Will I be happy with a turkey fryer?

[bunderbunder]

I’m looking to upgrade to doing full boil brews (still extract) outdoors, and am trying to weigh my options.

The original plan was to get some reasonably nice equipment - Bayou Classic propane burner and a 10qt^H^Hgal stainless steel kettle with ball valve spigot.

I just discovered, though, that a nearby hardware store carries a turkey fryer setup with a 41,000 BTU burner and a 30qt aluminum kettle with spigot. It’s got me reconsidering my original plan because it costs a fraction as much. But I’m unsure how happy I’d be with it over the long haul. I’m sure the burner is cheap, and it also has a rim around the edge that will probably prevent me from using it with a kettle that’s wider than the one that comes with it. And the kettle itself seems sturdy enough, but the spigot looks fairly cheap so I’m not sure how cleanable it is, or if it can be hooked up to any additional plumbing.

What I’m wondering is, should I go for it anyway? If/when I eventually go all grain I’m sure I’ll want at least some nicer equipment. Would I still be able to make use of a cheap turkey fryer as part of that? Assuming the burner can’t be used with a bigger kettle and I need to get a better one, is there any value to owning two burners?

[muddywater_grant]

you aren’t going to be happy with 10qt kettle. that’s only 2.5 gallons.

[bunderbunder]

Ha! Make that 10 gallons.

[muddywater_grant]

@bunderbunder

Ha! Make that 10 gallons.

Do you have the btu’s on the bayou classic? 10 gallon for 5 gal batches are great. My kettle is right above 9 gal.

the 41,000 to me seems low. I think mine in the mid sixty’s and some times I wish I had a 100,000+ unit. don’t get me wrong, I can boil the shit out of 7.5-8.0 gallons. But I would like to get to boiling a little faster than I do.

[baratone_brewer]

Lots of good beer has been made on a turkey fryer setup, but if you have the cash to spend I would go with the setup you know you’ll love. In the long run I think you’ll be better off.

[deadeye1]

I started out with a similar setup. It worked fine. When I finally upgraded to 10 gallon batches I cut the ring off the burner and use that pot as a HLT. I still use the pot and burner.

[bunderbunder]

@muddywater_grant

Do you have the btu’s on the bayou classic?

55,000 BTU. The Bayou Classic SQ-14 is the one I had my eyes on.

[zube42]

I have a turkey fryer set up and have since moved to all-grain. It works, but I am already looking to upgrade to a 10 or 15 gallon pot. Certainly works though and the investment is fairly nominal. I could also continue to make beer just fine on the turkey rig as well.

[bunderbunder]

@deadeye1

I started out with a similar setup. It worked fine. When I finally upgraded to 10 gallon batches I cut the ring off the burner and use that pot as a HLT. I still use the pot and burner.

That’s what I was hoping I could do. Is 7.5 gallons big enough for the HLT? The missuz doesn’t like beer, so I don’t anticipate a lot of need for 10 gallon batches. I am unreasonably fascinated by parti-gyle, though. I was hoping that in the event I end up having to get a second burner, owning two would be useful for being able to start the second boil before the first one is done.

Is having a lower BTU rating going to make it hard to reach a 5-6 gallon boil? If it just means it’ll take longer, I can live with that. My liver and I are going to have a lot of free time on our hands this summer, anyway.

Thanks for all the advice! :cheers:

[ebbs81]

I have the sq-14 and love it. If you are not opposed to aluminum, I got a 10 gallon pot for under 50 bucks off amazon( use the super saver shipping and you won’t have to pay shipping). So you would be under $100 for a pot and burner. It doesn’t have a valve but its pretty easy to drill through the pot.

[drives_a_bike]

I was looking at the bayou burners as well, but after reading A LOT of reviews it seems like they burn through propane pretty fast. I ended up going to Menards and picking up a 44,000 btu turkey burner that came with 7.5 gallon kettle, and it only cost me $65. Works great and I can get quite a few batches (extract) brewed on one tank of propane

[deadeye1]

@bunderbunder

[quote=“deadeye1”]I started out with a similar setup. It worked fine. When I finally upgraded to 10 gallon batches I cut the ring off the burner and use that pot as a HLT. I still use the pot and burner.

That’s what I was hoping I could do. Is 7.5 gallons big enough for the HLT? The missuz doesn’t like beer, so I don’t anticipate a lot of need for 10 gallon batches. I am unreasonably fascinated by parti-gyle, though. I was hoping that in the event I end up having to get a second burner, owning two would be useful for being able to start the second boil before the first one is done.

Is having a lower BTU rating going to make it hard to reach a 5-6 gallon boil? If it just means it’ll take longer, I can live with that. My liver and I are going to have a lot of free time on our hands this summer, anyway.

Thanks for all the advice! :cheers: [/quote]

You’ll definitely want to get another burner in the future. You should be good to do 10 gallon batches. Party gyle batches will depend on wht style you brew.

[bunderbunder]

@drives_a_bike

I was looking at the bayou burners as well, but after reading A LOT of reviews it seems like they burn through propane pretty fast. I ended up going to Menards and picking up a 44,000 btu turkey burner that came with 7.5 gallon kettle, and it only cost me $65. Works great and I can get quite a few batches (extract) brewed on one tank of propane

Ha, that’s probably the same one I’m looking at. Good to know someone’s happy with it. Have you tried hooking any sort of hose up to the spigot for racking?

[nick_of_pa]

Love it for ourdoor boils. I have a 5 gallon pot and boil about 3 gallons for a 5 gallon bucket, Heats real fast and maintains a nice rolling boil on very little gas, Plus spousal unit does not care since your not using her kitchen. Hint.

[drives_a_bike]

@bunderbunder

[quote=“drives_a_bike”]I was looking at the bayou burners as well, but after reading A LOT of reviews it seems like they burn through propane pretty fast. I ended up going to Menards and picking up a 44,000 btu turkey burner that came with 7.5 gallon kettle, and it only cost me $65. Works great and I can get quite a few batches (extract) brewed on one tank of propane

Ha, that’s probably the same one I’m looking at. Good to know someone’s happy with it. Have you tried hooking any sort of hose up to the spigot for racking?[/quote]

No I haven’t used that spigot at all…

It probably is the same one, I’m telling you, it works great. The only thing I don’t like is the 12 minute timer that has to stay on or it shuts off the flame automatically, but I just turn it on and clamp a heavy vice grip on it and it’ll keep running without shutting off

[nighthawk]

Modification to defeat the timer.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/turkey- ... od-123043/

[goldentrout]

Simply put…“NO” you will eventually not be happy with a turkey fryer.

[harpdog]

I’m real happy with the Bayou Classic SQ-14 at 55,000 BTU.

As indicated, the friers with auto shut-off every 15 minutes are a real pain in the butt to keep re-lighting.

[bunderbunder]

Welp, after all of that I discovered that the ring around the grill on this turkey fryer’s burner is exactly the wrong size for our pressure canner. The canner tapers at the bottom, and it looks like we’d have to worry about it getting wedged in the ring. :roll:

So, SQ-14 it is.