Nasa Burner - Inside?

[tonydav]

I'm looking at buying a Nasa (or similar) burner to start doing an AG. I had been considering one of the portable induction cookers (e.g. Portable induction cooker) but I'm not sure it will have the "balls" for bringing a large brew to boil quickly quite apart from whether it can handle the weight.

So back to the nasa burner; in our new house I was intending to do my HB in the large laundry. The wife's happy with this and I'll build shelves and cupboards to suit (might even let her put a washing machine in there ). The induction cooker would have been perfect for indoors cooking but I understand the nasa should be used out of doors. Has anyone used one inside? Recommended or crazy? How 'bout with good ventilation? I'd be looking to have the gas bottle outside either way.

tony

 

[Coodgee]

I have a Nasa-equivelant burner and I would have to say a resounding no. I find it hard to smell my boiling wort because I tend to get a noseful of burnt gas fumes that jets up the side of the kettle. I imagine it would fill a room really quickly.

 

[Murray]

I would also give a no. You are risking build-up of toxic fumes and oxygen depletion. when burning gas in a confined space. Also when burning in an oxygen-depleted environment, a sudden increase in oxygen (opening a door or window) can cause explosion or uncontrolled burning.

 

[Batz]

No from me as well,do the rest inside and your boil outside,SWMBO would soon complain about the smell and noise inside I bet .

Batz

 

[tonydav]

Sounds like the 'nays' have it.

Funnily enough as I was typing my initial message I was thinking of ways I could setup the nasa burner on a stand outside the laundry to try to get the best of both worlds. I'll obviously have to work a bit harder on this idea.

Thanks for the help guys.

tony

 

[Stuster]

I'm definitely with the nays, Tony. This thread may give you some ideas and if you search for brew stands or just tier you should get lots more threads on this.

 

[user 384]

I had been considering one of the portable induction cookers (e.g. Portable induction cooker) but I'm not sure it will have the "balls" for bringing a large brew to boil quickly

Completely underpowered. It would struggle to even boil a large brew let alone do it quickly. It would take ages for it to bring a small brew to the boil.

Even if you go electric and use a decent sized immersion heater, brew outside as the amount of steam created wil be significant and will need significant ventilation.

Cheers
MAH

 

[tonydav]

Completely underpowered. It would struggle to even boil a large brew let alone do it quickly. It would take ages for it to bring a small brew to the boil.

Even if you go electric and use a decent sized immersion heater, brew outside as the amount of steam created wil be significant and will need significant ventilation.

Had a feeling that would be the case. Hard to compare gas with electricity vs induction but figured it wouldn't compare with a good gas burner. And since I first looked at this cooker I've been considering doing PP's BIAB so there will be a large amount of fluid needing heating. Final nail in its coffin is that I'll probably get an aluminium stockpot - which won't work with an induction burner.

tony

 

[sah]

I've read all the nay votes and comments. However, I would be comfortable operating the nasa in a room provided a decent exhaust fan was also in use. Other risks to consider is appropriate heat sheilding to anything combustible nearby. Definately no flammable liquids nearby. An accessible emergency gas shutoff valve might further put you at ease.

Be safe.

Scott

 

[peas_and_corn]

With the inconvenience caused by brewing inside, especially with a NASA, it'll just be easier to do it outside, which is what I do.

 

[johnno]

Nasa's rock.

And I also say no to running one of these inside.


Smallish (815kb) quicktime movie of one in action. For anyone that has not seen one in action.


cheers
johnno

View attachment P4143485.MOV

 

[PistolPatch]

Johnno, you're going to kill me but I'm not too keen on the NASAs...

Now that I'm brewing in the bag, I've had the opportunity to brew alongside a brewer with a NASA. The noise of the NASA drives me mad for a start but I also found that my 3 ring burner heated slightly faster than the NASA with the same volume of water. (Happy to do a proper test on this.)

The NASA has a far higher BTU rating but I think that because the flame of the 3 ring burner is spread so evenly over the base of a pot, the heat works more efficiently.

As for brewing indoors, any sort of gas thingo is no go. I get away with it as I always have a strong and specific breeze through my apartment. I'm not sure what the neighbours would think if I fired up a NASA though!

I also like the fact that the 3 ring burner only costs $35 - made up for a few of my other errors and you have far more ways of adjustment.

Cheers
Pat

 

[Coodgee]

sorry to start a "my burner is bigger than yours" thing, but something has to be said for the Rambo burner (that's the name on the user guide).
/small dick mode: on
I have to have mine turned down so low it's almost off or I get a big boil over every time. I'd like to see a burner-off one day soon. also I reckon the rambo weighs in at around 20kg.
/small dick mode: off

 

[johnno]

This is not about my burner is bigger/burns better than yours etc.

I am just giving tonydav and anyone else who may have not seen one used before the oppurtunity to see why they should not be run inside.

Not just the nasa, but any burner. Especially the higher powered ones.

It is always saftey first as far as I am concerened.

cheers
johnno

 

[Guest Lurker]

A NASA burner is going to evaporate about 10 l of water in the boil. So if you use it inside, without highly efficient ventilation, you can achieve the same effect by taking a 10 l bucket of water and throwing it on your ceiling.

 

[NRB]

The noise of the NASA drives me mad for a start but I also found that my 3 ring burner heated slightly faster than the NASA with the same volume of water. (Happy to do a proper test on this.)

Pat, I would be very interested to hear your results. I currently only have 1 burner (a NASA) and find I can heat my HLT from cold to boiling in under 10 minutes. Yes it's loud but man it packs a punch.

I will be purchasing a new burner so I can have a twin burner setup and if a quiet 3 ring can heat water as fast, I may consider using one for my boil kettle. As long as it doesn't create the soot of a mongolian, then it may be a realistic option for my addition.

[edit] Oh and in response to the initial question, I am with the majority - use it outside only.

 

[PistolPatch]

LOL and too right Guest!

I'd forgotten that. In the days when I was even less mature, probably last Tuesday - no, just joking, it was on my second AG, I did one brew at night with just a slight breeze and the windows nearly closed.

What Guest said is right. The ceiling above my kettle was literally dripping even though I had the steady breeze. So, even without the obvious safety hazard, the boiling in such a confined area would be a nightmare.

Cheers
PP

P.S. Can anyone convert Johnnos movie to .wmv? The quicktime download is 36MB!

 

[PistolPatch]

Sorry NRB, only just caught your post. The 3 ring won't do it in ten minutes.

Just had a look through some notes - it takes about twenty five minutes to bring 44lts of water from 16 to 66 degrees with my 3 ring.

After mash to boiling takes about 20 minutes. This was the bit where I remember my 3 ring outdid the NASA but I have no idea why???

Anyway, I'm happy with the 3 ring. During the time I'm waiting for things to heat up, I have plenty to do and once things are under way, I find the 4 methods of adjusting the heat very handy. From what I've seen, the NASAs are a bit harder to adjust/control???

Next time I brew alongside the NASA, I'll take some proper notes and post the results.

Cheers
PP

 

[NRB]

Pat, taken from Chiller's thread "Turn Up The Heat" here the vital statistics:

Facts and figures.

16 litres for mash from cold in under 8 minutes.

25 litres for sparge to 80c in 14 minutes

Gas useage. Mash water Sparge water and full boil less than 1.5kgs of lpg.

Cheers.

 

[Guest Lurker]

Next time I brew alongside the NASA, I'll take some proper notes and post the results.

Cheers
PP

Hey Pat

I wouldnt bother, it doesnt mean anything. If you keep everything else the same, and change only the burner, it means something. Putting pot A on your three ring, next to pot B on someone elses NASA tells you nothing. Pot shape has an awful lot of influence on efficiency.

I own a three ring, a four ring and a NASA. I have done comparisons with exactly the same pot (although it looks rather like a keg), in exactly the same location, with exactly the same windshield but with the three different burners underneath. In a test for how long to get 60 l to boil, I cant tell you how long for the three ring because I gave up after hours. The NASA was about half the time of the four ring (in exactly the same situation, same pot, different burners).

So I gave the four ring to AusDB, who finds that with his flat pot, it heats much faster than it did with my (rather keg looking) pot, which gives us the alternative experiment, same burner, different pots.

Anyway, the result of the experiment, is that mine is definitely bigger than yours.