Dehumidifying pellets

[odlaw]

Has any one tried drying out and or measuring the moisture in their pellets. I just can't help but think that the reason pellet performance varies even within same brands is because of moisture from how they were stored. I have no data to back this up but am open to anyone that does.
Thanks

 

[Stevekng]

I read that charcoal briquettes will pull the moisture out of things you want to keep dry. Try putting a handfull in one of the bgs and see what happens.

 

[BDPVT]

Airborne humidity is not normally an issue with wood pellets. High quality wood pellets have a moisture content of 3 to 7% and are hydrofilic and therefore sensitive to water droplets. The shiny surface of the pellets is caused by partial plasticizing of the lignin in the wood due to high pressure and the evaporation of terpenes during the production process. The surface protects the pellets from absorbing any significant amount of airborne water vapor under normal atmospheric conditions. However, wood pellets have to be protected from direct water penetration. If exposed to water droplets, from for example condensation, the pellets will gradually decompose and loose their effectiveness as a fuel.

 

[odlaw]

Good responses, but I can't help but wonder why some pellets of the same manufacturer feel soft and mushy and others have a distinct snap when you break them.

 

[BDPVT]

Good responses, but I can't help but wonder why some pellets of the same manufacturer feel soft and mushy and others have a distinct snap when you break them.

I've noticed the same thing between pellet brands. I think it's due to differences in feed stock, moisture content, and extrusion temps and pressure. These variables can change from batch to batch. Stringent process controls at the manufacturing plant result in high quality pellets. I think most users would agree, the best pellets are also the most consistent.

 

[Stevekng]

Perhaps the difference you are talking about is soft(mushy) versus hard( more snap) wood .

 

[krooser]

I think it's the way they are manufactured... better pellets made by better companies. Hard vs. soft should not make a difference. I only burn softwood and mine are "snappy"....

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

X2 what Junior said.

I dehumidify my pellets inside the firebox.

I haven't had one bit of trouble getting rid of the pesky water, currently I'm removing the humidity from some Oakies, prior to that I squeezed the water out of some Barefoot pellets.