What's wrong with my KAB4 burner set up?

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ImperialStout

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Just set up a new KAB4 Banjo Burner. It took 50 min to bring 5 gal water from 80 F to 180 F in windless 50 F ambient.

Using an old stainless steel shelf about 20" wide x 16" deep as a heat shield to protect the ball valve and thermometer. Think the heat shield is too big and deflects too much heat. What do you use for a heat shield?

Have the heat on high and adjusted air mix just to where the yellow flame turns blue. How do you adjust your burner?

In my opinion the burner is of poor quality. The burner holes had to be cleaned out so all would work. Also think the burner is too far from the bottom of the pot. Bought this one because of the 210K BTU's but think now should have got the smaller SQ14 55K burner instead. What works for you?

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Is the heat shield you are using under the pot? If so I would say that it is dissipating the heat. You only need to deflect the heat from around the valve and thermometer. I am using an SP10 - less than 1/2 the flame you have and got to a boil in less that 15 minutes. Although that was sparged wort at about 160 to boiling.

If it was used and now clean you should be at maximum. I have a turkey fryer that I think is about 55k It takes at least 30 minutes to heat hot water ~ 100 to 170. Maybe you are just expecting too much.

Maybe some KAB4 owners will chime in with real timings.
 
Yes, the heat shield is under the pot. Could't figure out how to take a piece of SS shelving and secure it just under the valve / thermometer. Blichmann sells a 6" x 10" SS heat shield with their brew pots but not by itself. Assume it is just a flat piece of SS sheet metal.

Be interested in hearing from someone who uses the Blichmann heat shield.
 
[...]Be interested in hearing from someone who uses the Blichmann heat shield.

It is indeed just a small piece of stainless steel. Along with the Blichmann pots I have their floor burners, which use the same BG-14 burner as on your KAB4. I wedge two corners of the heat shield between the pot bottom and the two closest pot rests, which allows the shield to protect the ball valve, thermometer, and sight gauge. Works great, such that even the vinyl grip on the ball valve looks pristine...

Cheers!
 
When I was using propane and that banjo burner, I ended up unscrewing it from the base and flipping it over so I could get the flame closer to the boil kettle. That seemed to help, because I think the problem with it is the distance from the bottom of the boil kettle.
 
Take that heat shield off. Basically, it's acting as a heat sink and heating up the air around it more than your kettle. Go direct flame.
 
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