Brew stand build/BG-14 burner questions

[IwanaBrich]

I'm building (welding) a three tier gravity fed brew stand using some scrap steel, a new BG14 burner and my existing BG10 burner. My plan is to replace the BG10 burner at some point down the road with a BG14, but I'm using it for now. Both burners will run on Propane.

I have questions about where to place the BG14 burner relative to the bottom of the pot and how high the heat/wind shield should be. Since I have no way of bending steel into a circle I decided to use an old 20 lb propane tank as the wind shield. I cut the top and bottom off the tank and I'm left with a perfectly round 12" steel ring that is 6-1/2" high. My plan is to weld the steel ring into the frame of the brew stand and then drill a series holes into the ring so I can mount the burner inside the ring. The BG14 burner is 11" in diameter (including the mounting tabs) and I plan on bolting the burner inside ring using 1/2 spaces. I can drill a series of holes that will allow me adjust the height of the burner if I want to.

So how high should I mount the top of the steel ring relative to the bottom of the pot? How close up should the burner be from the pot bottom?

Thanks!

 

[Transamguy77]

Your windscreen will need to be at least an inch below your vessel. I never thought of using a propane tank, I cut up a 55 gallon drum. I also use BG10’s.

 

[IwanaBrich]

That is what I was thinking. In inch would allow the heat to escape around the pot and still be high enough to block any wind.

I took the valve off of the tank and filled it with water and let it sit a while. I did this a couple of times just to make sure all of the propane was out of the tank. Its fairly heavy gauge steel, so it shouldn't be too hard for my novice welding skills.

 

[day_trippr]

As a data point, Blichmann's bg14 burner frames have the top edges of the pot rests one inch above the top of the windscreen (thus providing a 1" gap) while the burner element is located 3.5" below the kettle bottoms...

Cheers!

 

[Transamguy77]

You could also use 90 degree brackets with slots and bolts so you can adjust it so it’s optimized before making it permanent. It would suck to weld it all up and then realize on your first brew day that it needs to be in a different location and then have to cut it all apart.

Also don’t the BG14’s need to be closer than the BG10’s? So when you change burners you will have to make an adjustment for that?

 

[IwanaBrich]

The BG14 burner (on the top tier) that I'm putting in now will be adjustable. I'm drilling a series of holes in the side of the wind screen that will allow me to lower the burner 3 or 4 inches. I also think that you are correct that BG10's need to be further from the pot than BG14s. So when I replace the BG10 with the BG14 I'll have to replace more than the burner, insuring the new BG14 is close enough to the pot. Its not as much work as it sounds.

Great pic Day Tripper! Cleared up a lot!