Smelting Burner BTU Size

[hollywood63]

I'm looking to go to a propane burner for smelting my WW's. Typically I don't do a lot per session most would be three 5 gallon buckets. What size BTU burners are most folks using?

[Mal Paso]

I have a 50,000 btu Bayou Classic and with a wind shield it's enough for my half propane tank pot.

[crandall crank]

Everybody has their preference and mine is one I already had in the barn. It is 35K Btu. I know a lot of people like to use bigger burners, but I like the smaller sized. Yes, it takes a bit longer to melt the lead, but there is almost no chance to melt any non-lead (zinc) WW's. YMMV

[lightman]

I'm in the "go big" crowd I guess. I estimate mine puts out 500,000 BTU's if turned up to full throttle. It will put some serious frost on a 20# propane tank! It will also melt 400# of wheel weights in about 20 minutes This is one reason that I hand sort my weights as this will easily melt any Zinc weight that may get trapped in the bottom of the pot.

[gwpercle]

Bayou Classic SP-1 Jet Cooker = 106,000 btuh should do anything you need .

If you want more fire the Bayou Classic SP-2 Double Jet Cooker = 210,000 btuh.

The word to look for in a burner for smelting is JET...that's the unit that really puts out the heat and it even sounds like a jet airplane when it fires up.

Bayou Classic is the brand of cooker we use to fry turkey's and have large crab , shrimp and crawfish boils ... they are good cookers .
Gary

[kevin c]

I have the double jet burner. It really didn't do a good job of quickly melting scrap or ingots (starting from an empty pot) until I put up 360* wind breaks around the stand and an insulating jacket around my half propane tank pot, and even now I speed things significantly more by playing a weed burner over the top of the scrap.

IOW, more BTUs are helpful, but maybe not as much as protecting against heat loss.