Propane Gas Boiling Ring - 50ltr Boiler

[WellBrewed]

Hey all

I've been getting my all grain kit together, but ive had problems sourcing a large propane gas ring boiler.

I wanted one of these cast iron type ones but it seems the highest kW available is 8.5. What is the recommended kW for a 50 ltr boiler and how long does it take to get a boil with 8.5 kW? what does everyone else use and where did you get it? :)

Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions!!

 

[beermaker]

8.5 kW should bring 10 gallons up to a rolling boil fairly well I think; it's about 30000 btu. I've heard of several people using Bullfinch burners - very good but pricey! Personally, I use a home-brewed burner made from a 65000 btu back boiler burner, from which I stripped all non-essential bits and made a new gas jet to run on propane rather than natural gas. Works a treat and brings my humble 8 gallons up to a rolling boil in about 20 mins. If going down the gas route, make sure you have means of adjusting the flame intensity - I have an adjustable propane regulator so I can crank the burner right up to get to the boil quickly and then ease it off to a nice steady rolling boil.

wassail!
Phil

 

[Frogfurlong]

http://www.armysales.co.uk/lamps-stoves ... -Regulator

If it's good enough for the Forces it should work for brewing

 

[beermaker]

that looks an absolute weapon!! Good broad burner as well, might have to invest in one of them for future brewery upgrades! :

 

[Frogfurlong]

They come up quite often on Ebay and on the MOD surplus stores. That was just a quick google find, no endorsement etc...

These things are designed to run all day every day and still ask for more. Field kitchens the world over rely on their simple reliability.

:thumb:

 

[Dronfieldbrewer]

My mate uses one for his 2.5bbl brewery. Makes short work of 450plus litres..

 

[beermaker]

2.5 barrels?? Starting to think my home-made burner is a bit naff!! Mind, I've always brewed outside so get a lot of cooling from the breeze, but even still, my burner's rated at over 60 000 BTU but takes 20 mins to bring 8 gallons to the boil. Am I just expecting too much? At the current cost of propane it's very much a concern that my burner may be a tad inefficient!

I've often thought about using butane to boil with, as butane, contrary to popular belief, has a higher calorific value than propane and burns hotter. The problem is that butane freezes at a higher temperature than propane, which means you can run propane at a higher demand without the bottle freezing up. Bearing in mind I've had a 16 kg propane bottle freeze up mid brew before it can be an issue. Wonder if it would be possible to couple together two or three butane bottles with high pressure hoses to one burner so you get the benefits of the hotter flame temperature whilst overcoming the issue of the bottles freezing by sharing the demand between two or three?

I feel that it's only fair to point out I've had some wine! I really should go to bed!

 

[Frogfurlong]

A windshield can increase the efficiency of your burner by a huge amount.
If it wraps up the side of the pot even more so.

A windshield should allow the flow of air in, but slow the breeze across the flame.

Designs are varied and can often be replicated at home. Here is the google search for it >Clicky<