My CL turkey fryer is a POS!

[zippyslug31]

Picked up a really cheap fryer on CL for $20. Pot, stand, therm, lid.... it's all there and it works just fine. I can't complain about it's performance once it's fired up and doing it's thing but......

The problem is that I just don't know how the burner works. What is that rotating "air inlet" for at the base of the gas line leading into the burner?
Mine is sort of hard to get lit without it blowing out the pilot flame (using a BBQ lighter). I usually have to tease the gas up for a couple minutes or else the thing just blows out. Is this by design? Can't tell you how much of a hassle it is if I'm close to boiling over and I quickly turn the gas down, it blows out, then I have to do this BS all over again with a hot burner.

I also often get a flame lighting up right inside by the air inlet plate.... am I going to blow up the tank?

Really just a turkey fryer noob..... anybody care to explain how these damn things work before I burn my house down?

 

[mrbowenz]

Picked up a really cheap fryer on CL for $20. Pot, stand, therm, lid.... it's all there and it works just fine. I can't complain about it's performance once it's fired up and doing it's thing but......

The problem is that I just don't know how the burner works. What is that rotating "air inlet" for at the base of the gas line leading into the burner?
Mine is sort of hard to get lit without it blowing out the pilot flame (using a BBQ lighter). I usually have to tease the gas up for a couple minutes or else the thing just blows out. Is this by design? Can't tell you how much of a hassle it is if I'm close to boiling over and I quickly turn the gas down, it blows out, then I have to do this BS all over again with a hot burner.

I also often get a flame lighting up right inside by the air inlet plate.... am I going to blow up the tank?

Really just a turkey fryer noob..... anybody care to explain how these damn things work before I burn my house down?

Sounds like a brinkman...

 

[madewithchicken]

I am going to follow this. I just bought one on craigslist as well and i have not used it yet. I assumed it was easy, but after reading this i am starting to wonder.

 

[JPicasso]

This thread needs pictures.

 

[evanmars]

The rotating air inlet is just that. You adjust it until your flame is a nice blue with no (or at least very little) yellow. Have you checked to make sure the inlet passage and the burner is clean. Free of spider webs, leaves, excess rust, etc.?

 

[wilserbrewer]

The rotating air inlet is just that. You adjust it until your flame is a nice blue with no (or at least very little) yellow. Have you checked to make sure the inlet passage and the burner is clean. Free of spider webs, leaves, excess rust, etc.?

Agreed...clean the entire thing from gas supply to burner. If the burner is rusty, clean that as smooth as possible.

Don't regret buying a used one, even a brand new one would be acting up after your first boilover.

 

[IrregularPulse]

and find out which burner exactly it is and find a manual. To light it, Open the regulator valvle all the way. Have the tank valve off. Ignite your lighter and hold over burner, With flame from lighter over burner, open tank valve 100%. You can then back your regulator vavle down to your desired level. And also adjust(as mentioned) the air inlet screw as needed.I too had some confusion in lighting mine the first time, until I RTFM (Read the F'in Manual) I'd suggest looking for one online.

For teh flame inside the burner, as noted before there could be dust/spider webs/ect. in there burning that just needs cleaned out.

Big Burners are great for brewing but they are serious devices that can ruin your day/life very quickly if you don't use it properly. AKA don't be an idiot with it.

 

[BioBeing]

How is your propane tank? My first boil on a borrowed burner was pretty poor until I realized that the tank was about empty. Put a full one one, and much bigger flame and no problems with it going out or acting up.

 

[TXCrash]

To light - the rotating thing should be closed as much as possible. Let sit for a couple minutes while it warms up.

Once the flame has warmed up the assembly, adjust the air mixture with the rotating thing to all the way open.

I start my burners with pretty low pressure, then adjust up. Play with it and you'll figure it out.

 

[zippyslug31]

This thread needs pictures.

Here you go....

 

[zippyslug31]

The rotating air inlet is just that. You adjust it until your flame is a nice blue with no (or at least very little) yellow. Have you checked to make sure the inlet passage and the burner is clean. Free of spider webs, leaves, excess rust, etc.?

No, haven't checked that. Worth a try... I'll just blow it out really good with compressed air.
Thanks, good thinking.

 

[zippyslug31]

How is your propane tank? My first boil on a borrowed burner was pretty poor until I realized that the tank was about empty. Put a full one one, and much bigger flame and no problems with it going out or acting up.

Well, in my case, just filled that tank, so that's not it.
Very frustrating...

 

[zippyslug31]

and find out which burner exactly it is and find a manual. To light it, Open the regulator valvle all the way. Have the tank valve off. Ignite your lighter and hold over burner, With flame from lighter over burner, open tank valve 100%. You can then back your regulator vavle down to your desired level. And also adjust(as mentioned) the air inlet screw as needed.I too had some confusion in lighting mine the first time, until I RTFM (Read the F'in Manual) I'd suggest looking for one online.

For teh flame inside the burner, as noted before there could be dust/spider webs/ect. in there burning that just needs cleaned out.

Big Burners are great for brewing but they are serious devices that can ruin your day/life very quickly if you don't use it properly. AKA don't be an idiot with it.

'xactly on the manual. Wish I had one though.
I think its pretty generic and did not see a branding on it, but will really study it and see if I can find who made the thing. Worth a try anyway.

 

[zippyslug31]

To light - the rotating thing should be closed as much as possible. Let sit for a couple minutes while it warms up.

Once the flame has warmed up the assembly, adjust the air mixture with the rotating thing to all the way open.

I start my burners with pretty low pressure, then adjust up. Play with it and you'll figure it out.

Seems reasonable.
I assume that there should ONLY be flame on the burner and not inside by the air vent thingy?

Problem with mine is that the vent contraption gets hot due to this 'back flame'. I think that might be the flaw/problem.

 

[wilserbrewer]

No, haven't checked that. Worth a try... I'll just blow it out really good with compressed air.
Thanks, good thinking.

No, please take it apart, clean it and visually inspect it. IMO compressed air may just move debris from the supply hose to the burner. The burner might also have rust, scale, burnt food etc. that is going to take a wie brush, steel wool sandpaper, etc. Clean it the old fashion way.

 

[zippyslug31]

No, please take it apart, clean it and visually inspect it. IMO compressed air may just move debris from the supply hose to the burner. The burner might also have rust, scale, burnt food etc. that is going to take a wie brush, steel wool sandpaper, etc. Clean it the old fashion way.

Check.
Roger that, will do.
Thanks for the tip and heads up!

 

[JPicasso]

I don't know if it was Papazian or Palmer, but one of them pointed out that
nuclear fission generaly provides too much heat. This can be especially bad
if you brew in your garage with the door cracked open. You should open it all the way.

I have a cheap two-piece burner, and if I don't have the air vent open the whole way, it produces a lot of soot. I also have to take a wire brush to it every so often to clean up underneath the inset piece. I'd like to know what the point of the air vent is too, if my burner only works correctly with the air vent all the way open.




[Edit] I just re-read your OP, No, you should defihnatly not have any flame near the air inlet, if your burner looks anything like mine (pics? )

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

I start mine with the air inlet opened all the way, have not had a single issue yet. I usually light a piece of cardboard on fire, and hold it over the burner and open the gas slowly until it ignites and then I crank it wide open to get it heated up.