Hey Keith, this is looking quite good.
Try this:
Get your aligned combined (sum, median combined etc) but unstretched file and adjust the levels so that you can juuuust still see the detail in the bright bits, you may not be able to see teh faintest outer areas but don't worry yet. Now apply a DDP filter to the image in what ever software you have that has this filter (I use Astroart4), play around until you get the right balance between detail, natural stars and faint stuff without too much noise, again don't push the brightness past seeing the detail in the brightest bits (probably in the flame) save this image. Now once you have a reasonably smooth looking DDP'd image apply a log stretch and again try a few different settings if they are available until you have an image that is displaying the very faintest outer nebulosity, the brighter bits may be juuust ready to blow out but if thi is the case you may find that combining (select all - copy - paste - then blend) the well stretched image with the best most natural looking DDP'd only version in Photoshop works best - best of both worlds so to speak and leaves you with a nice looking final image with the very brightest bits still in detail but also showing the very faintest bits but without too much noise.
Hope that made some sense
and helps
Mike