Green Supremes stink - literally

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

heat seeker

Minister of Fire
Feb 25, 2011
3,216
Northern CT
Just bought 20 bags of Green Supreme pellets, bagged by NEWP, I think. They are burning fine, not much ash, and what there is looks like salt and pepper mixed together.
However, my garage smells strongly like fresh paint. I even looked around to make sure some paint didn't get spilled. The pellets in the stove hopper smell, too. I did notice that on some of the pellets there is a red stain that looks like paint.
Has anyone else seen anything like this? I'm wondering if this is some construction debris made into pellets.



IMG_2576.jpg



IMG_2575.jpg



IMG_2574.jpg
 
Wow, that's not cool. I have two bags here, I'll have to check them out too.
 
The black is slight scorching from the dies. Seems the material got a bit hot. That red(looks like orange in pic). Could be some sort of die lube? I don't really know for sure. I would hope it isn't paint.

Does it show what plant they were bagged at?

I would save a sample and contact them and see if they can help. Maybe they can replace them.
 
I bought 10 bags a few weeks back and thought they smelled just like fresh cut Oak. Smelled great with the 10 bags in the back of my Focus..

On the other hand. I did find similar things in my Easy Heats. I will take photos and try and post tonight. I have red, blue, yellow, and black. All appear to be plastic??
 
I agree that the black is probably scorching from the pelletizing process.

All the bag says for location is "Made in New Hampshire and New York".

IMG_2577.jpg


I'm saving a few samples, but don't want the exchange them. I'll live with the smell, rather than load them up and drive them back, then load up some more and bring them home, hoping they don't smell when in a confined area. I hope this red stuff isn't toxic, but as least it's going outside, and there isn't very much of it - just a few pellets out of two bags so far (that I've seen).

I am quite curious as to what the red is, though, not that it matters a whole lot I guess.

But, with the paint smell, and the red color, I gotta wonder where the product came from...
 
DexterDay said:
I have red, blue, yellow, and black. All appear to be plastic??

How cool would it be if the flames were those colors!?
 
Put a few of the pellets in a little water and break out what is in them. Thats what I did. After burning a sample on the end of a tooth pick, it smelled like plastic.
 
Great idea! Maybe some Lego's got in there... :)

I've read where people have found bolts, nuts, keys, etc., but how they got through the pelletizer is a mystery. Maybe fell in just before packaging.
 
Here are the findings. As I have just began to burn these. I have no proof that this is a Good or Bad thing. I may email the company with my findings, if I continue to find them. I burned a couple bags last year, but I just dumped them in the hopper. This was the 1st bag that I sifted. So when I see colors in my buckets, I investigate.

Plastic is BTU's right? Maybe they will have some good colors? I am now burning with them in the hopper. So the testing is on. . I also just got my new Cole Parmer Thermocouple in the mail this week.. Cheap and accurate. The old cooking digital thermo worked good, but this is far better and is designed for the this tytpe of application. Not for measuring meat temps... LOL

Going to watch temps, ash, and now flame color.... Basing them on my "hand test", they seem to be a pretty good pellet. They smell like 2 x 4's, short consistent length. Was going to start a thread based on it, but dont want to throw them down, if in fact its only related to a small amount, maybe a few bags, maybe a few tons, either way, I will not see it as a problem until further burning.

I just sifted a bag of my Green Supremes and went through with a fine tooth comb. They still smelled as good as when in my car and no colors. This is why I am not putting the Easy Heats out there. Could be a little batch and you just so happened to get them. I had American Wood Fibers that were 3" long last season. A whole ton of them. Sent them pics in an email, and received a Gift card to TSC for my problems.
 

Attachments

  • 1 Easy Heats.jpg
    1 Easy Heats.jpg
    103.9 KB · Views: 624
  • 2 Easy Heats.jpg
    2 Easy Heats.jpg
    275.8 KB · Views: 639
  • 3 Easy Heats .jpg
    3 Easy Heats .jpg
    100.4 KB · Views: 623
Final results....
 

Attachments

  • 4 Easy Heats.jpg
    4 Easy Heats.jpg
    85.7 KB · Views: 651
  • 5 Easy Heats (Plastic).jpg
    5 Easy Heats (Plastic).jpg
    80.7 KB · Views: 653
holy crap that looks like lucky charms cereal. what the heck is the blue, could it be from a pallet with paint on it!

This worries me because there is so much we really don't know what is in our pellets.
 
Ugh...I'd seriously look into getting those replaced, lots of foreign material in those pellets. Not acceptable IMHO.
 
I don't know about you but i have 2-1/2 tons to burn and they don't look like that i'm on my second bag and they burn awesome, nice heat low ash ,i would bring them back, what you have could be an issue.
 
It is only the 1st bag that I sifted and I went through pretty good. If this is all I get, I wont be worried. I sift all of my pellets and the fines go into a fine filtered dust collection bag. I think all of you that dont sift pellets may be surprised by what is in your fuel. I have gotten lots of Corn, sticks, bark, screws, etc. This is a speck of what is inside of a bag. There are more fines than there is plastic. I can see how some may be worried. But if you have ever burned straight corn, then this little bit should not hurt anything.

Again. If it proves to be a problem, I will let Easy Heats know. I waited until I had just under a half ton of AWF's last yr. You must go through and be thorough with your findings. That is why I am taking pics and saving the material. As of now, lile the above poster stated. They are burning pretty hot (above average for my stove)

Mike56- Can you look through the bags really good. It appears like nothing is there until you actually sift through them. It may be contained. It may not. It does appear to be plastic. I highly doubt that this would be the 1st pellet Manufacturer that uses shredded pallets. I am not worried as of yet. The Quad does a good job of burning anything. The jury is still out on this

I will keep those informed that want to know my end findings. But my opinion as of right now is burn them.
PS - everyones makes a big deal out of this, yet the OP still does not know whats in his. It may be the same. Wood Fiber is Wood Fiber. It has to come from somewhere. Pallets seem like a viable resource.
 
Those don't look like premium grade to me. Looks more like industrial waste. On the flip side of this. If they burn hot and clean, and provide the heat you anticipated, what is the negative potential harm? Unknown to me, but it is something I sure would want to know if I were going to be burning them.
 
The Green Supremes, at least the two bags I've burned so far, are quite satisfactory in heat output, and ash. I'll keep my eye on the rest, and if anything more shows up, I'll post here. I will save any foreign material I spot, but since I don't sift my pellets, I'm sure I can miss a lot.
I never noticed anything like this in the Instant Heats I burned last year.

Around here, a lot of pallets get "recycled" into mulch, and a lot of them have paint, oil, or chemicals on them. Some mulch sellers state that they have no pallets in their product.

I'm not looking to create a tempest in a teapot, but this is an interesting topic, IMO.
 
I think you both need to contact the makers and at least let them know what you found! Whether or not they burn good or not. There should be a principle the mills need to follow.............

When you buy wood pellets there shouldn't be anything other than "wood" in the mix. I think this is one of the reasons the new PFI label wants binders and other contents listed. There are rumors some mills "are" using plastic and styrofoam as a binder.
 
j-takeman said:
I think you both need to contact the makers and at least let them know what you found! Whether or not they burn good or not. There should be a principle the mills need to follow.............

When you buy wood pellets there shouldn't be anything other than "wood" in the mix. I think this is one of the reasons the new PFI label wants binders and other contents listed. There are rumors some mills "are" using plastic and styrofoam as a binder.

Ok.... Since there has been several comments made and I cant back it up with 1 bag sifted. I have done a few more now. And found about the same amount.
Less than a dozen or so that I can spot. I will take a few more pics and contact the maker. Again, its " just to let them know". I dont think that a dozen or so little pieces of plastic, inside of a bag with thousands of pellets, is going to effect the overall burn.

Either my digital cooking thermo was a little off or these Easy Heats are pretty close to Somerset temps. Now using my new Cole Parmer thermocouple. Love it.
Maybe its the plastic BTU's????
 
DexterDay said:
j-takeman said:
I think you both need to contact the makers and at least let them know what you found! Whether or not they burn good or not. There should be a principle the mills need to follow.............

When you buy wood pellets there shouldn't be anything other than "wood" in the mix. I think this is one of the reasons the new PFI label wants binders and other contents listed. There are rumors some mills "are" using plastic and styrofoam as a binder.

Ok.... Since there has been several comments made and I cant back it up with 1 bag sifted. I have done a few more now. And found about the same amount.
Less than a dozen or so that I can spot. I will take a few more pics and contact the maker. Again, its " just to let them know". I dont think that a dozen or so little pieces of plastic, inside of a bag with thousands of pellets, is going to effect the overall burn.

Either my digital cooking thermo was a little off or these Easy Heats are pretty close to Somerset temps. Now using my new Cole Parmer thermocouple. Love it.
Maybe its the plastic BTU's????

Could be, I'll have to dig up the BTU content of copolymer's. More BTU's is good but at what cost? In other words "Whats it doing to our stoves"? And how much is to much?

Just some things I need answered before I'd be comfy burning pellet with plastic in them.

Edit: Found the BTU's and holy crap!

18-20,000 Btu/lb
 
I personally wouldn't let that little bit bother me.

From a percentage stand point it must be almost nil.

Its could be the plastic banding used for securing the load to the pallet?
 
smoke show said:
I personally wouldn't let that little bit bother me.

From a percentage stand point it must be almost nil.

Its could be the plastic banding used for securing the load to the pallet?

Thats what I said. A dozen little pieces, that are smaller than the tip of a pencil.

I sill still notify them, but I am not worried about it. 2 bags worth, might yield enough to make something the size of a shirt button. They appear larger in the photo. Although they are quite small.

Again, I will heed the advice of others and send them an email. I know 4 other people that will be burning these. My Father, 2 buddies, and the dealer my Fahrenhiet came from. Along with any other store that carries them. All of the RKO's around me have them.

Going to go buy a couple bags on my way home tomorrow. I have to go see the dentist and have my last 2 wisdom teeth pulled. So I will see if its a problem with my fuel, or all fuel.
 
Yeah, We might be getting a bit jump. I though they were larger. One would think if they were using plastic as a inder it would be as easily seen in the pellet. Should melt during the milling process no?
 
j-takeman said:
Yeah, We might be getting a bit jump. I though they were larger. One would think if they were using plastic as a inder it would be as easily seen in the pellet. Should melt during the milling process no?

Yes. These are not Round pieces. They are flat shavings. A few thousands of an inch think (.020) you are seeing the top. And of you go back and look at the photo. The yellow piece appears to be the size of a kernel of corn. Although it is maybe 1/3 of that and again, its flat. A shaving.

I will start a new thread topic tomorrow. To let the OP get back to his thread












Green Supremes.... Mine smell good and have no colors in them.

Hey..... What are those colors? Have you dipped it in water and taken it out of the pellet?

Now back to regular scheduled programming ........
 
DexterDay said:
j-takeman said:
Yeah, We might be getting a bit jump. I though they were larger. One would think if they were using plastic as a inder it would be as easily seen in the pellet. Should melt during the milling process no?

Yes. These are not Round pieces. They are flat shavings. A few thousands of an inch think (.020) you are seeing the top. And of you go back and look at the photo. The yellow piece appears to be the size of a kernel of corn. Although it is maybe 1/3 of that and again, its flat. A shaving.

I will start a new thread topic tomorrow. To let the OP get back to his thread













Green Supremes.... Mine smell good and have no colors in them.

Hey..... What are those colors? Have you dipped it in water and taken it out of the pellet?

Now back to regular scheduled programming ........

Yep! We jacked another. sorry heat seeker! :red:
 
j-takeman said:
Yep! We jacked another. sorry heat seeker! :red:

No problem! I'm enjoying reading all the input, and since it's all related, no hijack involved, IMO. But, thank you for the apology!

I will wait to dissolve a pellet or two until after I see some more (if I do). Until then, these will be curiosity items added to my collection - most of which has nuts, bolts, and washers that are defective. Items such as bolts with no threads, screws with no slots, washers with no holes or double punched, wood screws with no threads, etc. My own personal "Believe It Or Not!"

I'm curious to see if others find foreign objects in their pellets. I don't see it as a problem per se, but is still an indicator of the pellets' general quality. The coloring on mine is not flakes, but may have been before they hit the pelletizer. In retrospect, that would make some sense, since they appear to be bits of plastic that got smeared along the pellet.

I hope this thread keeps going for a while, my curiosity is piqued, and I still have 7 or 8 lives left.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.