What is your vote for what burner i should buy. I am looking at the banjo family of burners and have been evaluating the BG10, BG12, and the BG14. I can’t come up a decision, compounding this i see commercial brew sculptures using all three (blichman = BG14 and SAABCO = BG12).
Your thoughts??
I have the Blichman burner and love it. It uses very little propane and is very quiet. No complaints. Gets the boil going very quickly. Cuts down on brew day.
I too have a Blichmann and would vote that way. It is one of the most efficient burners out there but when you turn up the gas it’s like punching the gas on four barrel carb… you will get the BTUs but at a cost. JMTC
I have used both propane as well as natural gas with my two burner single tier. I would recommend you start there. If NG is an option for you, you will cut your fuel expenses.
I wish NG was available, my stinking house is heated with oil.
I use a bayou classic KAB6 for mashing and boils, and a bayou classic SQ14 for heating sparge water. I will go through 2/3 of a 20 pound propane tank for one batch using the KAB6. I use about 1/3 of a 20 pound tank for heating the sparge water using the SQ14. I bought the KAB6 on the recommendation from a fellow worker. I never compared it to a different brand. I boil 8.5 gallons of wort and I am pleased with the KAB6. As far as gas consumption, I don’t know if mine is good or bad compared to others. I do have to plan ahead when I decide to brew because I have to get the tanks filled every time before brewing. I don’t want to take a chance of running out of gas cause I was too lazy to get them topped off. :cheers:
You use a lot of propane :roll: Just bustin your balls…but seriously…
The Blichmann is the same as the Bayou Classic KAB6. Where the KAB6 can hold any size pot with its huge frame, the Blichmann was built to be used on their rack or not, has optional extender legs, and is adaptable that way. Neither is a bad choice if they are what you want, but the Blichmann has all the options.
There are also the smaller rated banjos such as the older KAB4 and KAB5, but they use different air plates and are not capable of blasting the heat as much as the Blichmann and KAB6. That said, I rarely use the KAB6 at a level above the others, so the extra ability is mostly wasted.
The smaller SQ-14 is OK for 5 gallon batch sizes but lacks the power to be efficient for larger batches. It takes a lot longer to get 10+ gallons to a boil.
I’ve used most of the burners out there myself over the years, and I use these banjo burners on my current brew rig as they are quiet and can be used at a simmer or can be turned up to full blast.
I bought the extender legs for my Blichman burner and really love them. Kind of a pain in the ass that you have to pay additional for it but it puts the pot at a perfect level to open the spout and pour right into your carboy.
My friend bought the extender legs. I got his short legs and drilled and bolted to my short legs giving me almost the same height for the cost of a few bolts… It does make it a little heaver to move around.
Hmm, so far I think I’m leaning towards the KAB6 as I’m making a single tier using keggles so it seems to make sense to use them in case I start doing 10 gallon batches. Has anyone ever considered using a heat stick to boost the boil. I have seen them but never hear anyone on this forum talking about them.
You use a lot of propane Just bustin your balls…but seriously…
Too bad I can’t develop a way to channel the gas I get from my home brews to the propane tanks. I would be in great shape.
I need to try to make a some kind of a stand for my KAB6. I set it on bricks to raise the whole works off the floor so I can get a 5 gallon bucket under the 15 gallon mash tun-brew pot ball valve to catch the runnings from the mash. The Blichmann system seems nice, wish I had the bucks to go that way from the start. I could have saved myself a lot of work in the long run. But I’ll make due with what I got. i’ll just have to engineer something. 
Bucket heater. I use it to preheat my strike water to around 150 degrees in a standard plastic bucket. Takes about a 1/2 hour. So, while my water is heating, I am making coffee in the kitchen. I take the bucket outside and pour it into my awaiting hot liquor tank (turkey fryer). Heat for a few minutes with propane and I’m ready to mash in… it has really saved a lot of propane,
