BG14 distance from keggle...I know, like a dead horse

[alowell]

I have been trolling the DIY forum for the past three days reading everyone's opinion on the distance to put the BG14 burners from their keggles on a brew stand. I have a Marcus stand with windscreens. I was going to setup the burners (from the top of the burner surface) 2" from where the keggle rests on the stand (top of the steel square tubing). I will be using liquid propane, not natural gas. What are your thoughts on this distance?

drkwoods told me he sets his 4" from the keggle (though he has a chimney-like vent for his burners out the back), but I have also seen the modification experiment by twanger1994 where he determined 2" was ideal. I have done my research, but nothing has been conclusive. I would like to mount these this weekend, so wanted to harvest the opinions of the bright minds on HBT. Thanks everyone for your opinion!

 

[evandena]

1.5 - 2" is plenty for mine. BG14 natural gas.
I have a video on YouTube showing the flame at that height.

 

[phoenixs4r]

I heard 4" was the sweet spot, so I did that for my keggle, and it sucks.

When I build my HLT stand I'm going to try 2" and see if that works better.

 

[JonW]

There is no one set distance. You'll have to test to see what works best. This is due to differences in pressures and stand design. Some stands vent the gasses better than others and this can have an impact on the burner efficiency and thus the optimal distance from the keggle. Also, keggles and kettles may have difference requirements due to the flat bottom versus curved bottom and the keg skirt.

Bottom line is you need to make your burners adjustable and test at different heights to find your own sweet spot.

 

[alowell]

phoenix, are you using LPG or NG? JonW, you are right, I know my setup will be different than anyone else's...there is no apples to apples comparison. I'm just looking to try the burner at the most popular distance for LPG first and then adjust from there if need be.

 

[phoenixs4r]

phoenix, are you using LPG or NG? JonW, you are right, I know my setup will be different than anyone else's...there is no apples to apples comparison. I'm just looking to try the burner at the most popular distance for LPG first and then adjust from there if need be.

Natural gas. I shouldn't say it sucks... it still gets a 14.5 gallons to a respectable boil, but there is considerable amount of heat running up the sides, even with a 2" heat shield to try to keep it focused. I think I'm going to mount it 2" away from the keggle, and use the 2" heat shield, and maybe drill a large hole where I want the exhaust gasses to escape. No idea if it will work

 

[alowell]

Does anyone know if the distances differ from the keggle whether you are using LP or NG?

 

[phoenixs4r]

I cant see why. The pressure going into the burner should stay the same. Its only meant to run at a certain range.

 

[JonW]

Yes it could differ. Very few rigs are the same because of all kinds of differences.

- What is the fuel delivery pressure? (its very different for NG vs LP and even for a specific fuel, pressures will vary greatly between equipment and locations).
- What is the orifice size?
- Is the kettle flat bottom or domed like a keg?
- How high is the keg skirt?
- Are there corner gussets on the top of your frame blocking spent gasses from escapting?
- Is your burner shield a complete circle or open in the rear?
- Does the burner shield have any vent holes drilled in the sides?
- Is there frame tubing on all four side (where the kettle is sitting) or is the back open?

The range for burner height is usually 2-6" and varies with every build. That's why I say you have to test on your rig and see what the right burner height is for you based on your specific variables. You can look at other similar rigs all day long and it still won't tell you what your optimum burner height is.

 

[alowell]

OK, looks like I'll have a starting off point of 2"...this is what I was looking for. Start at the most commonly mounted distance and then tweak if necessary...as opposed to going into it blindly and then having to change distances multiple times with a lower success ratio. These days, I have very limited time to screw around with the brewery and need to be as efficient as possible. Thanks everyone, let me know if there is any other insight into this.