I've been burning Vermont Pellets for years, but last year I found they were harder to get, so I figured I should test others to see what else burns well in my Quad 1200i.
I ended up picking up four bags each of 7 different brands and burning each one to see how they did. I mostly compared heat and ash. Long story short:
#1 was Northern Warmth Supreme Doug Firs, - super hot, virtually no ash, excellent bags, but at ~$500/ton, there's no way I can justify them.
#2 was Wood & Sons - Very minimal ash, excellent bag quality, not much dust/fines in the bags.
#3 was Vermonts - little more ash than the Wood & Sons, bags aren't as nice, but burned a little hotter.
#4 was Lauzon Northern Max (Cubex) - These were outstanding for hardwood pellets and are easy to find, so I figured they're a great backup plan if I couldn't get #2 or 3. I also loved the fact that there was virtually no dust in the bags.
This year I went all in on Wood & Sons and got 4 tons. I've burned a few bags now and am seeing a pattern. They burn great to start, but after 24 hours, I'll see the flame height getting kind of high - then I shut down the stove and find a massive clinker occupying the bottom of the burn pot. Ash otherwise is super minimal and the glass stays clean, but the clinker is obviously not ideal.
Is anyone else seeing the same thing? I didn't have this experience with these pellets last year! From what I'm reading, it probably isn't a stove issue and is caused by dirt or other contaminants in the pellets.
I ended up picking up four bags each of 7 different brands and burning each one to see how they did. I mostly compared heat and ash. Long story short:
#1 was Northern Warmth Supreme Doug Firs, - super hot, virtually no ash, excellent bags, but at ~$500/ton, there's no way I can justify them.
#2 was Wood & Sons - Very minimal ash, excellent bag quality, not much dust/fines in the bags.
#3 was Vermonts - little more ash than the Wood & Sons, bags aren't as nice, but burned a little hotter.
#4 was Lauzon Northern Max (Cubex) - These were outstanding for hardwood pellets and are easy to find, so I figured they're a great backup plan if I couldn't get #2 or 3. I also loved the fact that there was virtually no dust in the bags.
This year I went all in on Wood & Sons and got 4 tons. I've burned a few bags now and am seeing a pattern. They burn great to start, but after 24 hours, I'll see the flame height getting kind of high - then I shut down the stove and find a massive clinker occupying the bottom of the burn pot. Ash otherwise is super minimal and the glass stays clean, but the clinker is obviously not ideal.
Is anyone else seeing the same thing? I didn't have this experience with these pellets last year! From what I'm reading, it probably isn't a stove issue and is caused by dirt or other contaminants in the pellets.
