WTB: Burner! 3 ring vs 4 ring vs mongolian

[StaticPhase]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on burners, did my first all grain batch last week and boiling on the stove is going to cut it so I'm trying to decide on a burner. Money is a bit tight at the moment so obviously leaning towards 3 ring just because of price is it going to be enough? I'm doing 21L batches so almost 30L boil will be switching to keggle as soon as I finish mounting taps etc.

From what I've read a 4 ring nearlly doubles BTU's but it's almost triple the price...

Any thought/advice would be muchly appreciated

Cheers!

 

[sp0rk]

A 4 ring is overkill IMHO, I've got a 3 ring and it get a really pumping boil going with only the middle and outside rings (using an adjustable reg)
Never used a Mongolian burner, but I've heard good things about them

a 3 ring does fine for me on a single batch BIAB setup and I plan on using it for my double batch kettle burner once I finish building my 3V rig

 

[Donske]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on burners, did my first all grain batch last week and boiling on the stove is going to cut it so I'm trying to decide on a burner. Money is a bit tight at the moment so obviously leaning towards 3 ring just because of price is it going to be enough? I'm doing 21L batches so almost 30L boil will be switching to keggle as soon as I finish mounting taps etc.

From what I've read a 4 ring nearlly doubles BTU's but it's almost triple the price...

Any thought/advice would be muchly appreciated

Cheers!

If you're not planning on moving to bigger batches the 3 ring is fine, if you plan on upgrading in the next year or so buy the 4 ring up front.

 

[Yob]

4 ring, better to have that extra ring or 2 and not need it than need them and not have them.

I spent a couple of years with a 3 ring and a single batch system, was great, but future proof yourself and buy once

 

[Helles]

Italian spiral burner with adjustable reg will boil 100 + lts

 

[elcarter]

Don't want to sound like I'm promoting any particular product but I was surprised how good the keg king burner combined with a high pressure regulator performed.

The heat generation and quietness made my $160 Nasa look stupid. If you in the $130 price bracket that's the one I'd go for one of that style if I had to buy again.

Disclaimer I do sell these but buy from you local Home brew store

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

If you cant afford a 4 ring then a 3 will do the job nicely. And if your not planning to go above 23l batches then a 4 will be a waste.

To make your burner work better, make a wind shield around the burner. This helps reduce a lot of heat loss. An old car rim with a slot cut out so tge ring sits in low is ideal

 

[Scooby Tha Newbie]

+1 on a wind break.
Buy the best one you can afford.
I use a hws now for step mashes. That saves a lot of gas. No need to heat the strike water now so My wok burner doesn't need to work as hard.
Be shore to get a high rate gas regulator as it won't matter what you have if it's the incorrect gas reg.

 

[Scooby Tha Newbie]

Twin post

 

[gaijin]

I use a rambo burner that I bought from Craftbrewer. I bought it as I live close to Capalaba where their store is and the price/postage was right. Link here if needed.

Here are positives/negatives:
- It brings 60L of wort in a 70L pot (boilover alert) from around 50C to boil in 15-20mins.
- The flame on this sucker is decent (300mm high at full ball) and is very loud when cranked into overdrive. You have to yell to be heard when standing around it. That said, with the level of flame used to keep a rolling boil with a 60L batch, it only moderately loud - not a problem for me.
- 1x8.5kg gas bottle lasts around 3.1 batches including heating strike water.
- In researching before buying someone mentioned that it generated soot. I've never encountered this.
- The base that it is set within is just big enough for a 70L pot. I probably wouldn't try a 100L without a larger outer frame for stability.
- I use bricks to shield the flame depending on wind conditions. If it's breezy when I brew, LOTS of heat is lost when I brew due to large gaps in supplied burner enclosure.

Hope this helps.

 

[StaticPhase]

thanks everybody... I think I'll be sticking to single batches at least for a while so I might grab the 3 ring just wanted some reassurance that it would work.

Cheers again

 

[Yob]

if you do grab the 3 ring, be aware they work best with a medium pressure regulator on them, much more effective than the regulator they come with, they are OOK (just) but I found the flame to be too sooty for my liking.. info for you just to factor in.

:icon_cheers:

I got one that looks like this (from beer belly in Adelaide from memory)

 

[Tilt]

I use a 3 ring burner with the above reg for my 23l boils - have to turn the outer ring off when it hits rolling to stop it jumping out of the keggle. It can just manage a gently rolling boil on 42l double batches in my new 70l kettle. A good option for the budget minded brewer I reckon.

 

[Weizguy]

Italian spiral burner with adjustable reg will boil 100 + lts

Asian (look-alike) spiral burner has lasted me about 6 years so far, and only about $40. I had to get an adjustable reg, and it's done warrior duty and still running like a champ.

Got mine from MHB, and he may be able to advise if there is a supplier close to you. FWIW

Edit* - also get about 5 or more brews out of an 8.5kg lpg bottle, depending if used for extra decoctions and sparge/mash water heating. May even be better with a windshield

 

[StaticPhase]

if you do grab the 3 ring, be aware they work best with a medium pressure regulator on them, much more effective than the regulator they come with, they are OOK (just) but I found the flame to be too sooty for my liking.. info for you just to factor in.

:icon_cheers:

I got one that looks like this (from beer belly in Adelaide from memory)

MP Reg.jpg

ok got the burner my regulator does not look like that, any idea where I grab one in Melb?

 

[Yob]

You may have to ring around mate, try keg king, grain n grape, the usual suspects.. The reg you have will do the job in a pinch (tricky to get a blue clean flame) but the medium pressure reg is a quality investment.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Little bit of burner maint wont hurt. Cast iron burners have a tendancy to rust up and block the holes so it pays to drill out the holes will regular use. 6 months is a good time frame. You will need to dismantle the tap assembly so you can shake out the rust flakes. Also clean the jets out as they can clog up with wax that builds up over time.

 

[SNippets01]

ok got the burner my regulator does not look like that, any idea where I grab one in Melb?

You can also try any gas components/supplies store - I got my adjustable Reg that Yob posted above from one of those places, plus a nice braided gas line to connect to 3-ring burner.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

+1 on a wind break.
Buy the best one you can afford.
I use a hws now for step mashes. That saves a lot of gas. No need to heat the strike water now so My wok burner doesn't need to work as hard.
Be shore to get a high rate gas regulator as it won't matter what you have if it's the incorrect gas reg.

DSC_0125.JPG

if you do grab the 3 ring, be aware they work best with a medium pressure regulator on them, much more effective than the regulator they come with, they are OOK (just) but I found the flame to be too sooty for my liking.. info for you just to factor in.

:icon_cheers:

I got one that looks like this (from beer belly in Adelaide from memory)

MP Reg.jpg

+1 my BBQ reg doesn't cut it. I'm getting by, but it's a 7 hour brew day :-(

 

[SNippets01]

+1 my BBQ reg doesn't cut it. I'm getting by, but it's a 7 hour brew day :-(

Yep, so was mine before I upgraded my reg to that one.

Cannot recommend highly enough to get one.

Word of caution however, the first time setting up/lighting, make sure you have the taps fully open, air inlets fully open and the reg down as low as possible before turning the gas on. Just crack the gas on extremely slowly and you will probably hear it going through, then ignite while very low and gradually increase the flow to suit.