Ever try this burner head?

[walker77]

Im thinking about replacing my turkey fryer burner head with this one. It looks like it might work better since it would spread the heat out under the pot instead of just a small area that the normal head does. Any thoughts?


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/413062DPW6L._SS500_.jpg

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

where can you buy one?

Rich

[Buckshot]

................Dang, looks like you'd have to have a pretty good flow for that unless it burned with a soft flame.

.................Buckshot

[dragonrider]

http://bayouclassicdepot.com/propane_burner.htm

[dragonrider]

for burners only>>
http://bayouclassicdepot.com/propane_cast_iron_burner.htm

[Pepe Ray]

Could I get some dimensions, please?

1. The diameter of the burner plate top
2. the length from the burner center to the face of the air adjustment damper.
I'm curious as to how flexible this is to fitting other gas appliances.

Thanks.
Pepe Ray

[rob45]

Could I get some dimensions, please?

1. The diameter of the burner plate top
2. the length from the burner center to the face of the air adjustment damper.
I'm curious as to how flexible this is to fitting other gas appliances.

Thanks.
Pepe Ray
Pepe Ray,

1.It is a 10" burner.
2.The distance from the center of the burner to the air shutter is also @10"

[rob45]

Im thinking about replacing my turkey fryer burner head with this one. It looks like it might work better since it would spread the heat out under the pot instead of just a small area that the normal head does. Any thoughts?


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/413062DPW6L._SS500_.jpg
walker77,

I have this burner and it is does well for the money. Certainly large enough for probably anything you do, because I also use it for making HUGE batches of stew/chowder (150 qts) for community events. It puts out enough heat to keep well over 1000# of lead melted, but can still maintain a controllable flame when turned down very low.

The optimum distance from the burner to the pot is 4". Use a high quality adjustable regulator; mine is 0-30 psi. When this monster is turned up it will literally sound like a jet engine.

If you feel you really have to go with a larger burner, this is an economical start. It is constructed of cast iron and you're not going to wear it out, but be prepared for higher fuel consumption.
Let me give you an example: I have this particular burner that you're illustrating-it is 10" diameter and rated at 210,000 BTU. I paid less than $50 for it, and it does great. I also use a 6" burner rated at 225,000 BTU-that one cost over $250 and still does just as well even though it is smaller diameter.

My stockpots for cooking are over 22" diameter and hold 150 quarts. One of my homemade lead pots is 18" diameter and easily holds over 1500 lbs of lead. (BTW, yes, this sits on a custom reinforced steel frame.) The 6" burner does just as well as the 10" even though I may be heating a 22" diameter surface. I suppose if you are using a really[B] wide pot then the wider burner may help, but remember that I am already using the 6" burner under an 18" surface.

I do not know what type of problems you're having with your present setup, but the first thing I would look at is heat retention. Totally enclose the burner to the bottom of the pot and also somehow insulate the sides of the pot. Even wrapping heavy aluminum foil (shiny side towards heat) around the pot will work wonders. A lot of folks don't use a lid, but remember the ultimate goal is to keep that $$ heat in the melt. Also a good idea to keep the top of the melt covered with a heat barrier of some type once the lead starts to turn liquid. Sawdust or charcoal work great not only as insulators but also as fluxes. Bentonite clay (unscented kitty litter) is an excellent insulator but I do not have knowledge of its utility as a flux. If you are ladle-pouring, yes, the top barrier is a pain to skim out of the way, but it sounds to me like you're melting enough volume that it's going to be a little time before the melt is totally liquid and homogenized anyways. If you have designed a bottom-pour pot the top barrier can stay in place and significantly reduce fuel cost because you can turn the heat down once melted.

I am by no means an expert on thermodynamics, but once the heat gets into the pot it [B]will spread throughout the melt as long as you have ways to keep it in there. A little stir every now and then never hurt either.

You mentioned that you currently use a turkey fryer. Even the most economical (cheap) units usually come with a burner head of over 50,000 BTU output, usually 80,000. That is more than enough to do several hundred pounds of lead (don't forget frame support!). The trick is properly applying that heat output.

If you've already tried the above suggestions and still no luck, look at it this way, the burner you're looking at is only $50. But be prepared to get some extra propane tanks.


I sincerely hope this helps.

[Circuit Rider]

Rob45, Can you give some estimate of the amount of gas usage. Thanks, Circuit Rider:castmine:

[Pepe Ray]

Thank you Rob;
I'm currently using a "recycled" kitchen cook range. Unused burner ports are plugged and main burner modified with added flame ports. It's a cast iron head.
I'm always looking for ways to upgrade.
Thanks.
Pepe Ray

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

+1 on what Rob45 said.

A couple years back, when I bought my turkey cooker, I did exactly what he is suggesting related to heat retention. First, I selected a turkey cooker that utilized rebar as the support system so it would be easy to reinforce. Next, I enclosed both the heat source with a small steel collar welded into place around the burner head and the cast iron smelting pot with a larger steel collar. These functioned to retail heat and did a great job of it. I also use a cast iron pot with a lid to hold the heat in as well. I reinforced the leg system of the turkey cooker with additional rebar. All of the materials were supplied by my local welder, whom I paid a whopping $35.00 to do the work for me. It turned out great.

I also use charcoal or lots of saw dust on top of the melt. All of this combined gives me a wonderfully operating smelting system for minimal costs and maximum effect. In a few hours I was able to process a total of five buckets of wheel weights, making the nicest stack of ingots you ever saw. I only wish I could come up with that many wheel weights at one time again. Tough to do in this area now.

I think this will be a less expensive way for you to get where you're going than to buy that burner. Especially if you already have a turkey cooker.

Regards,

Dave

[Springfield]

My turkey fryer came with that burner and the smaller burner. The larger was rated at less BTU's. I think it's main purpose was to spread the flame, not get hotter. If anybody wants it they can have it for the cost of shipping.

[rob45]

My turkey fryer came with that burner and the smaller burner. The larger was rated at less BTU's. I think it's main purpose was to spread the flame, not get hotter. If anybody wants it they can have it for the cost of shipping.
walker77,
That's a very good offer if you are still looking to experiment with a different burner.

[20nickels]

Rob is dead on. For the average to large scale smelter that burner and 30psi regulator is overkill. Get one of Bayou Classic's 20 psi setups from their website. BTW high output regulators will not thread into low pressure burners, the safety police are all over this one. One of the main functions of a large diameter burner is to spread the flame around so the 30psi of pressure doesn't put it's own flame out!

[Nose Dive]

Well....looks good to me...but trick is 'gas flow'. What is your regulator max gas flow PSI? Can buy a 60 pounder and 'GET OWN WID ET"!!! Gas flow it the trick. The burner does indeed play apart, but how much gas you shove thru how many holes make da fire.

[rob45]

Rob45, Can you give some estimate of the amount of gas usage. Thanks, Circuit Rider:castmine:
Circuit Rider,

Short answer: Depends on what amount of lead you're working with and how fast you want to do it. Also the efficiency of your setup.

Long answer:
Fuel consumption is dependent upon how much heat one wants to make. Just like the accelerator on a vehicle, give it more gas and it runs faster LOL. So if you think you need more heat, plan on needing more fuel. The adjustability factor is important because we want it to be turned down low and not use as much fuel when we do not need it, specifically once melted and we're ready to pour.

Burners are sized for a specific output. The desired output can be attained through various factors such as number of orifices, working fuel pressure, etc. What this means is that we are limited in our adjustability with a naturally-aspirated burner, which this is. That's because the orifice size and number of orifices are fixed to work at a certain pressure range (see the posts by 20nickels and Nose Dive). It's all about the amount of fuel that can be used- make more heat and use more fuel, or use less fuel and make less heat.

The problem we face is this typical scenario:
We save our lead for the day that we have enough for our needs. This amount is different for everybody; some of us need at least 2000# while only 100# may keep the next guy happy for a long time. Nevertheless, I look at 1500# of lead and say "OK, that's enough, time to melt." Because it takes more heat (fuel) to get something up to temp than it does to keepit at that temp, I try to melt in as large a batch as possible. So now I have a choice of taking this batch of lead and having it take a while to melt, or I can "put the roar on the fire" and get it melted quicker (which only works to a certain point due to the specific heat of lead). But I have to take into account the fuel supply.

Without a doubt, the great majority of us use the same 20# tank that we use on our bbq grill. So now we try to use it on that monster burner. Yep, it'll work- for a little bit. If you turn that regulator up to produce a higher output, that little tank will start freezing up. Pretty soon you realize that your flame is dying down even though the regulator is wide open, and the tank is still half full! You did not run out of fuel; you asked for more fuel in a shorter amount of time than what the system was designed to provideTo fix this you can:
A. Change the tank- very inconvenient considering we are trying to get this done quickly and we're losing heat ($$) the moment the fuel is cut off. Also makes things more dangerous.
B. Use a larger tank to slow the freezing- nowadays many localities have restrictive codes on this. A couple of places won't fill my 100# tanks, and there are definitely transportation issues involved.
C. Plumb more than one tank into the same line- this has the disadvantage of emptying all tanks at the same rate (instead of totally emptying a full tank, you're taking 2 tanks and making them half-empty, or 3 tanks and using a third out of each, etc.) Nevertheless, this is the method I use because it works best for me.

That's the reason I mentioned in the above post to plan on getting more tanks if going to a burner of this size. If you never turn the burner up because you don't need that heat, you won't have a problem. But the moment you open it up, fuel system design requirements change. (See Buckshot's post above)

During our huge seafood boils, I would spend all day above boiling pots and use over 20 tanks of fuel. Because boiling water evaporates, we have to constantly add more water. Waiting for the water to come back to boiling slows down the cooking process too much, so the answer is to keep the burner cranked up to keep things going.
A huge gathering for stew required less than a 1/4 of the fuel because even though the stew is simmering all day, you don't need much heat to simmer.

My last batch of lead was 1500#. Working by myself, it took me all day to process and a little over 3 tanks of fuel. But keep in mind that my setup was geared towards efficiency from the very beginning. My pot was designed and made by a friend who is a blacksmith, and it sits in an insulating refractory on top of a steel frame. That is why I feel it is always best to check heat retention 1st.

Propane is expensive; why waste it? I try to use only what I need.

[cajun shooter]

Rob45, I'm a true South Louisiana French speaking turkey frying, fish frying, crawfish boiling fool. I'm 62 and have cooked for a high of 500 people. On that job we used both high pressure and low pressure burners. The most propane I have ever used is 4 bottles 2 20 lb tanks and 2 30 lb . where did you cook and what was you cooking to go through 20 tanks of fuel. We started this outside cooking thing and I have never seen what you are saying. I even had a friend who fried turkeys with a pull behind trailer that was set up to fry 20 turkeys at once and he did not use that much propane. The big burners in size are not always the best burner. They are mostley for low pressure cooking such as fish frying or jambalaya cooking or sauce piquante. A high pressure burner that is have that size in diameter will out cook it.

[finishman2000]

you may want to look at a wok burner. I made a smelting pot with one and it works great, hot and doesn't use that much gas.

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=55631

[20nickels]

FWIW, My Gigantomart turkey fryer would not properly melt a 5 qt dutch oven of lead, just not enough heat. Upgraded to bayou classic 30psi regulator (way overkill, get the 20psi) and adapted a medium sized burner. This thing puts out a monstrous flame. Barely turned on it will render my full 5qt pot to liquid in minutes and is also efficient.

[10 ga]

I used 1 burner on a coleman 2 burner stove for years with a 5 qt. dutch oven. Just used a piece of sheet metal for a wind screen and could process 100# of WWs into ingots and do plenty of fishing sinkers or boolits in an afternoon. Used sawdust and garden lime for flux. And that was obviously with a dipper. The trick is a good wind screen/containment of the heat. 10 ga

[20nickels]

I used 1 burner on a coleman 2 burner stove for years with a 5 qt. dutch oven. Just used a piece of sheet metal for a wind screen and could process 100# of WWs into ingots and do plenty of fishing sinkers or boolits in an afternoon. Used sawdust and garden lime for flux. And that was obviously with a dipper. The trick is a good wind screen/containment of the heat. 10 ga

My original burner is for sale if you ever need an extra. ;)

[Springfield]

I use a burner with less holes, a pot that holds 200 lbs and I can ingotize 800 lbs in 5 hours and use less than half a tank. Never had one freeze up, either, not in the 5 years I have been smelting.

[quietmike]

I have the banjo burner and use it with a Texsport 20qt dutch oven I got at a yard sale for almost nothing.

Both are far bigger than I really need, but work great. I cut out a section of a 55 gallon drum to use as a windscreen and was able to smelt 5- 5 gallon buckets of WW in three hours. It really kicks out some heat!