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**kladue** · 02-26-2012, 12:57 PM

There are direct spark ignition and hot surface ignition methods used, but burners are set for one fire level and do not change. With the home brew setups a pilot is the most reliable method of determining whether you have a flame for ignition at all burner settings. Trying to direct ignite a burner might work at high flame but fail at minimum flame setting, the pilot flame is constant and when properly installed works at all burner fire levels.
Some advocate the hot surface ignition method but the glow bar is not very durable, a spill of wort or mechanical damage will kill them, and the same problem with positioning them to ignite reliably at all firing levels. The hot surface ignition was designed for use in non adjustable enclosed and protected burners, not adjustable fire levels and exposed like brew stands are. Using them in that application is a good way to enter the Darwin award contest, even though some have tried it and have not gotten blown up yet it still is a bad idea. Not to sound to negative about this, but those that advocate using things in non approved or designed applications will eventually encounter the insurance company legal machine trying to recover the losses incurred from some one that got hurt or had property damage from following those instructions. Having been involved in the investigation and reporting to insurers while working for an engineering firm in the past, I do have a bit of knowledge about the probable outcome if a mishap occurs.

Hauntedyards · 02-26-2012, 01:37 PM

Where are those kettles from? Do tell...

day_trippr · 02-26-2012, 02:50 PM

Thanks for the explanation, kladue. After reading the manual for the 8610 it does seem like a smart way to help avoid one of those "mishaps" you referred to

Don't want to totally drift this thread off course, but if I may ask one last question, what operating gas solenoids do you recommend for the pilot and main gas controls when used with the 8610 on high-pressure LP?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hauntedyards

Where are those kettles from? Do tell...

Stout Tanks

Cheers!

**Jaybrinks** · 02-26-2012, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by day_trippr

Don't want to totally drift this thread off course, but if I may ask one last question, what operating gas solenoids do you recommend for the pilot and main gas controls when used with the 8610 on high-pressure LP?

Stout Tanks

Cheers!

I will be using these for both my HP burners and LP Pilots.

day_trippr · 02-26-2012, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaybrinks

I will be using these for both my HP burners and LP Pilots.

Thanks! I checked on the Nitrile Butadiene Rubber plunger seal verses LP use and it looks compatible (the aromatic hydrocarbon incompatibility kinda threw me there for a sec but I guess Propane doesn't fall into that category).

Definitely will be watching for the rest of your build. I may be following your footsteps eventually

Cheers!

**kladue** · 02-26-2012, 04:02 PM

You can buy the Y8610U kit with all the parts for low pressure operation included, or use just the ignition module and 2 solenoids (typically 1/4") for high pressure applications. You do not need 1/2" solenoid valves for high pressure, the burner orifice is .065", and the pilot orifice is .010, a typical 1/4" solenoid with .098" orifice will flow enough gas that burner will work well on 10 PSI gas. It is easier to reduce the pilot gas pressure to 11" before the pilot solenoids, and then use a needle valve for flame adjustment after the solenoid valve.

**Jaybrinks** · 02-26-2012, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kladue

You need something to raise the kettles off the frame so the fire can escape.

Could you expand on this and explain the benefit of the fire escaping? I was looking at the way the kettles sit currently and there is an escape route at each corner....but maybe that's not enough? Does it affect combustion? or the btu's that enter the kettle?

Thanks again.

**Jaybrinks** · 02-26-2012, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by day_trippr

Thanks for the explanation, kladue. After reading the manual for the 8610 it does seem like a smart way to help avoid one of those "mishaps" you referred to

Don't want to totally drift this thread off course, but if I may ask one last question, what operating gas solenoids do you recommend for the pilot and main gas controls when used with the 8610 on high-pressure LP?

Stout Tanks

Cheers!

If I were building a 10 gallon system I would use either natural gas or low pressure propane with the Honeywell combo pilot/burner valves like this. We need the BTU's and didn't feel we could get 'em with the low pressure options...

**kladue** · 02-26-2012, 06:36 PM

The fire has to flow up and around the kettle bottom, if it is trapped it will choke the burners and cause a lot of problems. Half of the air for combustion goes inside the burner, the other half flows up from below to complete the burn. Block that air flow and soot and CO will result, not good. With keggles the skirt can be cut to vent the trapped gasses and let the burners burn correctly.

**Jaybrinks** · 02-26-2012, 06:51 PM

Ok thanks...that makes sense.

I still have to build the burner mounts. With this application, (hp propane and hurricane burners) what do you think a good starting point for burner distance below the kettle would be? The mounts will be adjustable.