Hark Outdoor Burner

[timryan]

G'day guys looking at getting into BIAB and came across this today on eBay. Just thought I would get some opinions or review if anyone is using one... I thought it look reasonable consider its got the burner and a 28L stock pot with strainer...

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts...

Cheers Tim

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=231186211548

 

[seamad]

You'll struggle to do a single batch with a 28L pot, life's easier with at least a 40L pot, the burner should still be fine though.With pots err on the bigger side, you'll not find many brewers wishing they had bought a smaller pot.

 

[timryan]

Cheers seamad out of a 28L pot what size batched could I produce? I don't mind doing smaller batches just means I'll drink them faster and be able to brew more varieties...

 

[seamad]

Depends a little on how much you want to push it, and how much you want to avoid boilovers. Being fairly conservative allow 20% headspace, so a preboil 22.5, with a 15% boil off ( could go 10%) gives you 19L post boil, 1.5-2L kettle/fermenter loss so you'll end up @ 17ishL. That's for the boil. For the mash it gets a bit worse, working on 1L/kg grain absorption and the volume of the grain itself for a 22.5L preboil you'll manage about 3kg of grain before you start overflowing, so not a very strong beer. I might be wrong on these figures as I just worked them out in my head and its been a while since I did BIAB. But I'm pretty sure I did 21L finished beer with my 40L crown urn.

 

[louistoo]

I bought one of these set ups from Anaconda. Got it home, put it together and promptly sheared the connecter from venturi whilst tightening with little pressure. Took it back ,replaced, took new one home and assembled and blow me down not a whisper of jgas made it through the line to ignite. No flow. Well took it back again! and got me money back. Now quite happy with 4 ring gas burner and 45lt pot. Safe, simple and robust. BIAB is what I do and glad of 4 ring for stable base and very happy my boiler is at least 40lt.

 

[timryan]

Thanks for the input Louistoo... I'm not sure what direction to go with the biab whether it be 4 ringer burners, jet burner or urns...

 

[seamad]

The crown urn is a simple plug'n'play option for biab, and if you go to a 3V makes a good hlt too. If you have solar panels on the roof and brew on a sunny day then you get cheap energy too. I also have a rambo burner which I have used on my kettle in the past ( before insulating it and going all electric ) and it worked well, plus it's excellent as a wok burner, which is what I mainly use it for.

 

[pist]

I have that burner for my double batch setup. Should get a single batch pot ripping along but youll have to build a stand to sit your pot over it...the stand the burner is housed in is weak as. The pot that comes with it will be pushing it for a 23l batch, even my 50l keggle comes close to the limit doing bigger beers.

 

[timryan]

Thanks pist I don't think I'll be doing full 23L batches I'm happy to work with s alter batch sizes.. Just means brewing more regularly and more variety of brews... I bottle so I won't have any issues with smaller batches... I'm definitely leaning towards it....

 

[zeggie]

I used to have of these. Worked great. Easily boil double batches

That being said I've switched and much prefer electric.

 

[timryan]

Sorry to sound amateurish what does double batches refer to? I'm think for the slight outlay its the most cost effective way to step into BIAB...

 

[woodwormm]

Single batch is commonly understood to be 23 litres and double batch is 46 litres of finished wort into the fermenter.

 

[timryan]

Cheers in that chase I'm happy to work between half and single batches...

 

[eMPTy]

On the topic of Hark Burners, I have been looking at buying one of these to move to full boil extract. My kitchen stove is tiny so can't manage much at all.

Eventually I would like to move to BIAB or something, so a larger pot would be needed. A larger pot may even be needed for single batches as seamad mentioned above.

I was wondering what options people had come up with for a sturdier stand as this one looks small and wouldn't fit the footprint of any larger pots? Otherwise are there better options?

 

[ian_2005]

In relation to stands, you can buy cast iron ones, or people use car wheels

If anyone is looking at buying a 3 ring burner, I have one, it needs a bit of a clean, but works. It has a standard hose

Pick up would be in Blacktown,NSW....PM me if interested......sorry to hijack this post

 

[eMPTy]

So, if you know it is highly likely you need to get a new stand for this Hark burner from the get go, is it really value paying close to ~$150 for something like this: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281679650346?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT.

I guess what I am trying to ask is, in peoples opinions, are there superior burners or options out there in similar price ballparks if you pieced it all together?

 

[timryan]

I'm now not sure... I've found heavy duty stands with 4 ring burners for about 120 plus s 37l Ali stockpot for 50ish kinda almost seem a better option.. Thoughts?

 

[pvan340]

My setup is a bayou classic burner and adjustable regulator mounted in a car rim. Search Amazon and you'll find it. You can buy them in a kit with everything you need.
You will need to adapt the American ACME gas bottle fitting to the australian POL fitting some how.
I unscrewed the hose from the regulator body and bought a 1/4inch fitting and a POL fitting from BCF. mine works amazingly well and will do double batches in my 80 litre pot in the same time it took my old burner to do a single batch.
Well worth all the mucking around.

 

[eMPTy]

My setup is a bayou classic burner and adjustable regulator mounted in a car rim. Search Amazon and you'll find it. You can buy them in a kit with everything you need.
You will need to adapt the American ACME gas bottle fitting to the australian POL fitting some how.

Is that something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-Single-Burner-Patio/dp/B0009JXYQ4

 

[antiphile]

Like several others here, I use a standard 4 ring LPG burner from a camping store ($90) and the best investment for it was a variable regulator. It was $99 I think from BOC (http://www.boc.com.au/shop/en/au-boc-industrial-store/regulators/lpg-regulators/boc-6000-single-stage-lpg-regulator), and just using a standard 9 kg gas bottle it can easily go from very very low to melting the shade cloth covering the verandah. BTW, this isn't recommended if you need your wife's permission to buy further brewing equipment. It easily gets 60 litres of wort to a vigorous rolling boil and maintains it.

Another approach to a stand is a homebuilt very sturdy bench or table (remembering it will be supporting lots of boiling liquid), covered in a 60 X 60 cm piece of 25 ml black marine ply from bunnings, and screwed to the tabletop. I get about 30 to 40 batches with the burner sitting directly on the marine ply before I need to think about replacing it due to the scorch marks and possibly any weakening. Good luck.