Burning a Corn Mix in a 25-PDV or PDVC works?

Don2222 said:

Corn does burn hotter...

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Are you sure?

Using a median energy content value of 8,250 BTUs per pound of dry matter, the energy content of one pound of shelled corn at 15.5 percent moisture is then 6,971 BTUs (8,250 BTUs per pound dry matter x 0.845).

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As far as I've read, shelled corn dried to approx 15% moisture gives off approx 7000 btu. Most wood pellets are higher than that.

Corn has to be dried to a very low M/C before its higher than Pellets...

That info has long been out there. Just like wood. The lower the M/C, the higher the BTU. Because your not wasting energy to burn moisture out...

Plus. Burning corn has its other Cons... Clinker? The need for Multi Fuel venting (if you didnt buy a Multi fuel stove, your vent probably isn't rated to burn corn) Its a food that can and will attract mice and rats...

Also, if the stove isnt rated for it...................... Is it??

Of coarse it depends on MC and the pellet you compare them to. Corn generally feeds more volume than a pellet would. But it burns slower that a wood pellet. I personally think(in my stove) the corn would burn hotter, But your going to use more getting the heat out of it. Lots more air to burn the sugars off at a heavy feed rate. But I was burning in pellet mode. In multifuel mode, My stove has a clean cycle that puts the stove on low to burn off the sugary mass/blob. It also feeds less in multi mode. So it cranked less heat in multi mode.

I got killer heat from a 60/40 pellet/corn mix and was shocked when it produced more heat than the straight pellet did by itself. No clinker per say(small marbles), Not the huge rocks like straight corn. It did have more ash but it was pretty dense, So it seemed like there was less volume overall. So I am going to agree that you can get more heat that a straight pellet. By adding in some corn. But like the others stated it depends on MC of the corn as what I get for corn is less than 12%. Last batch was under 9% MC.

One other heat adder is some corns are very lightly coated with an oil to help them slide. Also to reduce the auger crunch of a dry corn. This may also add some BTU's.

Unfortunately corn is so dang expensive, It just ain't worth the extra cost and hassle mixing it with pellets!

Disclaimer: I have all the right tools to properly burn corn yadda yadda yadda! If you don't have the proper tools yadda yadda yadda!

Read The Fine Manuals for the stove and for your venting.

Then do extra checks of the venting and stove.

Drying corn to less than 15% just don't make sense. It never comes off the stalk at 9%. Just sayin.

Disclaimer: I'm no expert, but I have had 10 and counting beers tonight

Smoke, This farm grows corn just for the burners. Corn is dried with heat generated by the hulks,stalks and other byproducts of the plants left over. Corn can be dried naturally. Usually in silo's with circulated air. I'm sure there are other ways as well.

But I agree if you need to spend money on other fuels(oil,gas or propane) to dry it? Then not worth the added cost or waste of fuel.

jtakeman said:

But I agree if you need to spend money on other fuels(oil,gas or propane) to dry it? Then not worth the added cost or waste of fuel.

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Yep, thats how it happens most of the time. In turn it don't help the price of LP if theres a lot being consumed for drying corn and supply can't keep up.

Check the ash to make sure the corn burned completely.