corn in a pellet stove?

[crgardner99]

I just picked up a pellet stove from a buddy of mine who needed some quick cash.I went to the local home depot a week ago and bought 6 bags just to see how this thing works. I asked the guy who waited on me if pellets where easy to get and he said they always have them in stock. Well thats a big fat negitive. I was on the phone all day today trying to find a place that had some in stock. Then a guy at work told me you could burn corn in a pellet stove. I was wondering if this is true?
If I cant, whats the difference between the corn stoves and the pellet stoves? Thanks for the help.

 

[globewyre]

what kind of pellet stove is it? Some can burn corn or 50/50 mix. Google for the stove manufacture and check to see if there is an online manual. Also check

iburncorn.com

 

[crgardner99]

It is a winrich stove,I'll check the other site too.Thanks

 

[Skinn]

My St. Croix will burn a 50/50 mix according to the manufacture. Where do most people get corn to burn, is it generally sold bulk or can you find it in bag form? Is there any advantage to it?

 

[kinsmanstoves]

Please remember burning corns exhaust is very corrosive. It will eat metal very fast. The least of your worries would be the exhaust. The other issue is the inside of your stove. Make sure it is good stainless and not some cheap metal. Not to mention the film it will but on the side of your house. Corn exhaust does not need the vertical rise a pellets stove should have.

Eric

 

[crgardner99]

Thanks eric, thats very helpful. I didnt know corn exhaust was that bad. If anything,I would do a 50/50 mix. That sounds the safest way. I definity dont need to ruin my stove but I dont want to go without heat either.I was reading your sig, how far is kinsman,OH from buffulo NY.Might have to do a road trip

 

[kinsmanstoves]

I was reading your sig, how far is kinsman,OH from buffulo NY.Might have to do a road trip

We are North of Youngstown, Ohio just outside of Greenville, PA. Both stores have beer in the fridge, for medicinal purposes.

Eric

 

[hossthehermit]

I just picked up a pellet stove from a buddy of mine who needed some quick cash.I went to the local home depot a week ago and bought 6 bags just to see how this thing works. I asked the guy who waited on me if pellets where easy to get and he said they always have them in stock. Well thats a big fat negitive. I was on the phone all day today trying to find a place that had some in stock. Then a guy at work told me you could burn corn in a pellet stove. I was wondering if this is true?
If I cant, whats the difference between the corn stoves and the pellet stoves? Thanks for the help.

If your stove IS designed to burn corn as well as pellets, you still need to make sure your vent pipe is rated for it. Also, don't just count on just going to the feed store and getting a few bags of corn, fuel corn needs to down to at least 15% moisture, max. Most of your feed corn has a higher moisture,

 

[djarseneault]

Please remember burning corns exhaust is very corrosive. It will eat metal very fast. The least of your worries would be the exhaust. The other issue is the inside of your stove. Make sure it is good stainless and not some cheap metal. Not to mention the film it will but on the side of your house. Corn exhaust does not need the vertical rise a pellets stove should have.

Eric

Exact point I was going to make as far as corrosiveness

 

[drizler]

On the subject of p-vent with corn I wouldn't be as concerned as many of you guys make it out. My true Multifuel and corn rated stove (Countryside) has just what the book calls for, good old p-vent. I have been using it since 04 and this is only the second winter that I have used more than just the occasional bag of pellets. Mine holds up just fine and dandy with nothing more than simple staining on the inside pipe. All I do is disassemble it in the Spring and clean it. My only precaution is Never Seize on the threads. I figured that even if I have to replace at least part of it in 10 years I will still come out ahead with the price of double stainless corn vent. The one place you may see corrosion is the top near the cap. Also be advised that corn creates fallout in the form of corrosive black soot. It sticks like gangbusters to plastic siding and will corrode aluminum facia and tracking ect if left on it. It can really make a mess outside if you use a lot of it.
I hope you are burning corn because its cheap and not because of its greater heat value. I really can't see the difference between pellets and corn and corn does make 10 times as much ash to deal with. With that in mind I prefer pellets unless $100 corn makes a return which I don't see happening anytime soon.

 

[crgardner99]

On the subject of p-vent with corn I wouldn't be as concerned as many of you guys make it out. My true Multifuel and corn rated stove (Countryside) has just what the book calls for, good old p-vent. I have been using it since 04 and this is only the second winter that I have used more than just the occasional bag of pellets. Mine holds up just fine and dandy with nothing more than simple staining on the inside pipe. All I do is disassemble it in the Spring and clean it. My only precaution is Never Seize on the threads. I figured that even if I have to replace at least part of it in 10 years I will still come out ahead with the price of double stainless corn vent. The one place you may see corrosion is the top near the cap. Also be advised that corn creates fallout in the form of corrosive black soot. It sticks like gangbusters to plastic siding and will corrode aluminum facia and tracking ect if left on it. It can really make a mess outside if you use a lot of it.
I hope you are burning corn because its cheap and not because of its greater heat value. I really can't see the difference between pellets and corn and corn does make 10 times as much ash to deal with. With that in mind I prefer pellets unless $100 corn makes a return which I don't see happening anytime soon.

It's not because of the heat,wood pellets are very scarse in NY where I live. I would much rather burn the pellets but just cant find them. But on a different note, The place where i went today to get the corn had 2 skids of wood pellets but sense I was a new customer she would only sell me 10 bags.So I bought them and 8 bags of stove corn. I'm gonna try a 50/50 mix for this winter and give it a good cleaning in the spring and hope for the best.

 

[crgardner99]

I was reading your sig, how far is kinsman,OH from buffulo NY.Might have to do a road trip

We are North of Youngstown, Ohio just outside of Greenville, PA. Both stores have beer in the fridge, for medicinal purposes.

Eric

You know, thats not that far. I can make to cleveland in about 4 hrs. Im gonna talk this over with dad and maybe pick out a day. I'll be in touch kinsman

 

[tinkabranc]

It's not because of the heat,wood pellets are very scarse in NY where I live. I would much rather burn the pellets but just cant find them. But on a different note, The place where i went today to get the corn had 2 skids of wood pellets but sense I was a new customer she would only sell me 10 bags.So I bought them and 8 bags of stove corn. I'm gonna try a 50/50 mix for this winter and give it a good cleaning in the spring and hope for the best.

If that place was the only one that sells pellets and I needed them, I would ask
four of my friends to go there too and buy 10 bags of pellets each.
Add them to the 10 bags you just picked up, and you got your ton. ;-)

 

[crgardner99]

It's not because of the heat,wood pellets are very scarse in NY where I live. I would much rather burn the pellets but just cant find them. But on a different note, The place where i went today to get the corn had 2 skids of wood pellets but sense I was a new customer she would only sell me 10 bags.So I bought them and 8 bags of stove corn. I'm gonna try a 50/50 mix for this winter and give it a good cleaning in the spring and hope for the best.

If that place was the only one that sells pellets and I needed them, I would ask
four of my friends to go there too and buy 10 bags of pellets each.
Add them to the 10 bags you just picked up, and you got your ton. ;-)

Already one step ahead of ya buddy, I called my dad while I was pulling out of the parking lot and had him go after work. They sold him 20 bags of pellets. I might go again monday and see if they will sell me 10 more bags. Boy what a relief.

 

[yoscratch]

I have a farm. I have corn. I was burning 50/50 in a St Croix but quit because burning corn is a pain in the butt. Clinker needed to be cleaned out at least once per day. and more ash from corn than wood. When i am burning just wood pellets I can skip cleaning the stove for a much longer period of time. I hate that part of it.

Buy your pellets in the summer. Maybe try Alden Agway though they have a waiting list. find a buddy with a truck to take a ton or more home at a whack. I paid $230 per ton from a place on Greiner Rd in Clarence a few months ago so expect to pay more now.

Most corn is dried to <15% moisture for storage purposes. Otherwise it will mold (some dairy farms will put up "high moisture" corn at about 28- 30% moisture in an airtight silo but this is a different product and they want it to ferment a bit - you would be able to tell from the smell that it was put up wet. also in a wet year there can be some corn that has quality issues and is no good for feed but we are not having that problem this year.)

corn is a little over $4 per bushel (56lbs) right now but that is in bulk form. so if you want a trailer load you can get it. If I was selling in a 50# bag (which I am not) I would want to get about $6 per bag (the bag is about 50 cents and it doesn't get in there for free).