USA Gas Appliances - Using on Australian LPG cylinders

GreatWhiteHunter on 03/01/2016 - 21:08
Last edited 03/01/2016 - 21:14

I want to import one of these puppies from the USA

http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-SS84-Stainless-Windscree…

They are basically what hillbillies use for frying whole turkeys, boiling crabs and prawns, and cooking meth

Anyway I note that it is a USA made product designed for the USA market, so it doesnt necessarily meet Australian standards - it also probably has the USA style gas cylinder attachments on its hose - I believe they are called Type 1 or ACME

Whereas in Australia our hoses are usually POL

So I found this
http://www.amazon.com/GrillPro-11051-Universal-Propane-Adapt…

From what I can tell, I should be able to connect this adaptor to my 9kg Australian SWAP'n'GO gas cylinder, and then connect the hillbilly device to the adaptor?

I am not a plumber or gasfitter so I'd appreciate advice before i blow myself up or burn the house down…

Home & Garden

Comments

  • mskeggs on 03/01/2016 - 21:35
    +3

    While I think you could run it with a straight adapter, you could skip the hassle and save some cash by buying a similar burner locally.
    Note these are also AGA approved for safety.
    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PORTABLE-CAST-IRON-GAS-BURNER-LPG…

    Edit: my brother in-law brought a similar one camping for "crumbing night". It pumped out plenty of heat to deep fry in a large pot.
    Also, crumbing night was awesome, but had repercussions the next day.

    • GreatWhiteHunter on 03/01/2016 - 22:46

      Thanks Mskeggs.

      I particularly liked the stainless steel burner because I live in a salt air area, and I'll be boiling salt water catches.

      I will see if I can come up with a stainless local version

      I would also say the US ones have very good quality hoses.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/01/2016 - 03:43

        I particularly liked the stainless steel burner because I live in a salt air area…

        So do I - and stainless rusts badly. At least the junk they call stainless nowdays does. (The number of stainless BBQs I see around here, brown with rust after only 3 months… The enamel-painted ones actually fare better!)

        I thought about buying a complete set like you're looking at. Stainless burner, large pot, and I think there was some kind of tripod to suspend/lift a basket/turkey too. Then I realised I could put all that together here for at least half the price.

        I know we're not talking BBQs here. But I'll get to why it's relevant in a minute.

        I have a cast iron, two-ring, LPG burner. The ones that are painted black and available in BCF, etc. Had it for several years. It's been rained into a few times, so that I had to tip water out of it. It's only just starting to look rusty, mostly where the gas holes are because the heat eventually burns off the paint. Even so, it's only surface.

        So…

        If you're concerned about rust, for a start I keep mine in the garage. You can't really leave either type outside anyway, because water gets in the hole.

        Second, I've reno'd several BBQs over the years people tossed out. I hit the plates and cast iron burners with a wire wheel in a drill. And the two-ring burner I mentioned above - is made the same - cast iron. Since those BBQ burners looked like new again, so would the camping/twin-ring burner I have, after that same treatment.

        When it starts to rust (in a few years), just do the same. i.e. Wire wheel in a drill (with eye protection), and repaint it with 'oven black' paint. Or just toss it and get another one.

        Mine is very similar to this:

        $50 - http://www.bunnings.com.au/gasmate-2-ring-cast-iron-outdoor-…

        … though I only paid about half that. I've seen some (ebay for example) that have a stand. But it's difficult to tell how big the burner is on that one from the photo. You would want at least the same as the Bunnings one above, if not 3-rings, like the rusty URL below.

        Just remember you can turn a big one down - but you can't turn a small one higher than flat out. And don't get one that says high pressure, unless you only want it for chinese - you'll run out of gas quick. (FYI, my twin-ring burner only just manages to keep a wok hot.)

        Although mine has been rained into, this auction shows what mine might look like in another 10 years, (or if I buried it in the garden for a month):
        http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Triple-3-Ring-LPG-Gas-Burner-/151… - but even so, that's still only surface rust. Drill + wire brush + paint and 20 minutes later = like new.

        This would be about right for those large pots they put turkeys in, but a bit pricey:
        http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281873993833 - that way if the third ring is too hot you just turn one ring off.

        Understand what I'm saying - if I had to choice today (because I use it for a wok), I'd either take the 3, or get a high-pressure one. Because of the type of cooking you're talking about - if I only wanted to buy one to do both - it would be the 3-ring.

        Same one, no stand:
        https://www.masters.com.au/product/900016233/campmaster-treb…

        I've seen the same ones as Bunnings & Masters in ex-army stores. So few people go into those now - offer them le$$ and they'll probably give in, LOL.

        Anyway, good luck with it.

        • User167511 on 04/01/2016 - 09:38

          Surprisingly it's. Not the salt water that rusts the crap quality 304 stainless that's found in most consumer products these days, its FRESH (rain or tap) water that does the worst damage.

    • GreatWhiteHunter on 03/01/2016 - 22:50

      LOL I'd love to hear more about crumbing night and the repurcussions!

      I have heard these things are LOUD when cranked up - high gas throughput in a fairly small burner I guess makes a lot more noise than your standard Bunsen Burner…

    • GreatWhiteHunter on 03/01/2016 - 22:59

      Another limitation of the Aussie made product is it's energy rating.

      The USA Stainless does 60,000 BTU - that's about 63 megajoules.

      The Aussie product does 12 Megajoules.

      That means the USA product has roughly 5 times the heating capacity (while burning gas 5x faster). Not sure I need 60 megajoules, but 30 might be handy and the extra capacity will be good to heat things quickly..

      you can buy 150,000 BTU units in the USA too - but I've been told 60,000 is more than ample for my needs.

      • mskeggs on 03/01/2016 - 23:12

        There are higher output models available too. E.g:
        http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/IGNITE-3-Ring-Cast-Iron-Wok-Burne…

        As for rust, unless you leave it in the waves, the thick cast iron will last many years.

        • GreatWhiteHunter on 03/01/2016 - 23:41

          The higher output model looks pretty good.

          Unfortunately stainless options on EBAY.AU are pretty limited - basically just the low power output Coleman which isn't going to cut it.

          I hear you on the cast iron, but i give this sort of thing tough love so stainless was my strong preference.

          I am pondering trying the cast iron higher output one…

        • GreatWhiteHunter on 03/01/2016 - 23:51

          Have you seen the feedback on EBAY for the seller selling that heavy duty burner?

          They sell fake phone cases as originals. I would bet a lot of money their burners are not actually AGA approved.

          Very dodgy dealer…

          Also he is selling it without a hose or reg - that in my mind increases the chances it is not AGA approved.

        • GreatWhiteHunter on 04/01/2016 - 00:22

          I just had a search of the AGA approved product listings

          http://www.aga.asn.au/uploads/292/2015_08.pdf

          None of the model numbers for the burners he is selling are in the catalogue.

          He does sell hoses with regs

          http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281896457871

          These are also stated to be AGA approved and they DO appear to be approved as you can find them in the AGA approved listings…

        • [Deactivated] on 04/01/2016 - 03:51

          @GreatWhiteHunter: I've seen the exact same one in several places. Army surplus store, chinese food supplies stores in Sydney… It's all made in China. I have the two ring version of that. It's been fine for several years.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/01/2016 - 03:48

        There's higher output ones on ebay, e.g. 50 megajoules. It would get to temp quicker, but then you'd be turning it back down again soon enough. I've seen guys doing prawns on the 3 ring and bigger on the low-pressure ones.

  • Marcsie on 03/01/2016 - 21:53

    Why bother ?

    • GreatWhiteHunter on 03/01/2016 - 22:47
      +1

      If you want to boil 20 litres of water or cooking oil (or 30, 50, even 100 isn't uncommon in the USA), a standard kitchen hotplate or even a bbq isnt going to do it well.

      These things output anywhere from 5 to 15 times more energy than a standard side burner on a BBQ. That means they heat things very quickly and can maintain high temperatures.

      In the USA these are standard kit for anyone boiling decent amounts of seafood. They also use them for deep frying whole turkeys. They are also used in distilling (legal and otherwise) as well as in the manufacture of various drugs…

      • [Deactivated] on 04/01/2016 - 03:58

        Yeah BBQ burners are the lowest heat - I can't cook on them. If you're set on buying something from the USA, better check they won't just confiscate it too. I was going to buy a particular type of pressure cooker (called a pressure fryer) several years ago. The last time I looked, their dumb rules say it will be stolen from me and destroyed if they realise that's what it is, even though it's just a name on a box - it does exactly what a pressure cooker does, only has an extra pressure gauge on the lid.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/01/2016 - 04:07

    Oh - and just read your first message again… While I'm no qualfied expert, I have had experience searching for different gas BBQ fitings - and yes, you seem to have the right adapter.

    Just keep in mind the postage. i.e. If you ever need to replace the hose because you burn a hole in it. (It would still be rubber underneath.) Or the regulator fails. They don't fail often, but I do recall finding two in quick succession that were blocked - on BBQs people had tossed.

    I'd probably do a bit more searching first, and see if you can get a fitting that changes at the burner end of the hose instead - so you can fit a standard Australian hose and regulator, instead of theirs. You don't want to be paying what, $30 USD for another hose, plus another $50 to send it here. Especially when people throw them out here in every council cleanup.

    • GreatWhiteHunter on 04/01/2016 - 10:53

      Family Man I am with you that a 3 ring is the way to go for me.

      4 rings is overkill, 2 is insufficient.

      I also note this morning that the "stainless" Bayou burners have stainless steel frames but the burners are still just cast iron - silvery coloured cast iron. I am surprised they dont make them in brass instead, but i suspect the pressure might have something to do with it.

      I also emailed an Australian company selling adaptors like the Amazon one. When I showed them what I wanted to run off it, they said they recommended not using adaptors, instead getting a new hose and reg…

      So for ~$236 AUD I can get the Bay SS84 burner with a US style 36" braided hose and 10 psi regulator. I'll need an adaptor and Amazon don't ship the adaptors in my earlier link to Australia for some crazy reason.

      For $93.99 AUD I can get the black 3 ring with no hose or reg
      http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/IGNITE-3-Ring-Cast-Iron-Wok-Burne…

      or the red for $113.99 AUD again with no hose or reg
      http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/IGNITE-3-Ring-Cast-Iron-Wok-Burne…

      A cheapass hose with reg 1.2m is $23.90
      http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/QUALITY-LPG-Regulator-1-2M-HOSE-G…

      $35 for stainless at BCF
      http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Aquaknect-1-4FC-Gas-Hose-Reg-1200…

      $40 for a 1.5m cheapie
      http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BBQ-GAS-REGULATOR-HOSE-1-4-MALE-1…

      $53 for a 1.8m quality hose and reg
      http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/LP-Gas-Hose-and-Regulator-1-8mtr-…

      I'll try the Aussie EBAY options - probably red (because of the visibiliy of red) with 1.8m hose (I like the idea of a fair bit of distance between the burner and the gas bottle!).

      $166.99 delivered at asking price. In theory all AGA approved and no adaptors necessary.

      Now just wait for a 10% or 15% off EBAY deal!

      If I find the 3 burner not enough, I've got a quality POL hose and reg which I think (fingers crossed) can be fitted onto a Bayou high pressure burner…

      I have a bad feeling though that the Bayou burners need high pressure regs (say 10PSI or more), and the regs on these Aussie hoses aren't
      high pressure rated at all - most are below 1PSI!!

  • GreatWhiteHunter on 04/01/2016 - 11:27

    These also look interesting

    $200 for a kit including cooking pot.
    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Companion-Power-Cooker-and-Stock-…

    And these at $449 make the US imports look cheap
    https://www.auscrown.com.au/page/shop/flypage/product_id/73/…

  • GreatWhiteHunter on 04/01/2016 - 11:42

    It looks to me like the Bayou burners are rebadged as "Companion" here.

    http://www.snowys.com.au/Camp-Kitchen/Gas-Stoves/Mega-Jet-Ou…

  • [Deactivated] on 04/01/2016 - 19:04

    The item at the last link has been removed.

    That $449 one… That's a lot of extra $ for a stand: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/141566522142

    The red looks good - as in more support.

    One of the ones you linked has a fitting with two prongs to tighten the regulator. I had one of those and hated it. Every time I screwed it in it would 'injure' a muscle in my hand And using a shifter to undo it instead, was an extra step that became annoying fast.

    I like regs that have a knurled knob instead. Oh - and a standard o-ring on the end, not the ones that have a kind of cap, which are more expensive and difficult to find.

    Keep in mind all of these are jumping back and forth between low and high pressure. I'm not sure which one is more suited to what you need to do. Nor how far you can turn down a high pressure one (like in the link in this post). I'd like to get one of those one day for wok cooking. Because the wok cools too easily on the two ring low pressure. But maybe it's too much the other way - too much heat for what you want. Because I haven't used a high pressure one yet, like in this link, I can't speak on that. I do know it's at the low end (minimum) of ones that are bought for the purpose of wok cooking. I think they say it's 50, but they actually overate it. (I read it online somewhere in a review - it's actually a bit less - high 30s, maybe low 40s - can't recall now.)

    So maybe I'm being too cautious regarding that. i.e. I'm thinking if it can't be turned down, it might burn a hole through a thin pot - and/or use too much gas too quickly.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/01/2016 - 19:08

    Sorry - what I meant was, the two-pronged regulator… it always seemed loose, so you screw it in harder and hurt your hand. Then it required a shifter to undo!? Maybe it was just the one I had. But I won't buy one like it again because of it.

    • GreatWhiteHunter on 04/01/2016 - 20:05

      By the two pronged regulator do you mean this?

      http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Companion-Power-Cooker-and-Stock-…

      This guy has it for $155 delivered.
      With Cash Rewards discount that is less than $150 delivered including a 20 litre stock pot - pretty decent price…
      http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/COMPANION-POWER-COOKER-AND-STOCKP…

      I talked to the supplier today - they say the burner in the Companion stock pot set is the same as the Companion mega-jet, just in a different stand…

      http://www.snowys.com.au/Camp-Kitchen/Gas-Stoves/Mega-Jet-Ou…

      I agree the $449 is a ripoff for just a stand

      • [Deactivated] on 04/01/2016 - 21:19

        Yes, that's the one. Not a reason not to buy - and if it's connected all the time it's not a problem. I used to keep the burner in the garage and only bring it out when wok cooking. Which meant disconnecting the gas bottle from the BBQ, which had that fitting. As soon as I saw another regulator on the side of the road, I got rid of the two-pronged type.

        Actually, that has the rubber cap I was talking about too. First I couldn't locate one. When I did they only had one left, and couldn't tell me if they would be getting more. Plus it was several dollars. I think I did replace it once. But it started cracking again in just a few months. Whereas o-rings for the other type are much easier to find and cheaper.

        Probably not a problem for most people. I just keep misplacing the shifter, did it by hand, and hurt my hand every time. Maybe they're not all like that. And if not removing it often, it wouldn't matter anyway.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/01/2016 - 21:33

    Actually those 100,000 BTU might be necessary to heat that amount of water in a reasonable time. As long as the flame can be turned down to a simmer, I'd probably get one of those over the cast iron low-pressure. It's twice the 'Rambo', which itself is far above the cast iron. If the top part of this one came off, I'd consider it myself - that way I could sit a curved wok down into it.

    http://www.snowys.com.au/Camp-Kitchen/Gas-Stoves/Mega-Jet-Ou…

    Tripod stand would be more stable than the one with the same burner too. But no pot, etc.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/01/2016 - 21:40

    If you get one of these:

    http://www.snowys.com.au/Camp-Kitchen/Gas-Stoves/Mega-Jet-Ou…
    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/COMPANION-POWER-COOKER-AND-STOCKP…

    … can you please tell me how far you can turn down the gas? i.e. Is it a smooth control down to a simmmer - or more jerky - mostly cuts off the gas when you turn it.

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