blichman. Last night I did an all grain mash of 8.4gallons of water in the pot and cranked it up pretty high, enough that the flames just were shooting past the edges of the pot. Full rolling boil in 37 minutes and change. I was super happy with that. A almost a full half hour faster than my old burner; twice as quick as the old one.

Other observations include:

· better boiling capability - after the water was boiling I dumped (slowly added more like) the corn to the water and it seemed to not die down like with the old burner would.
· finer adjustments - I was able to "tweak" the flame adjustment much better with the Blichmann burner over the valve on the SP10
· larger uniform boil - the larger surface of the 10" burner head was able to keep the whole pot at a nice rolling boil, reducing the burning/scorching I was used to battling with the 5½" head. The whole pot seemed to churn and self stir.

Next is a strip run of corn/barley/sugar that's finished.

[NineInchNails]

Oh I get it ... I didn't realize you were talking about the Jet style burners Sorry about that.