Burner project

I needed more BTUs and after hunting around decided to try building my own. It was simple and it works really well. It is a double jet burner. It is made out of 3/8" black pipe with brass end caps that have a small hole drilled in them. There is also a gas line connect at the other end. This "T" unit in mounted on a piece on my framing with two short lengths of galvanized pipe attached above each end of the T, with the drilled hole at the center of the tubes opening. I use a high pressure regulator and does it cook! I am considering a 4 burner unit next!

That is sweet! Let's see pics of it fired up!

You might want to consider re designing and making a shutter system on the bottom of the large pipes so you can control air input.

AHammer16 said:

That is sweet! Let's see pics of it fired up!

You might want to consider re designing and making a shutter system on the bottom of the large pipes so you can control air input.

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Thanks. Please clarify. Are you suggesting a means to constrict, as it were, the bottom of the verticle tubes? What will that do/what's the benefit?

I will get an action shot and pass it along!

Brewpastor said:

Thanks. Please clarify. Are you suggesting a means to constrict, as it were, the bottom of the verticle tubes? What will that do/what's the benefit?

I will get an action shot and pass it along!

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Very nice - I'd suspect AHammer16 is thinking of the control of oxygen to gas mixture? How's the flame look in its current state (blue etc)?

Brewpastor, you're becoming my hero. Hell, if I lived in NM, I might actually go to church.

desertBrew said:

Very nice - I'd suspect AHammer16 is thinking of the control of oxygen to gas mixture? How's the flame look in its current state (blue etc)?

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The flames are not pure blue, but pretty close. I am thinking I need to get an adjustable high pressure regulator. Wouldn't that help with the quality of my flame?

the_bird said:

Brewpastor, you're becoming my hero.

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You need to expand your circle of friends!

A few years back, I was looking into replacing the "gas log" in a friend's fireplace. All the stupid thing was was a iron pipe with about 20 holes in it. I purchased a drillpress, the necessary pipe & fittings and made it. Cost about 1/4 as much as a pre-fab log... including the cost of the drillpress!

Do you use a conical heat plate? If not, how are you avoiding scorching with such a concentrated flame?

david_42 said:

A few years back, I was looking into replacing the "gas log" in a friend's fireplace. All the stupid thing was was a iron pipe with about 20 holes in it. I purchased a drillpress, the necessary pipe & fittings and made it. Cost about 1/4 as much as a pre-fab log... including the cost of the drillpress!

Do you use a conical heat plate? If not, how are you avoiding scorching with such a concentrated flame?

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My kettles have a steam jacket on them. They are salvaged steam/soup kettles that I have rigged to work without the use of an external boiler. And since it is steam there is no scorching! If you look in my gallery you can see some pics of my set-up.

Neat, your basic heat-pipe approach.

Brewpastor said:

The flames are not pure blue, but pretty close. I am thinking I need to get an adjustable high pressure regulator. Wouldn't that help with the quality of my flame?

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Then I wouldn't bother purchasing anything IMO. It just looked like you might get more O2 mixture with the large opening near the output ports. I don't remember the welding days, is it more 02 you get the orange right?

Raise your hand if you think the best part of homebrewing is the equipment and trying to make it yourself.

I have always said it is half the fun. I understand people who buy the wiz bang set-ups, but think of the fun and pride they are missing.

Brewpastor said:

I have always said it is half the fun. I understand people who buy the wiz bang set-ups, but think of the fun and pride they are missing.

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Plus you get a reputation as a sort of mad scientist with the neighbors and the ones you don't want bothering you don't, and the ones you don't mind do.

I am personally waiting for the meth patrol to come down on me. I have a state cop across the street, FBI next to him. The Chief of Police lives behind the guy across the street.

Brewpastor said:

I am personally waiting for the meth patrol to come down on me. I have a state cop across the street, FBI next to him. The Chief of Police lives behind the guy across the street.

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Believe it or not, when we lived in a townhouse one of my neighbors actually thought I was running a methlab on the back porch (as if that's where you would operate one) due to the smell. One of the neighbors fortunately set her straight before she called the authorities. The punchline? I wasn't even brewing beer...I was roasting 85g of coffee at a time in a hotair popcorn popper.

I also have an 800W (or 400W?) metal halide grow lamp I was using in that house for my wife's orchids. The room it was in fronted the street and it gave off a pretty serious glow when it was dark out...not sure why I never got a knock on the door over that one, but I wasn't concerned about it.

BTW, anybody interested in buying a very slightly used 800W (or 400W) metal halide grow lamp?

Damn, Brewpastor. I just looked at your setup in your gallery, that's pretty damn sweet!

my mate got me the buner out of a hot water tank

I used one of those on my first keggle set-up. Mine was a bit slow, but it got the job done. I actually used the steel tank for my stand. I cut it down a bit and then cit a hole in the bottom for the flame to get through and wham, I was making beer!

Brewpastor said:

Thanks. Please clarify. Are you suggesting a means to constrict, as it were, the bottom of the verticle tubes? What will that do/what's the benefit?

I will get an action shot and pass it along!

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It would help the over all BTU output. Think of an acetalyne torch, it won't cut w/ a yellow flame and the most concentrated heat of the flame is he bright blue point in the center.

You'll want a shutter on the bottom so you can cut back on the O2 if you turn the burners down. You are using a needle valve on the other end of that pipe to control the flame aren't you?

Anyhow, you'll want to match the air to propane ratio to get a good and hot blue flame. If it's running blue/clear now then it's fine but if you do/can adjust the outflow of the gas then you'll also need a shutter to adjust the availability of the O2.

Very cool setup. I'd love to see some shots of it running.