Burner - myth no 1

[JerryM]

If you have no interest in burners then not worth reading on.

As we know a very emotive subject. Do I care certainly not.

I do know my good friend rsholme123 despite knowing my product is not a fan.

What this shows is that we clearly have different needs. I see it as what we were brought up on.

Intro over. What's there to learn.

Had the opportunity to cook on another members burner with my own pan.

First impressions were the burner looked good - more than enough heat ~7.5kw.

I'm no expert. I just know I'm not looking to change what I have.

Something just did not feel right but could not put finger on it.

Eventually dawned - the height or gap between burner and pan bottom was quite a lot. In nutshell The flames did not wrap the pan rim.  

I suspect as a result the pan outside temp was not getting hot enough. From memory for me 230c.

In short the learning for me - the amount of heat is not the end game. The burner setup is more complicated than would be initially thought.

Just for info - did the burner produce BIR. No question Yes. It's just a question weather you are happy with the yes produced. If not reduce that gap somehow so the flame wraps the pan.

Ps for info flame was Bunsen burner blue and I now discount the flame colour/profile as Important

[rshome123]

Hi Jerry, we must stop these midnight encounters

Can I just correct you about burners...  I am most definitely a fan of them.  If my kitchen could cope with a gas burner without burning the house down, I would buy one immediately.  Sadly I don't have a garage/shed to use, and I know one wouldn't work well in the yard/garden because of wind.

Having been in your furnace (oops meant garage) and experienced the extra flavour/smell that your burner gives,  I'm a believer in that it can add importantly to most curries.  Thinking back,  that garlic curry you cooked was amazing. 

So, in the absence of a burner, will have to carry on with 3kwh gas ring and a few shortcuts.

Regarding the burner flame/height issue...  I would imagine that given the wise suggestion on adjustment to the members Burner, it would allow more BIR flavour to be created, but at the expense of the members kitchen in which it was cooked.

[JerryM]

Rsholme123,

Clearly an anorak subject

Agee on the downsides. Ive been banned from cooking curry or pizza in my kitchen for those kind of reasons. 

Even the tarva.

[Invisible Mike]

I'm in the market for a new gas cooker. I'm not hugely farmiliar with output and how industrial burners differ from domestic. But, can you get domestic cookers that perform like the ones BIRs use?

[Invisible Mike]

I'm in the market for a new gas cooker. I'm not hugely farmiliar with output and how industrial burners differ from domestic. But, can you get domestic cookers that perform like the ones BIRs use?

[Invisible Mike]

Sorry dunno how I managed to do that! Was going to say Jerry presuming the 7.5kwh burner you speak of was not a domestic one?

[JerryM]

MushroomMike,

I can't imagine a domestic burner equivalent to BIR. The real problem is the need for extract and even a 150 dia domestic wont do it.

From the recent experience it's not just amount of heat but the closeness of the pan to it.

It also critically depends on your own mindset. I think very few members have burners and from this experience few are getting optimum results.

The pan is also important as Ali has limitations at heat - the surface sticks too much.

In short a shed or garage is needed and more heat than a domestic wok burner.

[JerryM]

Felt i needed to measure the flame gap - distance from top of  burner (flame outlet) to bottom of pan on my burner = 24 mm

Out of interest also measured same on my domestic hob = 18 mm

The thing that struck from this is the diameter of the burner outlet must also be important -  flames dont wrap pans on domestic Hob's

[Invisible Mike]

I've got a huge propane bitumen burner in the shed that felt roofers use. I'm tempted...:-)

[JerryM]

MushroomMike,

Tempted. For me I would defo give it ago. I started using a wok directly over the burner of my gas BBQ. It was 1st I'd ever got flame. Parker21 had told me to get a camping stove and the BBQ  was what I had readily to hand.

I do think we are all searching for different gaps. The burner was important to me in closing mine. It may not for everyone.

Another way of getting an inkling  of the effect is to use a cast iron korahi - like in the Nottingham mogal e Azam video when he does a garlic tarka.

I did not get chance to perfect the method. This is what I did. Cook a curry on slow heat on domestic hob. Heat karahi till 300c (actually quite easy) and turn heat off, add 1 tbsp veg oil and chopped garli (like mogal) then pour the cooked curry slowly into it.

It's real scary till you get used to it.

The effect is a lot bubbling curry. It also produces smoke and that is the differentiator.