Burner Question - KAB4

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GreenwoodRover

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I've got a KAB4 fairly new, but I'm not real impressed with its performance. It takes me 30min to bring my 5 gal batch full runnings (8 gal) to boil (starting at 160F).
I was suspecting the height of the burner and saw a thread here that lists the std height at 4" which is where mine is (see photo from thread below).
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/adjusting-burner-height-52932/
KAB4 High.jpg

So I put that idea aside, until I saw this pic of the same burner on Amazon:
KAB4.jpg

In the amazon photo the pot supports look to be about 3" lower.

The flame on the burner is nice and blue and has good flow and air intake (ie no yellow or orange). So now I'm back to the height.

Anyone have any tips for adjusting the height on one of these?
 
Are you sure that you have the damper adjusted correctly. Meaning are you getting all blue flames.

Also, with the 30 PSI regulator it sucks ALOT of propane. Make sure you tank is full and set it in a warm water bath. That greatly improved my performance on a cold day.
 
I've used it 3 times. Some on cold days (30F some not so cold 50F). All the flames are blue, none of the holes are plugged.
I've adjusted the gas and intake by turing up the gas and adjusting the intake until I'm at max gas flow with all blue flame.

The flag went up with the difference between the amazon pic and what I have...
 
Wow - I am curious myself. Look at those two pictures, they are completely different stands!

I've got a KAB4 fairly new, but I'm not real impressed with its performance. It takes me 30min to bring my 5 gal batch full runnings (8 gal) to boil (starting at 160F).
I was suspecting the height of the burner and saw a thread here that lists the std height at 4" which is where mine is (see photo from thread below).
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/adjusting-burner-height-52932/
View attachment 10234

So I put that idea aside, until I saw this pic of the same burner on Amazon:
View attachment 10235

In the amazon photo the pot supports look to be about 3" lower.

The flame on the burner is nice and blue and has good flow and air intake (ie no yellow or orange). So now I'm back to the height.

Anyone have any tips for adjusting the height on one of these?
 
Mine is 2" from the top of the burner to the top of the stand. That has to be your problem, because mine is a heating monster! But it doesn't really have a high flame, I would do whatever take to get that burner up to proper height.

Where did you get that? I've never seen a stand that high for that burner.
 
I really dont think he'll be able to - that one from Amazon has the wind guard go all the way up to the supports - the one he has, has that extra piece running from the supports down to the windguard (giving it the extra space). That really sucks as I was looking to upgrade a burner with the KAB4 - but I would want to ensure that I was getting the "Amazon" style.

Mine is 2" from the top of the burner to the top of the stand. That has to be your problem, because mine is a heating monster! But it doesn't really have a high flame, I would do whatever take to get that burner up to proper height.
 
Mine is 2" from the top of the burner to the top of the stand. That has to be your problem, because mine is a heating monster! But it doesn't really have a high flame, I would do whatever take to get that burner up to proper height.

Where did you get that? I've never seen a stand that high for that burner.

Mine just came and its the same as GreenwoodRovers

STA72898.JPG


I am just going to cut the supports and weld some new ones on so I can use it with better stability with the keggle
 
Oh yeah that burner is not mounted from the bottom like most are.
The only way you will be able to move it up is to weld or bolt some tabs to the ring and then bolt the burner to those tabs. You will lose the wind gaurd doing this.
So the other way would be to weld another wind gaurd above the one you have and bolt the burner to that. Or you could cut the stand and reweld it to where you need it.
 
That sucks, are those coming from Bayou classic? Or is someone getting their burner and slapping it into that stand?
 
That sucks, are those coming from Bayou classic? Or is someone getting their burner and slapping it into that stand?
its a bayou Classic stand came in the factory box and all

Just a shot in the dark here...is the burner mounted upside down from one unit to the other??

there is only one way the burner will go in as it has a cutout for the burner.

what I did notice some stands use square stock for the legs and some have round stock:drunk:
 
Not all Bayou Classic stands are the same even with the same burner.
Take a look at this pic.
MVC-777S.JPG


Look at the two SQ-14 burners. The one on the ground is a little different then the one on the rig.
The one on the rig has an extra bend in the legs and I have done a 35 gallon boil on that stand.
The other the bend is not there and just having a 10 gallon boil on the scared the hell out of me. It's so floppy.
I thought that the one was just built wrong but after looking around here I see that no one here has one like I do with the extra bend. :drunk:
 
That's crazy! Bayou Classic ought to know that much of their business goes to homebrewers and their equipment is used for lobster/crawfish/crab bails and such, what are they thinking? With the OP's stand that reduces efficiency badly. I am just now gathering my equpment to do full boils and will be going AG in the not too distant future, this makes me rethink purchasing the KAB4, although, I have acess to welding equipment. Why would they change their design so drastically, or those stands just could be "Monday" stands and whoever actually put'em together didn't wanna be at work...who knows, its bananas?!?
 
Well looks like I have another mod coming up. Too bad I don't know how to weld.

I got mine from AHS and it also came in the bayou classic box.
Maybe I should alert Forrest to the situation, not for a return (I have tried to use it 4 times so the paint on the supports is all burned off), but so he can check his stock.
 
Has anyone contacted Bayou Classic and told them their new stand design is crap? To put a burner in two different stands with a 3" difference in height is nuts.
 
After looking at it, couldn't you sawzall the burner cutout higher and drill mounting holes near the top of the shield? Probably won't work for outdoor brewers in the wind, but would work for us garage rats.
 
After looking at it, couldn't you sawzall the burner cutout higher and drill mounting holes near the top of the shield? Probably won't work for outdoor brewers in the wind, but would work for us garage rats.

That was my initial thought.
The other thought is to just sawzall the posts to size and let the keggle rest on them, obviously it would be less stabe just resting on (4) 3/8" dia circles as opposed to the 3" bar...
 
Has anyone purchased the KAB4 from Amazon? The picture they have is of the "better" stand style. They want $100 for a KAB4 though.

Looking around for the better style, I did stumble across a third frame style. I guess they just couldn't make up their mind.

kab4_1.bmp
kab4_2.bmp
kab4_3.jpg
 
here is my solution I just used a cut off wheel and welded the stand 1-1/2"s lower I also rotated them out so the base is rock solid under the a keggle
before
STA72898.JPG


after
solution.JPG


solution1.JPG
 
How well does a keggle sit on these? I am thinking of getting one, but have had issues with other burners fitting the bottom of my keggle.
 
the way it came it fit the Keggle ok. I mean it was stable but if you bumped the keg it could slide off as the base was just a tiny bit wider than the kegs base. I am going to weld some washers onto the base this way It can't move .
 
I had read somewhere that the KAB4 was discontinued for the KAB5. The KAB5 was supposed to have a "better" stand. I think the new versions are the KAB5 still being sold as the KAB4.

Although on Amazon the KAB5 has a 20PSI reg, so I don't know.
 
There also now appears to be a KAB6. 30PSI regulator on a 22" stand. Looks much better for keggle but also appears to have the burner situated farther away from the top of the stand. I am very tempted by this one. How big of an issue is the proximity of these burners for keggle use?

kab6.jpg
 
There also now appears to be a KAB6. 30PSI regulator on a 22" stand. Looks much better for keggle but also appears to have the burner situated farther away from the top of the stand. I am very tempted by this one. How big of an issue is the proximity of these burners for keggle use?

The difference is, HUGE. My $30 oldschool turkey fryer from 8yrs ago boils faster than my poor height Burner. It took me 30 min get 160F wort to boil and my boiloff was half my normal ammount so I ended up with 6 gal of a weaker brew....
 
Springer,
Did you drill additional air holes in the screen? Mine does not have them. I also have a different connection interface for the hose hood...

No other mods as of yet I will try it this weekend with just water and see how it goes. The way the hood is on mine is different than what pictured on the box and in the owners manual.
 
I have this same burner and I can bring 7gals from 140 degrees to a roiling boil in 20 minutes. It is aprox 40 degrees outside and a light breeze when I did this test. I do not feel this burner needs any modifications.
 
What about this? Instead of cutting the supports, cut the welds of the supports to the windguard, slide the windguard/burner up and hold that in place (welded, or bolted?) I was thinking about some u bolts (nuts on the outside). the bolted idea would make it adjustable in height and slightly collapsible. My hangup is stability.
 
Springer:
What's your new height from top of burner to top of supports?
They are now at 2 1/2" from the burner
Have you given it a test run yet, how did it boil with the mod?
12 gallons of water to boil in under 40 minutes from 49°. Wish the tap water would stay that cool all summer

Now I need to start my sculpture the march pump is on its way
 
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