Fear the Banjo

Well I finally got around to finish my new burner stand.
Don't laugh too hard at my welds I am still trying to get ahold
of the mig welder I bought. I went with the Banjo burner with the high
pressure regulator to get me those high BTU's 210 I think what the web site
said. Let me tell you I never had a boil over in 20+ batches with my
old turkey fryer setup. I turned my back for one minute and
there she blows, what a big ass boil over I had and Sticky.

I love this burner it puts off mega heat.

New burner getting ready to brew.
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After brew day
What paint will survive?

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That looks awesome!

I'm getting two of those babies for the rig I'm preparing the build. I'm betting I'll at least be able to cut the time to do a batch in half.

I was actually hoping someone would comment on the 30PSI.

Now I'm sold on getting these bad boys.

The banjo is a PITA to mount. I had a hell of a time getting 2 of them in my rig, and just replaced my old backerboard heat shields with some much nicer flashing. I can tell you that the 30 psi reg is going to be overkill. I went with a 20 for a nice balance between power and efficiency...and I haven't been disappointed. I've never had to go full blast on it; the flames lick up the side of the vessels and become dangerous (and wasteful). One thing I might add: 2 things are a must with a Banjo....a needle valve for fine control....and wind/heat shields (you'll save mega fuel and heat way faster if the flame is protected).

Nice job on the mount!

You can go to an auto parts store and buy paint meant for exhaust manifolds. It's supposed to be good to 1200F. You'll have to go to bare metal though because cheaper paint underneath will just bubble up.

yeah, bare metal is a must with the high temp ceramic paint. When I did my headers, I had them sand blasted clean before I put on the high temp primer and paint.

ClutchDude said:

I'm getting two of those babies for the rig I'm preparing the build. I'm betting I'll at least be able to cut the time to do a batch in half.

I was actually hoping someone would comment on the 30PSI.

Now I'm sold on getting these bad boys.

Click to expand...

how big are your kettles? I have a KAB5 too, and its too strong a boil for my 9gal pot.
if you're using keggles...its perfect!

So....did you just weld up this stand for the hell of it? I mean....you can buy the KAB5 with the stand already done and mounted at the proper distance...plus it comes with a heat shield.....

If I were you, I'd just weld up a complete stand! Ya got the skills and access to the equipment....so why not?!

ScubaSteve said:

I can tell you that the 30 psi reg is going to be overkill. I went with a 20 for a nice balance between power and efficiency...and I haven't been disappointed. I've never had to go full blast on it; the flames lick up the side of the vessels and become dangerous (and wasteful). One thing I might add: 2 things are a must with a Banjo....a needle valve for fine control....and wind/heat shields (you'll save mega fuel and heat way faster if the flame is protected.

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Were you using a kettle or keggle with yours? I can see a kettle being dangerous but what about with a keggle?


Is there a good resource for seeing how to build a heatshield for a keggle, or are you referring to around the actual burner (ie- keeping the burner surrounded)

mmmmm banjo. I love mine.

I bought a banjo burner and no mater where I adjust the air opening I get a lot of black soot on the bottom of the pot which tells me that it is super rich and wasteful. The flame looks blue and yet I get soot? I have checked the inside of the burner and can not see any obstructions etc. I just stopped using it and went back to my old burner until I get this sorted out. I do have a jet burner for natural gas but have not tried it yet. That will be a lot cheaper to operate in the long run providing that the 3/4 inch gas supply is adequate.

I got one and I am dieing to use it!

Bobby_M said:

You can go to an auto parts store and buy paint meant for exhaust manifolds. It's supposed to be good to 1200F. You'll have to go to bare metal though because cheaper paint underneath will just bubble up.

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I used paint rated for 1500f which was header paint, it still burned off. I built this stand because I wanted a strong stand for the keg/HLT and all the stands I seen out there seem weak to me. I would love to build a whole stand but a have something that works fine now.

That looks awesome. I am planning on building a banjo stand since I need it to be about 40 inches high and I want to incorporate a spark igniter. Do you think a powder coating could stand up to the heat better?

Bobby_M said:

You can go to an auto parts store and buy paint meant for exhaust manifolds. It's supposed to be good to 1200F. You'll have to go to bare metal though because cheaper paint underneath will just bubble up.

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Doesnt this paint have to be cured at ~500F to be able to withstand 1200F? i always though this was the case so when i bought engine paint for my car projects i always used the Engine Enamel good up to 600F b/c it didnt require curing at high temps.

I love my banjo as well but it is complete overkill on my 30 qt. pot. I barely have the needle valve open and still worry about boil overs. Thankfully I'm starting on my Keg conversion this weekend.

Atl300zx said:

Doesnt this paint have to be cured at ~500F to be able to withstand 1200F? i always though this was the case so when i bought engine paint for my car projects i always used the Engine Enamel good up to 600F b/c it didnt require curing at high temps.

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I guess I didn't read the can. I actally went with the 500F stuff because I believe no matter what paint you use, it's going to bubble when it's 4" from a flame like that.

I ordered mine, but every place is out of stock til mid april

Brew-boy said:

I used paint rated for 1500f which was header paint, it still burned off. I built this stand because I wanted a strong stand for the keg/HLT and all the stands I seen out there seem weak to me. I would love to build a whole stand but a have something that works fine now.

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How. Dare. You. My stand is built from wood (weak compared to 1" angle iron) but it's probably sturdier than I'll ever need it to be. It'll support 3 full kegs and a 200 lb man...under heat....(Don't try it at home).

I love my banjo cooker! It's very quiet compared to my HLT jet burner.

The Power of the Banjo!

[YOUTUBE]IjoFXonPWfQ[/YOUTUBE]

A 30psi regulator is required equipment for this burner in my opinion. I currently have the 20 that came with it and its insanely wasteful. I have tried every possible adjustment in both air and propane and anyway you cut it (pun intended!) you get a over-rich flame. In fact, the website itself even says this...then ships it with a 20, wtf is that about?

Anyway, unless you want to watch your propane bill double, I suggest shelling out the 25 bucks and upgraded to a 30psi regulator.

ClutchDude said:

Were you using a kettle or keggle with yours? I can see a kettle being dangerous but what about with a keggle?


Is there a good resource for seeing how to build a heatshield for a keggle, or are you referring to around the actual burner (ie- keeping the burner surrounded)

Click to expand...

The Banjo is probably one of the most powerful burners you're gonna find...that being said, it is inherently dangerous. I use keggles, and when the burner is turned up, the flames come around the skirt and lick the sides. They'll easily destroy a ball valve or thermometer. Bobby uses the "Nad-Guard".....perhaps he can comment . A kettle is probably even worse. I have a wood rig, so my windshields are also heat shields. I just modified my rig by placing the banjo burner down into a 12" to 10" ducting reducer. It's like aluminum flashing, but is in the perfect shape to surround the burner. I have yet to brew with these, but will update when I do. If I could do it all over again, I would buy a different burner because I never use the Banjo to its full capacity, and the thing is just difficult to mount/remove. FWIW, it performs very well...perhaps too well though

I think if the flames lick up the sides, it's either turned up too high or you need more distance. I'm curious how your heat stack idea works out.

My praise to the banjo as well.

Last night, 27.5 gallons in for a 22 gal extract batch of Edworts Pale Ale.
Steep at 155'. From there to boiling: 35 minutes - not bad IMO for 27 gallons. After it boils, I turn it way down and it has no problem keeping it rolling.
This thing is awesome!

Doc Thirst said:

A 30psi regulator is required equipment for this burner in my opinion. I currently have the 20 that came with it and its insanely wasteful. I have tried every possible adjustment in both air and propane and anyway you cut it (pun intended!) you get a over-rich flame. In fact, the website itself even says this...then ships it with a 20, wtf is that about?

Anyway, unless you want to watch your propane bill double, I suggest shelling out the 25 bucks and upgraded to a 30psi regulator.

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That is the same problem I am having (way too rich - the bottom of the pot is black with soot!!!) How can a 30 psi regulator be less wasteful as it is a higher pressure but is throttled by the adjustment valve? I need to understand this. What website did you buy from?

WBC said:

That is the same problem I am having (way too rich - the bottom of the pot is black with soot!!!) How can a 30 psi regulator be less wasteful as it is a higher pressure but is throttled by the adjustment valve? I need to understand this. What website did you buy from?

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Here is the site: http://bayouclassicdepot.com/kab4_banjo_burner.htm

When I ordered this before the holidays they flat out said a 30 psi burner was suggested. Looks like they toned this down, and just added the 20 buck upgrade drop down.

I'll see what I can dig up about achieving a good efficient flame.

I can't find jack about getting the right mix, so I'll do my best to explain. Since the number is higher, you assume more gas would be passing through, however, this is misleading, as its actually the amount of pressure the regulator allows, not the amount of gas.

OK take for instance your water hose. Now if you let it flow free, it might be somewhere around 10 psi, however, if you put your thumb over half of it, the same amount (actually less) of water shoots out much faster and has more pressure, maybe as much as 20 psi.

That make any sense?

Doc Thirst said:

I can't find jack about getting the right mix, so I'll do my best to explain. Since the number is higher, you assume more gas would be passing through, however, this is misleading, as its actually the amount of pressure the regulator allows, not the amount of gas.

OK take for instance your water hose. Now if you let it flow free, it might be somewhere around 10 psi, however, if you put your thumb over half of it, the same amount (actually less) of water shoots out much faster and has more pressure, maybe as much as 20 psi.

That make any sense?

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I bought my KAB5 at the same online store.

Yes what you say does make sense but have you tried the 30 PSI regulator yourself?

Below is what I wrote to customer service.

I wrote the following to the customer service dept:

To customer service:
I have been using the KAB5 burner I purchased and am heating a 15 gallon 20 inch diameter pot and notice a black soot all over the bottom of the pot no matter where I set the air inlet. The flame looks blue but I still get soot? Please advise me as to what you think the problem is.

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I will let you know how they respond.

I thought this was going to be a Deliverance thread.

Twangy Twang Twang Twang Twang Twang, Twang

I have the same soot on mine when I first used it. I thought it was the paint burning off. I didn't notice the soot though until I looked at my jeans! BLACK! I'm using the stadn the burner came with. I bought teh Bayou Calssic with stand from Northern Brewer. is the the same as the KAB5? or is it different? I was confused when purcahsing but for 77 bucks this looked to do the job.

ScubaSteve said:

How. Dare. You. My stand is built from wood (weak compared to 1" angle iron) but it's probably sturdier than I'll ever need it to be. It'll support 3 full kegs and a 200 lb man...under heat....(Don't try it at home).

Click to expand...

When I meant weak I meant the turkey fryer stands out there, Man you setup is beautiful. Watch that puppy and don't set it on fire!!!! I used my burner for the first time and had no black soot it worked perfect and a nice crisp flame. Maybe the 30 PSI regulator is helping that.

WBC said:

I bought my KAB5 at the same online store.

Yes what you say does make sense but have you tried the 30 PSI regulator yourself?

Below is what I wrote to customer service.



I will let you know how they respond.

Click to expand...

I've been wondering the same thing. I've fiddled with the air mixture a lot and can't seem to even reduce the soot (waste.) I'd love to hear of a way to remedy this. Please keep us informed.

You guys with the soot problem, is this when doing 5 gallon batches? I don't have any sooting, but I run it pretty hard. Maybe you are running it too low for what it is designed?

Bobby_M said:

you need more distance.

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I agree 100%.

The more I think about it, the more I gotta believe that a 30 PSI reg is going to allow more propane through than a 20 PSI regulator. The pressure in the propane tank itself is around 100 psi. You need to downgrade this pressure, so the reg only lets a small controlled amount through. You can go no higher than what the regulator is rated at. A 30 psi reg is going to be able to blow more gas through to the burner than a 20 psi one. ...so you'll use more fuel in that case. I guess Bobby's right...you need to allow more space so the flame can mix with oxygen and burn more completely. You might also want to check that there are no obstructions in the intake. The iron is cast in a mold and can sometimes have pieces that weren't trimmed off all the way.

Brew-boy said:

Watch that puppy and don't set it on fire!!!!

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No worries. I integrated fireproof durarock (cement-infused backer board) along the insides where the frame is closest to the burner. I also recently put windshields in that also provide a good barrier from radiant heat. The frame doesn't even get hot anymore. Wood is a great medium...ya just gotta be careful when you plant a jet afterburner smack dab in the middle of your rig If I would have gone any smaller on the burner, I probably wouldn't have had to make these mods. The Banjo is almost too much burner for my uses.

ScubaSteve said:

The more I think about it, the more I gotta believe that a 30 PSI reg is going to allow more propane through than a 20 PSI regulator. The pressure in the propane tank itself is around 100 psi. You need to downgrade this pressure, so the reg only lets a small controlled amount through. You can go no higher than what the regulator is rated at. A 30 psi reg is going to be able to blow more gas through to the burner than a 20 psi one. ...so you'll use more fuel in that case. I guess Bobby's right...you need to allow more space so the flame can mix with oxygen and burn more completely. You might also want to check that there are no obstructions in the intake. The iron is cast in a mold and can sometimes have pieces that weren't trimmed off all the way.

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Assume a balloon will not pop if you stick it, but rather deflate. Now consider two needles, the first is the diameter of a fast food straw, the other is the size of a typical needle. Which will deflate the balloon faster? However, which has more pressure behind it?

Brew-boy said:

When I meant weak I meant the turkey fryer stands out there, Man you setup is beautiful. Watch that puppy and don't set it on fire!!!! I used my burner for the first time and had no black soot it worked perfect and a nice crisp flame. Maybe the 30 PSI regulator is helping that.

Click to expand...

About what distance from top did you place the burner?