Is the Benzomatic JT850 the best?

[Cook_Shack]

Larry;
Sometimes a torch will go out when turned over to light the coals. That is not a design phenomenon. To prove it, turn the torch over while holding it out in open air. The flame will not go out. What happens is you use up all the combustible oxygen when holding a torch deep down in a grill, unless you have all the vents wide open, and all the ash knocked out if using a previous bed of coals. You just need plenty of fresh air and good air flow to sustain the flame.

The torch from HF will not go out.

[rorkin]

I do not know what is best but this torch works for me...

It least you can stand away from the KK and put the lid down a bit..
The charcoal if it has any moisture in it will spark and send a small shower of sparks from time to time which you want to get out of the way of

[Cook_Shack]

I do not know what is best but this torch works for me...

It least you can stand away from the KK and put the lid down a bit..
The charcoal if it has any moisture in it will spark and send a small shower of sparks from time to time which you want to get out of the way of

By dialing the "torch" control down I find I have no spark problem. Hope this helps.

[john noble]

I also found that my flame would go out. It was because I had a hand torch connected to a one pound propane cylinder. When I turned the torch upside down, or even below ninety degrees, the liquid would flow down and seal the entrance to the torch. So no vapour form fuel was going out to the torch.

I solved it by placing a five pound propane ball on the ground and running a six foot flexible rubber hose, from the ball to the hand torch. Now the torch is supplied with propane in vapour form, no matter how I turn the torch around.

by the way, today I finally ordered my KK. yay!

[mguerra]

That seems an odd phenomenon. The contents of the torch are under pressure higher than atmospheric. When you open the valve, the contents should come forcefully out. And vaporize in so doing, as the pressure the outgoing propane encounters is atmospheric. The concept of a liquid "plug" is at odds with physics. I have a cigar lighter with a clear tank. You can hold it upside down such that the liquid butane is at the bottom where the jet is and a gas pocket is at the top and it fires just fine. Strange.

[Firemonkey]

There has to be a safety valve in the bottle to shut it off when inverted.

[mguerra]

That I will buy.

[Cook_Shack]

Are not propane bottles turned upside down when filling the small canisters?

[jdbower]

Think of it like the compressed air cans. When you turn them upside down the liquid comes out and instantly turns to gas creating a freeze spray (when a liquid turns into a gas it's endothermic - absorbing energy [heat] from the surroundings). If you did the same thing with flaming liquid propane you'd end up with a lot more propane gas than you wanted, and probably two fewer eyebrows

When you turn the cannister upside down it's a one-way valve trying to prevent anything from escaping, but you can force the liquid propane into the bottle from the other direction. That way when you stop forcing the new propane into the bottle the valve kicks in and prevents it all from escaping.

[Amphoran]

The newer propane tanks with the overfill protection device also prevent flow if inverted - I keep one old tank around for refilling the small ones.
Mike

[normstar]

Thought I'd resurrect this old thread cuz I just got an JT850 this week on amazon. MY GOODNESS it lights the coals faster. This is a revolution in coal lighting. I've been using fire starters and/or a small handheld propane torch. it completely makes it possible to just "quickly fire up the KK" for a small weeknight protein searing session.

Plus, it's so much fun to use that I'm gonna get that other torch from harbor freight as well! Lastly, if I ever need to storm any bunkers and torch them, I've got that covered too.

[Syzygies]

Lately I've been using an electric starter. Takes a bit longer, but less direct attention...

[mguerra]

I like a MAPP torch to start a small amount of charcoal fast for a low and slow.
A charcoal chimney will get a big fire raging for grilling in 6 to 8 minutes. I have not tried the weed burner, but it seems like it would be the most fun.