Gas burner used to start Charcoal

[dank]

Thinking about getting gas burner to start charcoal in 23 Ultimate.  Want to connect to home propane.  Any thoughts or warnings?

[Syzygies]

I ordered the gas burner assembly recently, for lighting high temperature cooks. My initial tests are positive.

• As it lights charcoal from the bottom, one uses more charcoal. On the other hand, if your goal is to light all the charcoal, to avoid off flavors as charcoal lights, I don't see this as a bad thing. I feel important when I order more Fogo, and that feeling doesn't come easily to me.
• It comes with a tiny part (circled in red) that is similar to a custom part installed in the assembly. I can't identify its purpose, though I don't want to misplace it then realize its purpose. My best guess is that this assembly is constructed from some off-the-shelf components, and Dennis can't bear to close doors by discarding a component he didn't need.
• It comes with a support, that the second picture makes clear is unnecessary. I suppose I could bend it to get into the action, but for now I won't use it.
• It's pretty awesome that one can refill empty 1 lb tanks off a big tank using an adapter. I put this to good use right away, using my weed burner to light the gas burner assembly from a safe distance.
• The previous picture is to remind me where I put the adapter.
• One wants a regulator to control propane flow. If you're experimental as I am, make sure the KK is getting enough oxygen before cranking up the regulator. One could make a bomb. I heard a womp, but my KK is intact.
• It smells, though I imagine it will burn off. And it's not clear I need to remove after in use, at least while I'm hoping the smell goes away.

[jeffshoaf]

I believe the indicated "spare" part is a gas orifice. Maybe to convert to natural gas?

[Syzygies]

27 minutes ago, jeffshoaf said:

I believe the indicated "spare" part is a gas orifice. Maybe to convert to natural gas?

Oh it is a gas orifice. Except it doesn't fit anywhere as a replacement for what we use, and the hole is identical to the gas orifice in the assembly. This information cost me 15 minutes, as disassembling and reassembling the gas burner is nontrivial; an ordinary wrench doesn't fit, and the assembly likes to be tight when you're done. But I don't mind; I still berate myself for not having Richard Feynman's childhood taking everything apart, and I'm making up for lost time.

I stand by my original theory: It came out of the component Dennis bought to make this, and he hates to throw anything out someone might later be able to use.

[David Chang]

i think that brass thing is the natural gas converter. my gas burner is still shrink wrapped. hoping someday to try to cook with it, but not to start charcoal. not a lot of info about cooking with it, but from past forum posts, people have?

 

[Syzygies]

I've started to appreciate why Dennis is reluctant to recommend the gas burner assembly. There is a workable solution for high temperature cooks such as pizza or roast chicken: Use charcoal that comes in bigger chunks.

FOGO SUPER PREMIUM LUMP CHARCOAL (35LBS)

Quote

Designed specifically for low and slow cooking this was the first large-piece-only lump charcoal. Every hand-picked piece of lump charcoal in the bag is over 4 inches long.

The gas burner assembly lights charcoal from the bottom. What tends to happen is that all surfaces light at once, the fire gets way too hot, then the fuel is spent too soon. In principle one can control any situation like this through airflow alone. In practice, this is hard to do.

Large pieces of lump charcoal improve the surface area to volume ratio. The fire doesn't get as hot, and it lasts longer.

The fire shown easily stabilized near 500 F for long enough to thoroughly heat an indirect pizza stone, then cook several pizzas, with no rush to chase a fire about to collapse. I'd use a bit more charcoal next time, to stabilize instead near 600 F. In any case, I'm now happy with the gas burner assembly for purposes such as this, after thinking I might not use it much.

Despite this charcoal being marketed for low and slow cooking, one might want to try it for hot cooks even without the gas burner assembly. One gets a nice fire, better airflow, longer lasting, all around easier to manage than smaller pieces of lump.

[5698k]

How is the inside of your grill so clean?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[DennisLinkletter]

The additional drilled plug is a jet for Natural Gas.. It's hole should be larger then the LPG jet.

[Tony Simmons]

Could someone post how to replace the LPG orifice with the supplied Natural Gas orifice? After initial examination, I am not sure where the NG fitting would go.

[Syzygies]

I managed to disassemble and reassemble without directions; I recall it was tricky. Believing it is meant to come apart is half the battle. Only once it is apart does one see how everything fits together.

My favorite version of this: Thirty years ago I had a Pelican fountain pen, and unscrewing it to add ink I accidentally took it apart further than intended. I was stumped for part of an hour how it went back together, till I made the assumption that it was supposed to be reassembled "wrong" in a way that made the ink reservoir a third smaller. It went together in seconds.

I decided to "fix" it, but I wanted a spare of the part I was about to possibly demolish. I called a dozen pen shops around the country (how did one even learn who to call before the internet?). I finally called Fahrney's Pens in Washington D.C., and was put on hold, then their repair guru they normally protect from the public answered: "You won't figure it out. It took me three weeks to make the tool. Just send your pen to me!"

She hadn't even been able to convice Pelican there was a problem. She routinely "upgraded" any Pelican pen she worked on, but I was the first person in the known universe that had noticed this issue, besides her. We were ecstatic to talk with each other.

On 9/23/2023 at 5:58 AM, Tony Simmons said:

Could someone post how to replace the LPG orifice with the supplied Natural Gas orifice? After initial examination, I am not sure where the NG fitting would go.

On 8/4/2022 at 6:38 PM, Syzygies said:

Oh it is a gas orifice. Except it doesn't fit anywhere as a replacement for what we use, and the hole is identical to the gas orifice in the assembly. This information cost me 15 minutes, as disassembling and reassembling the gas burner is nontrivial; an ordinary wrench doesn't fit, and the assembly likes to be tight when you're done. But I don't mind; I still berate myself for not having Richard Feynman's childhood taking everything apart, and I'm making up for lost time.

 

[Tony Simmons]

On 9/25/2023 at 3:21 PM, Syzygies said:

I managed to disassemble and reassemble without directions; I recall it was tricky. Believing it is meant to come apart is half the battle. Only once it is apart does one see how everything fits together.

My favorite version of this: Thirty years ago I had a Pelican fountain pen, and unscrewing it to add ink I accidentally took it apart further than intended. I was stumped for part of an hour how it went back together, till I made the assumption that it was supposed to be reassembled "wrong" in a way that made the ink reservoir a third smaller. It went together in seconds.

I decided to "fix" it, but I wanted a spare of the part I was about to possibly demolish. I called a dozen pen shops around the country (how did one even learn who to call before the internet?). I finally called Fahrney's Pens in Washington D.C., and was put on hold, then their repair guru they normally protect from the public answered: "You won't figure it out. It took me three weeks to make the tool. Just send your pen to me!"

She hadn't even been able to convice Pelican there was a problem. She routinely "upgraded" any Pelican pen she worked on, but I was the first person in the known universe that had noticed this issue, besides her. We were ecstatic to talk with each other.

Following up on this, does anyone have pictures or step by step instructions on how to change the orifice to natural gas? Dennis - do you have anything you can share with me?

Thanks!

[DennisLinkletter]

 To swap the jets is pretty straightforward. 
The jet with the larger hole is for natural gas.