Heading asks the main point. I would like to be able to melt pig iron for casting.
Been learning about ribbon burners and they sound great, but cannot find what temperatures they are producing. One manufacturer says they get 3100 F. My current forge is fired with a Harbor Freight grass burner. It will melt brass and bronze but even with full bottle not quite enough to melt scrap cast iron that I have hangin' 'round.
Ribbon burners look pretty easy to build and not that expensive.