Hey all. Had a “mechanical” failure. I bought one of those standard burners from menards and it failed a while back. So I got another one but modified it by replacing the legs with stronger brackets. After about 6 brews the thing crumpled like a cheap suit Despite the brackets and my kettle collapsed. No injuries!
I think I need to bite the bullet and get something better. I would appreciate any advice anyone has. I don’t want to spend a ton but don’t have to go cheap either. I’m boiling upwards of 8 gallons in a mega pot. Thanks in advance and stay safe everyone.
Yours is not the first one to spoil a “woulda been a great brew” day… I’m glad to hear no harm was involved…
Is the actual burner worth saving? If so, have a local metal fab shop build something that’ll last a life time?
Look at brew sculptures… You may get some ideas… If you lived up by Lake Superior, I have my original one… sitting in a shed collecting dust…
Sneezles61
I just took a quick look at Amazon for LP burners. I have to say the stands look cheap enough to be dangerous. I agree with @sneezles61 see if you can get a metal shop to make up something substantial.
Thanks. I’ll take a look. It happened with my strike water so no ingredients lost. My metal work, if you can call it that, didn’t quite make the grade🙄. It seems like most of the burners you see online or in stores really aren’t designed for even a 5 gallon batch. Once those flimsy brackets bend, they’re useless. Thanks for the suggestion.
I used a cheap bayou classic propane turkey fryer setup for years. They’re low but plenty sturdy and cheap. I even transferred that burner to my brew cart I built later and just replaced the burner recently after 8 years use.
This one actually looks taller than the one I had. I’m sure you can find the burner without the kettle and all. If they sell it for boiling a turkey in oil, I’m pretty sure it will hold your batch of homebrew safely.
Gear, and how much you spend on it, like many things is a personal choice for a brewer but if you’re looking for cheap and simple bayou classic burners can’t be beat IMO.
When i did buy the second burner i did construct a metal stand. First one i had. Me not happy. With the legs. Of the stand. Now so strong. I can even brew during a huricane it will survive
I have never had an issue with the N.B. Darkstar, I think I have been using it about 3 years. I did just buy the Blichmann Hellfire, not cheap but I had a gift card to burn through. Very solid unit and really heats the strike water fast. Still plan to go electric someday though.
