Corn burner questions

  • 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.
Waiting for the last of the corn to burn so I can shop vac the bin etc. Been up and waiting since 5:30 funny how slow the corn burns when you want it to all burn.
 
The corn I'm burning presently, has no residual dust or fines in the hopper at all. Just as clean as when I started this fall. I believe the only residue I'm getting is pellet dust from the pellets I add. I mix up 5 plastic garbage cans (with tight fitting lids) of the corn / pellet mix on a pallet and put the pallet on the deck by the back door with my front end loader. 4 cans last me almost a month. So far, 2 1/2 tons of corn and 1/2 ton of pellets. I've found that adding pellets mitigates 99% of the clinkers that corn produces.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kappel15
Here is my loading/cleaning set up. Cleaner is 1/2" hardware cloth in the top to catch big junk and sloped 1/4" sloped hardware cloth that corn rolls over on the way to the bag. Cleans it up pretty good and is quick, easy and simple. I have run probably 100 tons thru this junky looking cleaner:) Then the Fines and cracked corn get fed to the chickens. 2 buckets that are about 2-3" from full is about 50lb and old pool filter is perfect size for feed bags
B6FC60CF-A1C1-465C-B856-81A976164083.jpeg0BC4048B-C8F9-4FD3-97A3-486D9633A4C9.jpeg
 
Last edited:
What stove do you have?

I've seen pellet only stoves but never a stove that stated corn only in the owners manual. New one on me....
 
  • Like
Reactions: kappel15
Amaizablaze 4100

I went online and downloaded and read the owners manual for your unit and less I'm mistaken, NOWHERE in the operators manual does it state you cannot burn pellets.

It only discusses corn burning but it don't say you cannot burn pellets or a mixture of corn and pellets. If it does, please show me where it specifically states that.;?
 
I went online and downloaded and read the owners manual for your unit and less I'm mistaken, NOWHERE in the operators manual does it state you cannot burn pellets.

It only discusses corn burning but it don't say you cannot burn pellets or a mixture of corn and pellets. If it does, please show me where it specifically states that.;?

It will have to wait till I get home and take a photo of the starting instructions where it states corn only. Do I need to be sworn in to testify too?
 
The only place is states anything about fuel is:
"NOTE: Stove is designed to burn clean corn only - pieces of stalk or cob can block auger and reduce feed rate of corn. "

Which infers to not burning uncleaned field corn, nothing more. Consequently, mixing corn and pellets is fine. I would not run straight pellets as it's a clinker style burn pot. Burning straight pellets won't produce a clinker, just straight ash. Mixing in pellets will. I would not exceed a 3-1 ratio however, as the unit is designed (again) as a clinker pot unit.

Do find it interesting that they want you to use a 'clinker tool' to remove the clinker. I've found it much easier to bend a wire hoop from a metal coat hanger and lay that in the pot and let the clinker form around it and using an insulated glove (welding glove), remove the clinker from the pot while hot. Takes but a second. That is how Firepot Pete and I do it (when I burn straight corn). Little FYI there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kappel15
Like I said I will photograph the sticker inside the bin that says corn only. I also learned more valuable information here and online about running an Amazablaze then I did from the manual, for example setting the damper. I discarded the clinker tool. I keep a pair of oven mitts by the stove I pull the pot and dump the contents outside and reinstall the pot and relight. I let it cool down till the flame is gone and do a quick dump.
 
With a clinker hanger, no need to pull the pot at all...... and I cannot see what the sticker inside your hopper says, only the owners manual.

Like I said, a mix of pellets and corn but not straight pellets because it is a clinker pot appliance.

In as much as pellets are less expensive than cleaned field corn and have been, it might behoove you to mix to extend the corn out a bit and consume less. What I do btw. I use a 3-1 mix, 3 parts corn to 1 part pellets.

While I don't have the unit you do, mine is capable of burning any biomass, corn, pellets, cherry pits, and dried oilseed.

I just have to adjust the burn parameters to achieve the optimum burn for the fuel I use.

Again, I would not exceed a 3-1 mix because you still need clinker formation.
 
I prefer to pull the pot and shake out any fines that accumulate in the innards of the pot. I do not want any clinker incidents in the house. My method works just fine for me. Corn is cheaper than pellets in my area.
 
Whatever blows your dress up.... :)
 
I did some online research and if I were to burn pellets I would have to add a blower outside of the stove and disconnect the one in the stove. I am not curious enough to drop the money to mix pellets with corn,
 
Huh? Never heard of that. Sounds like Internet folklore to me.
 
Why I purchased what I did almost 20 years ago. I never wanted to be shackled to just one type of bio mass so the choice was pretty clear for me. I researched all of them and settled on my ugly black stove. Been happy ever since. It combusts everything and anything that will traverse the feed auger. If you lock yourself into one type of fuel and the price goes through the ceiling, and the cost of other fuels is less, that is no good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FirepotPete
Me burning corn and being committed to corn is not so bad. Based on what wood costs (I no longer have the time or energy to process my own) and the fact my electric bill is less than half of what it was when I heated with wood, corn would have to triple in price before it would be more expensive than the former.
 
Well it is a corn only stove due to its positive air system. It would need to be converted to a negative draft for pellets as per manufacturers direction. And we all know thats what code enforcement goes by.

AC9A7091-70C4-47FA-84F3-5916159AA6AE.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: woodnomore
Well it is a corn only stove due to its positive air system. It would need to be converted to a negative draft for pellets as per manufacturers direction. And we all know thats what code enforcement goes by.

View attachment 256111
My understanding about a positive draft appliance is it's prone to burn back, true of false?
 
Yes, kinda, they had a tendency to blow the fire up augers and into hoppers.