So I've done cleaning and calibration runs on my new keg boiler still, that my first couple stripping runs on a simple sour mash. And I have a question about heat output.

I'm using the bayou classic burner, which claims to have a maximum output of 41,000 BTU/hour.

During my cleaning runs, I calibrated the regulator and burner, measuring the output of water at various settings. Using the regulator that came with the burner, and the new Blue Rhino tank, with the burner wide open, I collected one liter of pure H2O in 10 minutes 40 seconds. This calculates to 12,250 BTU per hour, significantly less than 1/3 of the claim for the burner.

I confirm that by measuring how long it took to heat to boiling. I had 8 gallons at 65° F to start, and it took 44 minutes till the first drops came off the still. Calculating a 147° temperature rise (65 to 212) in 44 minutes, gives an effective energy being delivered to the system of right at 13,000 BTU/hour.

So, the SQ 14 with the regulator wide open, is delivering somewhere in the range of 12,250 - 23,000 BTU/hr to the contents of the boiler.

I expect that the actual energy delivered to the system will be less than the total output of the burner, because of heat losses to the atmosphere. And I expect that the actual output of the burner is going to be less than claimed in the marketing literature. But only getting 30% of the claimed output delivered to my wash in the boiler,, seems like a Big Miss.

I haven't yet confirmed how much propane I'm actually using by weighing the tank at various settings, but I'm going to do that.

The system is working just fine so far, so that's not a problem. I mostly worried if I'm missing something somewhere, and burning a whole bunch more propane than I need somehow that I can avoid?

So I guess my question is, has anyone else measured and verified the heat output from the bayou classic burner, does it seem like my numbers are way out of line and I'm losing a whole bunch of energy somewhere?