Pellet and corn mixture

I have a Harman Insert and was told that tests have been done with up to 30% corn with no problems, but would void the warrenty. I have done up to 10% when corn was cheaper to burn than pellets. The ash from the pellets tend to push the spent corn out into the ash tray. Too much corn would result in clinkers that my Harman is not capable getting out of the burn pot.

Try it, you might like it. I wouldn't buy a bunch of
it just in case you don't care for the maintenance.

I burned a 50-50 mix the first year I had this stove.
Corn is sticky so the more you mix, the quicker your
stove will get dirty. $3 for 50lbs is cheap. In 2005
I think I paid $6 for a 50lb'er from Ventura Grain Co.
in Taunton, MA. Like I said, the stove will require
more frequent cleaning.

You did not say what you have for a stove.

However, for 3 bucks a bag you cannot go wrong. Unless, the moisture content is too high.

In my Quad Sante Fe I have used five pounds corn to 40 pounds of pellets and it worked very well. I paid 12 bucks for a fifty pound bag though. Did not mind it was an experiment.

For three bucks a bag I would use all the corn I could and clean the stove more. It would still be 1% of the work of a woodstove.

I was reading an old Mother Earth News story that said it would take fifty acres to properly feed just one corn stove in the long run.

Good Luck and Happy Heating

50 acres sounds a little high. Unless it was for the lifetime of the stove.
If normal usage is 5 tons/year that would be 10,000 lbs which equals 179 buschels of corn.
One acre produces 125 buschels or more per year so it would only take 1-1/2 acres.

I have a lennox winslow coming soon, the installer said they burn a mixture of corn with pellets, they just experiment and see what % works best. 50 acres for 1 stove,,,,,yikes
I am gonna go visit some friends that own big sawmills, I will give them this site, and hope they will look into using up all the sawdust they have laying around.

I've burn 50/50 in my Quad Mt Vernon for 3 seasons now. No issues at all and cheaper especially with current pellet prices.

The manual for my Astoria clearly states that up to 50% corn can be burned with pellets. I just wish I could find some cheap corn just to give it a try. Unfortunately, all the prices around me here are the same as the pellets.

I paid 50 bucks a ton more for corn just to have it to blend one part to two parts pellets -- because it works so well for me!

ken3698 said:

I'm curious if anyone has ever burned a 50/50 mix of pellet and corn? My neighbor asked me today if I want to buy corn for $3 a 50 pound bag.. I looked in my Breckwell owners manual and it say's it ok to blend it up to 50%. With the price of pellets right now, I'm thinking that I might try it.. Any thoughts on this?

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Breckwell used to say 1/3 corn mixture and the last seminar I went to they recommended that you buy a corn stove to burn corn and a pellet stove to burn pellets. Beware.

Eric

"can be burned" and "should be burned" are not necessarily the same thing.

I have burned old dog food, stale corn flakes, and stale pretzels in my pellet stove before -- it can do it. Should I do it? probably not

Right now oil is cheaper than pellets, price will come down when people stop buying, like me.

Liter of Cola said:

I have burned old dog food, stale corn flakes, and stale pretzels in my pellet stove before -- it can do it. Should I do it? probably not

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And this stuff burned? ROFL :lol:

tinkabranc said:

And this stuff burned? ROFL :lol:

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Yep.

Of course, half a box of corn flakes or pretzels in a full hopper of pellets isn't very much, ratio-wise. I don't think I'd try a 50/50 mixture

Nothin but pellets for me till my warranty expires... ;-)

I'm burning pelletized horse food now, burned black oilers last weekend. Mixed of course, doesn't burn that clean but it burns! Good point about the warranty tink!

GotzTheHotz said:

I'm burning pelletized horse food now, burned black oilers last weekend. Mixed of course, doesn't burn that clean but it burns! Good point about the warranty tink!

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What's a 'black oiler'? or is that just the description of the smoke that comes from your chimney when you fire up one of your mixtures?

I have corn stoves and pellet stove. I find corn can make you sick. From the dust