ASH COMPARISON

[pelletdude]

ASH COMPARISON

I have been waiting until it has been cold enough to run this ash comparison. Well I finally have it completed.

As you can see by the ash content in the jars there is definitely a difference in the ash content from different pellets.
Left to right - Appling County (ACP) , Inferno, Okanagan, Turman, Dragon Mountain

Lots of folks on this forum and customers say, including salespeople at most Big Box retailers, that a pellet is a pellet. Well those people are wrong. As far as I am concerned- when you take your hard earned $ why would you want to buy ASH, NO HEAT and FINES. If you purchase good quality pellets your $ comes out the front of your stove in HEAT and you don't have to clean your stove as much - meaning your $ goes further.

You decide how much $ you want to spend - I just wanted to give the results.

 

[mnkywrnch]

How many bags is that ash from?

 

[HEMI]

ASH COMPARISON

I have been waiting until it has been cold enough to run this ash comparison. Well I finally have it completed.

As you can see by the ash content in the jars there is definitely a difference in the ash content from different pellets.
Left to right - Appling County (ACP) , Inferno, Okanagan, Turman, Dragon Mountain

Lots of folks on this forum and customers say, including salespeople at most Big Box retailers, that a pellet is a pellet. Well those people are wrong. As far as I am concerned- when you take your hard earned $ why would you want to buy ASH, NO HEAT and FINES. If you purchase good quality pellets your $ comes out the front of your stove in HEAT and you don't have to clean your stove as much - meaning your $ goes further.

You decide how much $ you want to spend - I just wanted to give the results.

good job on the comparisons.....is that just the ash from your fire pot or the ash from the whole stove after each bag?

 

[pelletdude]

My Apology - The test was done with one 40 lb bag of each pellet.

I swept out the stove and collected all the ash from the burn pot and everything in the ash pan. The stove was clean after each burn.

 

[Fsappo]

great job with the comparison.

 

[cac4]

neat. how did you do this? how many pellets do the amounts of ash represent? assuming you must have collected the ash from a single bag (?).

now--we can see how much "volume"; the real measurement would be how much do they each weigh? some ash might be "fluffy-er" than others, and therefore, take up more space...but might actually be a smaller percentage of the original mass.

 

[pelletdude]

In regard to the weight of the ash - I don't think it matters. You still have to clean all the mess when you buy a pellet with High ASH.

 

[mnkywrnch]

If the ash was collected from the whole stove then IMO doesn't seem excessive.

 

[gbreda]

Nice comparison. Wondering how Greene Team would have resulted here. I had the option of Dragon Mnt, but at $55/ton more.

 

[iron stove]

Wow, seeing is beliving. Who had the Dragon pellets ?

 

[tinkabranc]

Cool visual comparison.
Wonder how Lignetics and Barefoot would compare in this mix.
Put the best up against the best.

Comparing the worst of the bunch up against a Super Premium is just not fair ;-)

 

[jtakeman]

pelletdude,

Great job,Nice comparison. All you need is some heat numbers to go with them. I would almost bet the higher ash pellets didn't produce the same heat. Are these this years pellets?

That's what I am doing here:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/42511/

I plan on doing the same with the ash too!. Also a sample of the pellets. I am doing a 2 bag comparison. Heat exchanger temp not stove temp! I will take a while because it isn't cold enough for me to burn just yet.

Kind of step by step so people can follow allong. With a kicker of a really good(BrandX) pellet to compare these to. Anything I should do different?

jay

 

[jtakeman]

Cool visual comparison.
Wonder how Lignetics and Barefoot would compare in this mix.
Put the best up against the best.

Comparing the worst of the bunch up against a Super Premium is just not fair ;-)

Life isn't fair and we compete head to head with these two higher ash brands everyday...."Rules in a knife fight?"

Yes, Life isn't fair! Thinking your getting a great deal on inferior pellets ins't fair either! :ahhh:

Is it really worth saving $20 to $30 a ton for twice the ash and far less heat?? You actually may spend more money on trying to get the overall heat out of the stove. You will have to burn more LBS./HR. to get the heat your looking for!

I do plan on the best against the best comparison. Okanagan's against the Barefoots. I would bet they both fair well and the winner might surprise us too!

jay

 

[jtakeman]

Pook,

I don't have a lab! Maybe you should do the testing for us. Mr smarty pants.

I will disconect the oak. I ordered a hygrometer. But how would you correct the difference???

This is a real world test. Not a lab test.

jay

 

[jtakeman]

dont forget all the affective factors that have to be standardized so to make a scientific conclusion authentically believable :roll:

Maybe for you, but for the 99.999999999% of the rest of us regular Joe's, burning a 40lb bag of one brand, cleaning the stove, then doing it again with as many brands as you like, then collecting as best you can the left over ash will produce a result we can live with. For GAWD sake's man, this isn't life or death stuff we are talking about...These are friggin wood pellets.... You need a hobby ....... :coolsmirk:

He's got one. Bugging US!

 

[geek]

nice job pelletdude and thanks for spending the time for posting this info.

..

 

[tinkabranc]

Cool visual comparison.
Wonder how Lignetics and Barefoot would compare in this mix.
Put the best up against the best.

Comparing the worst of the bunch up against a Super Premium is just not fair ;-)

Life isn't fair and we compete head to head with these two higher ash brands everyday...."Rules in a knife fight?"

Yes, Life isn't fair! Thinking your getting a great deal on inferior pellets ins't fair either! :ahhh:

Is it really worth saving $20 to $30 a ton for twice the ash and far less heat?? You actually may spend more money on trying to get the overall heat out of the stove. You will have to burn more LBS./HR. to get the heat your looking for!

I do plan on the best against the best comparison. Okanagan's against the Barefoots. I would bet they both fair well and the winner might surprise us too!

jay

I am also planning to run a benchmark test in my stove this year but have to wait till the weather gets
much colder to get true results. Have been burning Green Supreme for a few years now so will be using
them as my baseline.

Got about 5 new brands in my test pile so far.

 

[jtakeman]

Cool visual comparison.
Wonder how Lignetics and Barefoot would compare in this mix.
Put the best up against the best.

Comparing the worst of the bunch up against a Super Premium is just not fair ;-)

Life isn't fair and we compete head to head with these two higher ash brands everyday...."Rules in a knife fight?"

Yes, Life isn't fair! Thinking your getting a great deal on inferior pellets ins't fair either! :ahhh:

Is it really worth saving $20 to $30 a ton for twice the ash and far less heat?? You actually may spend more money on trying to get the overall heat out of the stove. You will have to burn more LBS./HR. to get the heat your looking for!

I do plan on the best against the best comparison. Okanagan's against the Barefoots. I would bet they both fair well and the winner might surprise us too!

jay

I am also planning to run a benchmark test in my stove this year but have to wait till the weather gets
much colder to get true results. Have been burning Green Supreme for a few years now so will be using
them as my baseline.

Got about 5 new brands in my test pile so far.

I think everyone should do it. Measure temps and ash. Best practice to properly use your stove and find best burning pellet for it!

Please don't use the back of hand method. You will be totally surprized how off that method really is!

tink, What brands you testing?? maybe we can compare notes?

jay

 

[tinkabranc]

I think everyone should do it. Measure temps and ash. Best practice to properly use your stove and find best burning pellet for it!

Please don't use the back of hand method. You will be totally surprized how off that method really is!

tink, What brands you testing?? maybe we can compare notes?

jay

Got a few bags of Okanagans, LGs, Comfort (from QC), Barefoot, and Lignetics so far.
Will probably add one or two more brands to the pile and be done with it for this year.

Once I find a favorite I tend to stick with them as long as I can get them easy and at a fair price.

 

[jtakeman]

I think everyone should do it. Measure temps and ash. Best practice to properly use your stove and find best burning pellet for it!

Please don't use the back of hand method. You will be totally surprized how off that method really is!

tink, What brands you testing?? maybe we can compare notes?

jay

Got a few bags of Okanagans, LGs, Comfort (from QC), Barefoot, and Lignetics so far.
Will probably add one or two more brands to the pile and be done with it for this year.

Once I find a favorite I tend to stick with them as long as I can get them easy and at a fair price.

I hear you, I was stuck on the Turmans till the price went sky high. But I was a softwood lover when I burned my quad. Really glad the Omega like them too.

Hard to mess with success!

jay

 

[Stentor]

This is a really great visual. I like it because it dovetails with other information and impressions about various pellets. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[MCPO]

Unfortunately the test only gives you an idea of the differences in the amount of ashes left and not their actual weight and in no way does it determine the actual heat value of the pellets?

Above statement later revised : Unfortunately the test might not even give us an idea of the differences in ash content since lighter ash might go further through the exhaust vent system and heavier ashes apt to stay within the stove.

One users stove and his home comparison of pellets makes for an interesting visual regarding the amount of ashes left but outside of that I see no big issues with a difference of an inch or two of ashes in a canning jar. There`s absolutely nothing conclusive or convincing regarding the heat output of any of these pellets and that would be far more important than ash residue.
Now if he had taken temperature readings from each different brand burned , that itself could have lended some measure of support and credence to any theory that ash content is directly related and therefore an important consideration.
BTW, exactly what did Pook say that should draw such criticism?

 

[MCPO]

Giving this more though it occurred to me that a lighter/finer ash residue will more easily pass through the exhaust vent and that a heavier ash is more apt to stay within the stove so IMO the whole test has to be null and void from any scientific viewpoint.
There are far more elements to be considered when making comparisons of ash content and this is probably best left to those who would do this in a more controlled environment. Even then, with so many variables of product and procedures it would probably still be open to debate.

 

[teddy1971]

Great Job. I wanted to do the same. But never have the time to do it.

 

[jtakeman]

Unfortunately the test only gives you an idea of the differences in the amount of ashes left and not their actual weight and in no way does it determine the actual heat value of the pellets?

Above statement later revised : Unfortunately the test might not even give us an idea of the differences in ash content since lighter ash might go further through the exhaust vent system and heavier ashes apt to stay within the stove.

One users stove and his home comparison of pellets makes for an interesting visual regarding the amount of ashes left but outside of that I see no big issues with a difference of an inch or two of ashes in a canning jar. There`s absolutely nothing conclusive or convincing regarding the heat output of any of these pellets and that would be far more important than ash residue.
Now if he had taken temperature readings from each different brand burned , that itself could have lended some measure of support and credence to any theory that ash content is directly related and therefore an important consideration.
BTW, exactly what did Pook say that should draw such criticism?

I agree with the heat values. But there aint no stinkin way I an sweeping the vent every 2 bags of pellets. I might remove the clean out tee cap. If the ash is that light it probably will blow right out the vent and To the heavens.

How picky you guys gonna get here! You want lad tests send them in and see what it will cost you! Geez!

Edit: You all know that a good brand of pellets with low ash will burn through the season about the same. Did the variables effect those? You were burning on many different days with all kinds of variables. You didn't have goobs of ash on the Hi humidity days did ya???