My direct fire burner tube has been functioning less than optimum as of late. My Kettle is a 7 Barrel Ripley Stainless and the burner is a direct fire style made by Powerflame. I had been noticing lately that there was significantly more build up in the exhaust and it smelt like it was burning dirty, also the boil was not as powerful as it has been in the past. I found a small leak in a burner connection and a technician from a local propane co-op fixed the leak and inspected the burner. He thought that the leak may have been causing the buildup and smell, unfortunately he was not a specialist with these types of burners. Since having the burner looked at I have brewed a few times and the smell is still there (not quite as strong as before), there is no gas leak, and the boil seems to still be soft, I do a 90 minute boil and lose a total of 6% volume. I know I boil off a lot more in the winter but I feel like this is only half of the boil off I used to get in previous summers. I think I may be smelling the burner burning off the previous buildup. Has anyone ever experienced these symptoms from this kind of burner? Any recommendations? Who should I have professionally evaluate the burner and fix what is necessary? I have no personal experience working on these burners and am worried about causing more damage and creating more hazards by monkeying with it. Thanks-
Blaze Ruud
Old Schoolhouse Brewery- Head Brewer
Blaze Ruud
Old Schoolhouse Brewery- Head Brewer
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