Is anybody still burning corn?
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Hi Rick, have the Lancaster as well since '09. Have not bought any corn this year as still had 3/4 tn on inventory. I mix wood pellet into my corn @25%. Going to install an Oak as well to see how much improvement I can get. I will update this post when I get corn in UNY in about 2 weeks.
NYBurner
Burning Hunk
ben153 - where are you getting your corn? Im in rochester and would like to try some. I see Tractor Supply sells shelled corn, but I dont think its intended for burning?
Bioburner
Moderator
I wouldn't worry about if its for burning or not, just dry and fairly clean and usually bagged corn is pretty clean but expensive. Corn here bulk this AM is $3.42/bu. I run it through a screen to take out the fines as the Bixby spits out small pieces and makes a mess in the main chamber and dry the corn down to single digits in a crude wood stove top drier.
Bixby is chewing corn here and glad it is with outside temp at 26. Makes for a good hair drier
Bixby is chewing corn here and glad it is with outside temp at 26. Makes for a good hair drier
Arti
Feeling the Heat
Lot's of corn local. I buy from a farmer Last years crop it is very dry already although it does need cleaning before we burn it.
Figures out to about half price of pellets but a little more work. Not quite as simple as grabbing a bag and dumping it in, also a little more cleaning to the stove.
Figures out to about half price of pellets but a little more work. Not quite as simple as grabbing a bag and dumping it in, also a little more cleaning to the stove.
Burning corn. Can get it bulk for approx. 150-160/ton, but need to shovel it out of the truck into drums, and screen it. I've been buying dried, cleaned, bagged corn from a farmer for 190/ton. Pellets on sale right now at Menards for 200 plus tax; normally 225-250.
I am still burning corn. Picked up 41 bushel last week in my utility trailer. When corn hit the big time, I sold my gravity wagon as I figured I wouldn't be burning it again. But, the small trailer works just as good. Just a few more trips is all. Corn is way cheaper then pellets. kap
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
I'm still burning 100% corn. I started about 6 years ago with just corn after running a corn/pellet mix the previous 3 season. I'm fortunate in that I have a good farmer to get it from. Even when corn was high a few years ago it was still at about the same as pellets for me. I've got the whole corn vac setup so I just get it dumped into the pickup and when I get home vac it out into IBC totes. This year it's $130 per ton. Bushel weight 59 lbs almost 60 lbs. I get real nice, dry clean corn from my farmer and when he fills my pickup he considers it one ton. I told him I've scaled it and it's always around 2600 lbs. He just laughed and said don't worry about that I spill more than that before the sun comes up.
I burn clinker style. Built a clinker pot years ago and will never go back to burning pellets as long as I can get corn or if the corn would cost 10% more than pellets then I would have to think about it but love the heat the corn puts out, less cleaning running clinker style, no agitators or agitator motor to replace.
Then after cleaning I give all the fines to my niece for her chickens and I get free eggs!
Corn is King for me!
I burn clinker style. Built a clinker pot years ago and will never go back to burning pellets as long as I can get corn or if the corn would cost 10% more than pellets then I would have to think about it but love the heat the corn puts out, less cleaning running clinker style, no agitators or agitator motor to replace.
Then after cleaning I give all the fines to my niece for her chickens and I get free eggs!
Corn is King for me!
rona
Minister of Fire
Free eggs is the best part. I dropped the fines in a pile by the house for the deer and pheasents.
I bought an Amaizablaze 4100 last year. It is an older model that is corn only. It puts out great heat vs our electric baseboards. I buy corn from my wife's uncle. Last year I traded work for most of my corn. This year I am buying my corn, my work schedule doesn't allow much free time. Corn is around $3.82 a bushel in Indiana.
Hi NYBurner, I get my corn from a local farmer that I also get 1/4 beefer's from. Been working with them for years. As to the corn, it's shelled corn. So you could try Tractor Supply. Local pricing should be between #130-170 per tn.
Interesting notes about the fines. I was planning on taking a few years worth and mixing into a raised bed for spring planting but did not think chickens and wild animals would consume it.
Interesting notes about the fines. I was planning on taking a few years worth and mixing into a raised bed for spring planting but did not think chickens and wild animals would consume it.
FirepotPete
Minister of Fire
The fines/redwings/dust, they all are consumable. I only get about two five gallon buckets from each ton of corn so the corn is very clean to begin with. If someone has no one to give it to add it to bird feeders or put some out away from the bird feeders on a separate feeder just for the squirrels, keeps them away from the bird feeders.
I also would think that if anyone had a pellet mill they could try and make pellets from them. I don't know how efficient it would be but, waste not want not!
Bioburner
Moderator
We had a local plant the made pellets from wheat screanings they burned ok but had very high ash. Most went to Pheasant farms
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
That's one great testimonial for Corn ! Unfortunately, here in the SE Ma. area corn costs maybe 40- 50% more than mid grade pellets do ( bagged). Even if I travel to Ri and buy bulk it's about the same cost as bagged pellets then, and I have time and gas to add on to that.
Bioburner
Moderator
Shipping etc is always an issue. I only have to travel 2.5 miles to a elevator
Just picked up a ton yesterday from my local farmer. looks very clean and @ $140 per ton. picked up a split pallet of PA's and Dry Creeks, and the cost was $260. I mix 75% corn to 25% pellet to soften clinkers.
Bagged cleaned corn is $160/ton in northern Ohio, and far cheaper than pellets. I'm burning 85% corn, 15% pellets this year.
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