Today is BREW DAY at my house (first one in a long time). I got a Blichmann floor burner(with leg extensions) for Christmas and am breaking that out today. I have NEVER used a gas burner for brewing before. Are there any tips/tricks to having a successfull transition? I’m assuming that killing the heat for the LME addition is a must. Anything else?
So excited!! Tongue Splitter is on the menu.
Thanks all!!
It’s been a while since I did an extract batch, but yes, I would pull the pot off the burner for the extract addition. I always did the late extract method, keeping the extract in a small cooler filled with hot water. It helped the extract come out easier to speed up the process.
Just keep an eye on it when you start to boil as you definitely have a great heat source now and temps will climb faster.
Other than that, I don’t think it will be much different. Those are great burners and they throw a ton of heat so make sure to throttle it back once you achieve a boil. No need to waste propane. All you need is a slow boil, not a vigorous one.
Good luck!
I would do a dry run on using the burner and boiling some water. This will allow you to become familiar with lighting the burner and its controls. It’s easier to screw around when all it is on top is a pot of plain water.
Sounds good! I’ll def. do a dry run with plain water. I’m all jacked up and can’t wait to get going (currently working).
Side question as I’m always looking to upgrade equipment. I can’t help but notice brew pots with a ball valve at the bottom. Does anyone have experience with the Blichmann burner/extensions and a brew pot with a valve? Does it eliminate the need to siphon from the kettle to the fermenter?
Yep, kettle with a valve will eliminate the need to siphon. You will also want to install some sort of a pickup tube in the inside of the kettle.
My advice for the gas burner is to always keep a spare propane tank on hand.
[quote=“Baratone Brewer”]Yep, kettle with a valve will eliminate the need to siphon. You will also want to install some sort of a pickup tube in the inside of the kettle.
My advice for the gas burner is to always keep a spare propane tank on hand.[/quote]
+1 I keep three tanks at my place. One for brewing, one for the gas grill, and a third to back up the other two. Running out of gas in mid-boil is bad; telling the wife that you let the grill run out of gas halfway through making dinner is almost as bad. :oops:
+1 on the extra propane tanks.
Extra tanks good.
When doing extract outdoors I always just killed the heat when I added late extract to avoid moving 5+gal of boiling wort. Seemed to work fine for me. I just took plenty of time to get the extract stirred in and fully in solution before returning to a boil. Also be aware that you will have another hot break when it does come back to a boil so be ready with the control knob and a spray bottle.
[quote=“Baratone Brewer”]
My advice for the gas burner is to always keep a spare propane tank on hand.[/quote] Thanks for reminding me…
