Corn,wheat, oats, processed silage?

[MT12157]

I have seen some stoves/furnaces that claim to burn all these. First question is what is processed silage? Second does any one have any experience burning oats?

I had asked the question in the other forum about burning cob corn in a wood stove. I can grow and harvest corn but don't have a sheller or drier. Also same for oats and I have a large supply of 10 year old oats in storage i need to get rid of. I am looking for the easiest way to heat my home for the "long term" and I am not sure if wood is the answer since things may change and time will be a bit more valuable than hauling cutting and splitting wood.

 

[kykel]

I have seen some stoves/furnaces that claim to burn all these. First question is what is processed silage? Second does any one have any experience burning oats?

I had asked the question in the other forum about burning cob corn in a wood stove. I can grow and harvest corn but don't have a sheller or drier. Also same for oats and I have a large supply of 10 year old oats in storage i need to get rid of. I am looking for the easiest way to heat my home for the "long term" and I am not sure if wood is the answer since things may change and time will be a bit more valuable than hauling cutting and splitting wood.

Welcome to the forum. I bought a multi fuel stove in the hopes of burning alternate fuels but nothing here but wood pellets. Not complaining but wanted to try other fuels.

 

[Northwoodneil]

My PC45 is suppose to burn oats or wheat, with the grain cap on, I've never tried. Most grain products are very acidic and hard on the stove and venting. As for silage I can't believe that would burn due to the moisture let alone the stink in the house. Silage is mainly corn stalk, leaves and high moisture corn or hay thats been fermented. The ash would be awful. 10 year old oats would burn if they were kept dry.

 

[MT12157]

I don't know alot about pellets but would maybe be an option at todays prices. I have no idea how many tons a furnace would burn to heat me through the winters.

The oats are in dry storage. As for silage I thought that was strange since it is high moisture maybe they meant corn run through a hammermill?

 

[jrsdws]

Silage is fermented high-moisture fodder that's usually made from grass type crops like corn. They chop everything up..stalk and all and put it in a silo and let it ferment then feed it to cattle. "Processed" in this case means they dry it out and pelletize it. If found a way to be cost effective at $7.50/bushel corn and the cost of a pellet mill, I still doubt one would like the high ash content.

I've never burned oats but I would imagine high ash content.

If you can grow and harvest corn, I'd probably see what it'd cost to have somebody combine it for you and put it in a wagon. You'd probably be better off selling it at today's prices and buying wood pellets.

If I had oats in storage right now I'd be burning them....or at least trying.

 

[jtakeman]

AFAIK silage is whats left of the corn plants. They grind it and silo it for storage. Primary use is feed for the critters(cows)

Some of the multifuel members have burned some Timothy grass pellet. Most of the grass/grains produce a lot more ash which requires multifuel. We do have a member(snowy rivers) that burns nut shells in some old whitfields.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/grass-pellets-on-cl-gasification-video-too.45829/

 

[Northwoodneil]

Check out the "I burn corn" forum it's shut down but you can still search for info. Corn is no longer an option as it costs way more than pellets, but if you have oats to burn why not. I would expect 3-5 ton a year depending on your location.

 

[jtakeman]

Check out the "I burn corn" forum it's shut down but you can still search for info. Corn is no longer an option as it costs way more than pellets, but if you have oats to burn why not. I would expect 3-5 ton a year depending on your location.

Corn is still an option if its self grown. If you need to purchase it? Then I'm with you. Too expensive these days.

 

[MT12157]

Yeah I have a picker that harvests the corn cob and all which makes it harder to sell or burn i guess. I know nothing about multifuel or pellets persay at this point. I plan to put a furnace or some sort next year that burns either pellets/biomass or wood/coal. I am moving into the old farmhouse in 2 weeks and having a new oil furnace put in (have burnt up half a tank of oil just during construction) Worried about going oil poor.

 

[jtakeman]

Yeah I have a picker that harvests the corn cob and all which makes it harder to sell or burn i guess. I know nothing about multifuel or pellets persay at this point. I plan to put a furnace or some sort next year that burns either pellets/biomass or wood/coal. I am moving into the old farmhouse in 2 weeks and having a new oil furnace put in (have burnt up half a tank of oil just during construction) Worried about going oil poor.

Boiler or forced air?

 

[MT12157]

Forced air

 

[jtakeman]

There are a few multifuel furnces that you can sister in to the forced air system. With the proper plenums installed you can use either unit. So far the units are pretty small(approx 60K BTU's).

I have seen boilers that will burn everything including wood chips. I am pretty sure it could also burn silage. But I haven't see any that are forced air.