Anthracite nut in a cat stove?

[WhoKilledBambi]

Hello guys,

Next winter will be my first season with my Blaze King Apex CBT. My old smoke dragon burned almost everything i had in reserve. I'm back to square one but i already have 10 cords C/S/S for next year but i'm scared the moisture content will be a wee-bit too high still, specially in the shoulder season.

I'm currently shopping for the best price for eco logs, i'm thinking about a pallet or two to start the season.

Some older folk told me to put a handfull of coal nuts with the wood to help it burn cleaner with the medium moisture content. What do you think?

Thanks
JP

 

[peakbagger]

Not sure with the specific coal but coal typically has heavy metals that raise havoc with catalysts. My guess is your cat life will decrease. Lot to be said for bio bricks. There is reportedly a learning curve. Arguably marginal dry wood can be burned with biobricks.

 

[SpaceBus]

This winter we burned over a cord of marginal wood (25-30% Mc), which was only possible because of the bio bricks. I usually put about 2/3 weight of each load in wood and the rest bio bricks. It worked really well. Personally I prefer to burn cord wood, but the bricks worked in a pinch. We are considering another pallet since our wood still might not hit 20% by this winter.

 

[BKVP]

Coal=sulfur. Sulfur=overplated catalyst. Contamination will ruin combustor.

 

[brenndatomu]

Yep, spend your money on the eco bricks/logs, not coal...coal no bueno for a CAT.
Also, you could find some hardwood that is lower on the BTU chart...soft maple (silver maple) box elder, even poplar, if cut/split/stacked in a sunny and breezy spot with a top cover on it right now (or very soon anyways) will very likely be dry enough to burn this winter...mix it in with the harder stuff that you already have...it'll keep you from freezing anyways.
The top half of dead standing trees (especially the smaller diameter stuff) is often times dry enough to burn right away too...

 

[WhoKilledBambi]

Big thanks guys...quickly realized it was a bad idea.