using propane burners to boil

[Clan Delaney]

I'm going to have to use propane again this year.

I know! I know. Please.... I know. It's all I've got. If I'm going to make any syrup at all this year, this is how it's gonna have to be. It won't be much, but it will satisfy the itch.

So. How can I get the most out of my burners? I have two burners that look pretty much like this:

http://dsp.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p4412727p275w.jpghttp://www.turkey-fryers-online.com/images/bcbg10_cast_iron_propane_cast_burner.jpg

My question for now is, do you think I can get a better burn by forcing more air into the mix? I've heard that there's no such thing as putting too much air into your wood arch, is this any different? Doesn't propane need to be mixxed with air to burn?

Another thought - the regulators I'm using are 20 psi. I know there are 30 psi available. More power = more boil?

[Haynes Forest Products]

I have two of the ones on the right on my finish pan and 24X36 and it takes along time to get to a boil. Im not impressed with the flame. I do have the same burner on the left ok for turkeys. You cant force feed gas and air together will blow the flame off the burner it needs to draw in the right amout of air as the gas increases.

[mfchef54]

I seem to remember that someone had a four steam table pan, propane unit that was enclosed. Just can't find it. Try looking for that or maybe the person who has it will respond.

[Clan Delaney]

I have a fairly large stainless sink blank (no drain punched out). My plan was to build an enclosure for the burner out of red brink, and set the pan on top. The burner throws a lot of heat at the pot, but most of it escapes up around it. I'm hoping to trap and keep as of that heat as possible.

[traderzach]

I had two of these burners when I started. You'll lose most of the heat if you don't use some kind of insulation. I had made two boxes out of ciment blocks...the burner was inside and my pan was sitting on top of the ciment blocks. Just make sure that you have an opening where the rubber hose is...not sure how much heat this rubber hose can take.

[Haynes Forest Products]

The burners on the right I used the first problem was I had them mounted to low and they looked like a candle flame under the pan so mount them about 2" from bottom of pan. The other design flaw was I enclosed all 4 sides and the heat and spent gasses built up and caused the burner to run very poorly. I opend up the front near the air intakes for the burner and it worked better.
Clan I would look for a gas grill the kind that has the replaceable SS grate the kind that you get a Home Depot. They are a large rectangle. If you find the burned out grill most of the time the regulator valve and gas orfice is fine.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Clan: what you need to find is a Hotsy unit that the coil froze up and trashed the unit and get the Kerosene burner out of it they are small oil guns (there cute)and you can move up to the the big time oil guys.

[Beweller]

The propane induces its air in the ventrui. The flame should be all blue, no yellow. If there is an adjustable air shutter, adjust it to produce this condition, just eliminating the yellow. The propane flow is excessive if the flames begin to lift from the ports. The flames should not contact the pan. but should be close--maybe a half inch or a bit less. Secondary air--air coming in around the burner--is needed but should not be excessive. Insufficient secondary air may cause the flames to become yellow again, and the burnt gases will have a pungent odor.

[dano2840]

I have a fairly large stainless sink blank (no drain punched out). My plan was to build an enclosure for the burner out of red brink, and set the pan on top. The burner throws a lot of heat at the pot, but most of it escapes up around it. I'm hoping to trap and keep as of that heat as possible.

why dont you just make a brick arch for the sink and run wood?????? its so much faster, i tried a propane burner once, and then i popped the idea to use the bbq. BIG DIFFERENCE!!!! or find an old furnace and take the burner out of it, and run oil, are you in vt? i might have a burner you could have if you wantedit i was thinking of using it for my 2x4 next year just for fun, but i dont think i want to run oil in it, if your interested let me know

[Haynes Forest Products]

Beweller: why cant the flames hit the pan? I had my burners just like clans got off beer site on Ebay and mounted them to low. Flame was 8" high and skinny and didnt heat but a small area of the pan. Moved up close and increased the boil rate plus turned down the flame by 25%. Flame spreads out under the pan and covers most of the bottom.

[Beweller]

Haynes,

The pan is cold and will quench the combustion. The heat released is less, you are likely to deposit soot on the pan, and you make carbon monoxide.

[brookledge]

clan
Have you considered calling a local company to bring in a large tank for a couple of months? you might get a good rate since you will be using alot in a short time.
keith

[Clan Delaney]

clan
Have you considered calling a local company to bring in a large tank for a couple of months? you might get a good rate since you will be using alot in a short time.
keith

The thought has crossed my mind. It might actually be worth it compared to making runs every few days to get the 20 lb. tanks refilled. I've got very little spare cash to work with, so whatever I do will end up being crazy simple and cheap.

Dano - If I burn wood, I need to vent it with a stack. No need for that with the propane. The plan is for a proper wood evap eventually, and I'd rather just cut one hole in the roof/wall when I install that. Besides, I've got nothing lying around that I could use as a stack right now - see the above comment about having very little cash. (In two weeks, one car hit the end of it's useful life, the second was rear-ended, and our oven burned out. Unfortunately, I need to throw $$ at these things first, maple second.)

I actually did some research after posting this last night. Turns out, forced air wouldn't work. Propane won't burn in concentrations with air of (roughly) less that 2% (like Haynes' issue with the enclosed "arch") or more than 10%. Blowing extra air into the mix would likely go beyond that 10% limit.

[TapME]

Clan; ouch. You have not had the best of times the past few weeks. Just keep thinking maple and it will all come together. I have been there and done that. let me know if there is something that I can do.

[Clan Delaney]

Clan; ouch. You have not had the best of times the past few weeks. Just keep thinking maple and it will all come together. I have been there and done that. let me know if there is something that I can do.

I bought a few tubing fittings at the tractor place at the end of the road on Sat., and shared my woes with the owner. He said something like, "Bad luck comes in threes. You've filled your quota, so there's nothing left to worry about."

This Spring, there will be maple. Oh yes. One way or another. :D

[WF MASON]

I was in Sam's club the other nite with the family. I saw a 2'x4' propane bbq grill, It had eight tube burners. It was $399. bucks.What a deal, Toss a flat pan on it, and your off to the races.
I almost bought it myself.

[dano2840]

clan do you want my oil burner? if you can use it its yours until you get your self a wood evap. wait you would have to vent that too, well if you need to use it just shoot me a message....

[softmaple]

hey clan, i did the propane thing when i first started. it took a lot of propane tanks to make a couple of gallons of syrup. it may be convenient but the wallet will be drained. you're looking at least 200 bucks for the fuel. go to kittredge in agawam and pick up some deep stainless food trays then get some concrete blocks and use wood to boil a majority of the sap. then use the propane to finish it off in the shack.

[maple flats]

I think you are asking for trouble if you change the size of the regulator. The 20# might get as hot as the burner can handle over the long run. I think you would be better making a simple arch and burning wood until you can afford the right burner or oil gun or whatever you are leaning towards.

[MapleME]

I thought i would jump in here- I used two of the bayou classic brand propane burners but they were a bit bigger and square- maybe 12"x12" or so. They worked great. Put two next to eachother and the big pan layed across both of them. I did figure out I had to change bottles every gallon of syrup I made but oh well. The guy at cumberland farms where I exchanged the bottles finally asked if I was making Meth in my backyard. I got a kick out of that.
MapleME