Soot on pan

[Greenthumb]

I have a smoky lake full pint that I get take small batches of near syrup off and finish on a flat stainless pan I had smoky lake make for me that covers two burners of a old propane stove. My question is I get a awful lot of soot build up on the bottom is this normal . I just put the pan on the stove grates that normally are used for pots. I’m wondering if I raised the pan a few inches if I’d get less soot. Probability lose heat though.

Thanks

[maple flats]

Soot from a propane burner means the air is not set right. There should be an adjustable air gate in the tube going into feed the burner. Adjust that until it cleans the flame up. It likely has a set screw you loosen then turn the outer metal ring, one way for more air to mix in, the other for less. With some trial and error you will find a sweet spot. I suspect the burner needs more air, but experiment to be sure.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I agrre with Maple Flats and yes there is a sweet spot for distance from pans. Just like a torch or any flame there is area where the heat is the best and if to close you cause the flame to not develop.

[BCPP]

I also agree with maple flats. Should be no soot from a propane burner. Soot will not be from pans too close, it will be as maple flats describes, insufficient combustion air. Maple addict is also correct, hottest point of a gas flame is the tip of the inner blue cone but most stoves are designed so that the grates hold the pot bottom at the correct distance to be in this range by adjusting the propane flow so I doubt you would need to modify your pans. Exception might be if your pan entirely blocks off the top surface of the stove - the burnt gasses need somewhere to escape!

[crzypete]

I’m wondering if your stove might have nozzles for natural gas rather than lp. Natural gas is a big orifice and lp a smaller one. It would cause incorrect combustion. You can swap them out pretty easily if you can still order a proper set.

Pete