Stick Burners Call with Gas Assist

Recently I have been reviewing the successes and problmes with the Meat Mama 3000 (which is a smoker that is patterned off of the Round Style Southern Yankee or Austin National).

The Unit has been LP Plumbed to my 31 foot Funkotorium ( a 31 foot camper where the commissary is in the middle and the smoker is on the front with the sides taken off). For two years now I am always cleaning out the little holes of my log lighter and I am thinking of ripping it out and just making it a portable lighter that I can simply set inside the firebox and remove once the fire is lit. I want Gas assist and a log lighter that stays in there is just dangerous.

I have bought the basic stuff that the Klose, Tejas and Gator pit use and intend to install that on one side. Obviouisly anyone that has seen one of these smokers knows that would be an ineffectual fire starter of the length but great as a GAS ASSIST. With both my orders and the cost of wood going up and my 5 month old already cutting into my sleep I need to go Gas for the middle of the cook.

Question is: who has pictures of how that gas burner contacts the firebox? I see the advertisers pics and see how to secure it but is it aspirating ONLY from the holes in the back? AND IN any of your factory installs, do they have pilots with the sensor? I have a spare sensor and shut off from a turkey fryer but I am concerned that the sensor would be tricked into thinkin it was hot enough due to coals in the firebox.

This is my smoker and the burner I plan to use. Your Thoughts

the Meat Mamma Seated in her Cradle on the Funkotorium before it was painted.

:frown:Theres got to be someone out there with a gas assist like that... I just need a question answered. Come on brethren.

Mark said:

FYI:

I once converted a wood burning stove to gas. I made a burner out of 3/4 inch black pipe, capped at one end and a row of 1/8" holes drilled along both sides (about 1" apart).

It worked fine and something like that should be easy to make for your smoker.

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Thank you. That is what I made with 1/16 holes. BUT like i said,

Thats precisely what I am removing. Good for lighting logs, bad and dangerous for gas assist.

anyone have a gator pit or lang or klose or large stick burner with the above style burner on it. I have questions about the factory install.

look at the picture specifically the burner behind the left tire. I ahve everythingj I need to fab that out... just need to know if the burner seats directly on the firebox or if there are some spaces. PM me if you know or can take pics.

Mark said:

The burner that your pic looks like (not saying it is) basically a cast iron cheap-a$$ mad ein China peese of chit tht come standard on low-end turkey fryers. Iv'e owned several. Very hard to maintain once they rust.

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Yeah its the cheap one... I bought it 5 years ago but the high temp paint i used protected it somewhat. Its out in the elements all year. Anyway, who has this installed on their smoker in the above way?

RichardF said:

I think for the most part folks are reluctant to chime in because they don't want to play any part should you blow yourself up; which, unfortunately has happened here before.

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well I understand that... just because I have been smoking on large smokers for 20 years does NOT mean I am as proficient as burning with gas.

Thats why I ask once again... simply for a picture. no one has to comment... or they could answer the question directly if anyone has a FACTORY installed gas burner like the one above... does it contact face to face with the steel or is it getting aspiration solely from the rear openings. That and is there a sensor on those to detect the flame is on?

No actual advice is necessary.

PS I have run my log lighter for more than 2 years that I designed myself but am not stupid enough to run it as a gas assist so that should account for something. :razz:

First I have been jonezin for that design for years but cannot find a cheap big doored fireplace to built it out of... second.... I will bet anything he has log lighter stuffed in there. Not crazy about the valve either... needs more adjustment like on a turkey fryer... but if it works... lot of air going in there so flameout is unlikely.

Rightstuff said:

I can't find the pics of my smoker, but here are a few pics of a similiar smoker with gas assist:

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Stick Burners with Gas Assist

Stick Burners with Gas Assist if you have a gas assist like the one in the picture below would you please PM me. Not interested in instruction of how to hook up. This is not a log lighter. The smoker manufacturer does not matter. just the burner that looks and is installed like this.

PM me please

heres one on a klose that BBQ by Dan uses notice it behind the wheel in red


Please there is no need to respond if you have a drum, weber, NB, OJ or anything that is not a larger stick burner. I would not want you to waste your time. No disrepsect, just need a specific type.

wow thats a good quality burner.. I would not want that messed up either... which is what happens with the log lighter leaving it in there.

thank you for your input

BBQchef33 said:

In my Klose, I use this ring burner and just place it in the bottom of the firebox, with the hose going thru the damper and then close down the dampers about halfway.

(picture is when it was on the turkey fryer.. I removed it fromt its frame.)

I lay a pile of lava rock on top to disperse heat and to protect the top of the firebox from getting a hot spot. You can also put a few chunks on top in or in and iron skillet(or old dutch over)if u want to add some smoke.

didnt want to mount it permanent so it doesnt get beat up/clogged from being in there with the wood fires.

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BBQchef33 said:

heres the burner. http://www.turkeyfryerexpress.com/store.asp?cat=10&offset=15

use a regulator with a brass control valve and load it thru the dampers. On my 20" firebox, the stem on the burner offsets the ring to about the center of the box, and the fitting goes thru a damper. You may have to disconnect the hose if the regulator wont fir thru a damper opening.

its a simple, but very effective gas assist.

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I want to thank you so much for your input but I used to have a side GA like the ones in the example on my old gator pit in Texas. I have all the parts already for this install but forgot a specific point and never looked at the GA when OI had the Gator pit. The side burner alleviates the clogging

again thank you so much for your input and I would like to use it on a pig smoker but I need help with the above example.

I started a more specific thread in order to be sure to get a gator pit or klose answer on this.

You know... u got me thinkin about a 4 inch thick charcoal basket shaped so it can go transverse in my firebox filled with lava rocks... to buffer and balance that heat. I* know i was going to install a expanded steel mesh in front of the burner block the logs... but I LOVE this idea

and if it don;t work... hell so what... but i think it would be nifty. THANKS!

BBQchef33 said:

In my Klose, I use this 130K btu ring burner and just place it in the bottom of the firebox, with the hose going thru the damper and then close down the dampers about halfway. It will maintain 250 on a medium setting in a 72" Klose BYC or set on low in MOAB, which is 30x30x60. I have only used it in hot pits though, to take over after using wood for the beginning of the cook and continue thru the night with gas.

(picture is when it was on the turkey fryer.. I removed it fromt its frame.)

I lay a pile of lava rock on top to disperse heat and to protect the top of the firebox from getting a hot spot. You can also put a few chunks on top in or in and iron skillet(or old dutch over)if u want to add some smoke.

didnt want to mount it permanent so it doesnt get beat up/clogged from being in there with the wood fires.

Click to expand...