Help with BioBricks

[tredvr6]

This is my first year heating with wood, although the house I grew up in was primarily heated with a woodstove. I purchased my house in June so this is my first winter here. I replaced the small stove that came with the house with a Morso 3610. I have purchased (1) pallet of Bioflamme Nightlogs and (1) pallet of Bioflamme BioBricks. I'm still learning how to burn this product, so I'm hoping someone can help me out. Here is a picture I took this afternoon. There are (4) bricks placed next to each other and one placed on top. Everything I've read says to close the damper way down after the bricks start burning, however, when I do that the flame disappears completely and I start to get soot building up on the glass doors. This picture is with the damper closed about half way.

Should I close the damper more? Do I need to add more bricks since my stove is relatively large? Appreciate any help that anyone can offer!

 

[SteveT]

I am also new to using BioBricks and I'm still experimenting. But for what it's worth, I have found that dampering down is a bit tricky when only burning 3 or 4 bricks. I think it's because there is a lot of stove mass there and you need more heat to really get the secondary tubes hot enough. So I'd try two things.

First, get the fire REALLY going for twenty or thirty minutes before moving the air control at all. Then go half way -- if there is a good amount of secondary burn try a bit more. Eventually you'll get to know how much and how soon you can close the damper.

Second, try more bricks in the load. I have better success with 5 or 6 bricks and have gone as much as 8 bricks in a single load. Once that fire was established I dampered all the way down and still filled the box with secondaries that lasted well over an hour. The finicky burn doesn't occur with a bigger load; just be careful. I do not think it would be wise to go up more than a brick or two at a time. Go slowly to understand how they burn in your stove. BioBricks have a lot of energy in a small volume and over-firing is a risk as it would be with any very dry wood.

 

[SteveT]

Had another thought.....

Per the instructions the way to burn the bricks is placed closely together; that gives a longer burn. But try a burn with the 4 or 5 you're using just loose thrown. They will burn all at once and give you a hotter burn. Probably not a great idea for colder days or with a lot more bricks but it will work well when only a short/hot fire is needed.

 

[mcahill]

Good advice. Once the flame goes out you are in trouble. You have to make sure that all of th bricks in the stove have all had a decent flame on them. Knowing where the air enters your stove is very important here because you pack your firebox accordingly. Leave space where the air can get through. In my stove it is right down the middle so I leave an inch right down the middle running north to south. Stack stategically according to the design of your stove and you will be pleased. They smoke like crazy when you cut the flame to early. This is the cause of your sooty window. Dont clean it, but light a hot enough fire and it will clean itself. Good Luck.

 

[Smokeless]

I am a newbie but I am also a BioBrick believer. First year burner with a Regency I2400 insert. I bought 3 cords of "seasoned" wood. I also bought 3 tons of BioBricks figuring between the two I'll be all set for the season. I would run the air wide open with the wood and struggle to keep temperatures up. Symptom of not so seasoned wood.

I found that with BioBricks, ya want more heat, you give it more air. I usually burn 3 or 4 bricks from a cold start to get coals going. I push them to the back of the stove and then lay 2 layers deep and 2 high by 3 wide (2 east/west, 1 north/south, second row the opposite). So that's 10 bricks, plus whatever to start with. The key is to keep the space between the bricks tight so they burn slower, from the outside, instead of all sides all at once. I could stack 3 deep by 3 wide by 3 tall for longer run times (approx. 16 bricks) plus starter bricks and then watch that air. If you leave the air turned up, the stove will overheat. When I was experimenting I slowed the heat down by cutting more air and hitting the "high" fan switch. Overnight is great and in the AM you have brick size coals glowing red, many keeping their shape. You can turn down the air about ¾-7/8ths in my Regency to get and keep a good secondary burn once the flameage is cranking (doesn’t take long).

So, I am not worried about number of bricks (more = equals more run time), you just have to perfect the air flow from your stove to maintain the temperature you are after.

I think I am going to let my not so seasoned wood pile season until next season (by the seashore?). I bought 2 more tons of BioBricks for a 5 ton total as I am now a believer. I am also addicted to wood and wish my cords were good, but they are not, so I will not struggle with wet wood this winter.

My BioBricks guy said they have plenty of demand and have trouble with supply. But they believe they will be out by Thanksgiving. I'm not a gambler so I'll sleep easier with them tucked away. Pellets already have a supply problem... There may be a better supply of BioBricks right now because at least the wood burning crowd have options.

That's my take on it, from a newbie who is still expanding my wood burning horizons. (The addiction has begun!)

Official instructions on loading/burning BioBricks: http://www.biopellet.net/instructions.html

Good luck and enjoy keeping toasty!

 

[tredvr6]

Thanks for the advice everyone. About an hour after the picture was taken, the flames died down to a small blueish flame around the bricks similar looking to my father's coal stove. This seemed like optimum burning conditions and they lasted almost 5 hours. That was a 5 brick load.

I am trying to get a Nightlog + 2 bricks going for tonight. I left the doors slightly open at first until everything was started. Then closed the doors with the damper wide open. I slowing closed down the damper, however, I think I went too far because the flame on the logs disappeared and then the secondaries went out. I re-opened the damper and the flames returned. Is the damper position I am looking for when the flames are still present, but small? Will this allow a long burn, but stay hot enough to prevent soot from building up on the doors?

Another question - this time about reloading. I tried spreading the last of the glowing embers and placing more bricks on top of them, but it seems like the bricks suffocated the embers. Do I need to re-establish a bed of coals with regular wood before reloading?

 

[staplebox]

I used these Bio-Bricks last year. My advice would be to use more bricks. You want at least 6-8 of them in there packed tightly together to make one big brick. Once they catch and get going you are going to need to experiment with the correct draft setting for the burn you want. My experience is that these are easy to overheat with. I could close my air all the way down and still get a nice hot stove. I don't think I could get these to go out once they caught if I wanted to. As far as reloading, don't put the new ones on top of the old. Push the coals to the back of the stove, if your air comes in from the front, and then stack the new bricks on the floor of the stove and push them back against the coals. Leave the air open until they get going and then close it down to whatever works for you.

By the way, how is your draft? I would wonder if you are getting enough air if you can get these to go out.

Good luck.

 

[Smokeless]

Yes, push the coals to the back (I use the new bricks even) and then stack the new bricks in. You want to build a mass to become one big brick. The back side will light and the flame will quickly work it's way to the top and for the next 5-8 (or more) hours will slowly burn it's way through the tightly packed bricks. Just make sure to leave room on the sides and don't pack them too close to the window because they will expand a bit. I also find that the top layer will expand and fall down the front (landing near or against the window) so I have those higher bricks pushed back a bit.

Experiment as to what is best for your stove. You have control over it with the air. Also, use more bricks! You need some fuel in there and it will keep itself going just fine. Just keep an eye on the thermometer and cut down the air until it stays at the temp you are looking for. With the BioBricks I can get a good secondary burn, but I no longer make that my goal. My goal is a good temp.

They are sweet though... I just stacked another bunch of bricks in my stove, they are burning nicely now and it's back to bed. No fuss, no muss... The worst part was going in the basement and humping a 40 bag upstairs to the stove... Not a bad deal.

Relax and enjoy!

 

[tredvr6]

Yes, push the coals to the back (I use the new bricks even) and then stack the new bricks in. You want to build a mass to become one big brick. The back side will light and the flame will quickly work it's way to the top and for the next 5-8 (or more) hours will slowly burn it's way through the tightly packed bricks. Just make sure to leave room on the sides and don't pack them too close to the window because they will expand a bit. I also find that the top layer will expand and fall down the front (landing near or against the window) so I have those higher bricks pushed back a bit.

Experiment as to what is best for your stove. You have control over it with the air. Also, use more bricks! You need some fuel in there and it will keep itself going just fine. Just keep an eye on the thermometer and cut down the air until it stays at the temp you are looking for. With the BioBricks I can get a good secondary burn, but I no longer make that my goal. My goal is a good temp.

I think the primary air enters my stove at the front so would it make more sense to move the coals forward and stack the bricks behind when reloading. You can't really tell in the picture I posted, but the flame is most intense at the front and center of the stove.

It seems that the general consensus is that I need to use more bricks and the burn I did yesterday afternoon supports that. I've read so much about overfiring that I was hesitant to use too many bricks, but it seems like I'll be OK as long as I control the primary air supply.

 

[Smokeless]

I believe primary air enters my stove at the front as well. I want the coals in the back because the new BioBricks don't need the air fed hot coals to get the party started. There will be plenty of flame without the primary's direct influence. You want the new mass of BioBrick to burn off slowly. You won't want the bricks to burn more intensley, you'll be working to keep them from becoming intense all on their own.

Again, "official" instructions on loading/burning BioBricks: http://www.biopellet.net/instructions.html which state to push the coals to the back corner of the catalyic or air tube stoves and build the wall of bricks in front of and over the coals.

But experiment and you will find what works best for your stove.

 

[damusm]

Hi,

Is there anyone who has used the new "biobricks" and doesn't like them out there? And if not, then why? I have just purchased a bunch and am looking forward to trying them, though they seem rather finicky to use. It also seems from the posts I've read you need to load a lot more into the stove at a time than I was led to believe by the company. They say 3 bricks is plenty, but here I'm hearing 5 to ten.

My stove is a Hearthstone Heritage (soapstone sides, small 19 inch firebox).

Thanks!

Martin (in cold Canada)

 

[SteveT]

Martin -

You can try 3 BioBricks but I doubt you'll get a satisfying amount of heat. Set up a teepee with the 3 and use a good firestarter (kindling, fatwood or best of all 1/4 of a Supercedar). Let it go for awhile before dampering down at all. I think you'll find a nice hot fire but too small to do much good. If so, just toss a couple more bricks on top.

In my opinion the bricks are a great product. In my short time with them I think they are a bit difficult to start but burn real well once they're going; shutting the air too early is a problem.

Also, I am having much better luck just tossing a few bricks in than when I try to pack them closely (per the instructions) for a long burn. With a tight pack I've had to keep the damper open; with a loose pack I can damper all the way down provided I wait until the fire is strong.

 

[Smokeless]

I've been putting in 3 to start, then 10 more for a "typical" fire. Last night I ran with 16 bricks. The pile swelled up pretty good and I had to open the door to get them away from the air and glass door. The fire really took off and I dampered all the way down.

The birkcs finally burn to read brick shaped coals and unless you let them burn out, you have these coals you have to break up and deal with. The temp drops from a full burn with these coals so I add another 6 to 8 bricks, pushing the coals to the back. The coals are starting to add up as I run the stove 24/7. Wondering if I should put the new bricks on top of the coals or if I'm doing right by keep pushing them to the back.

They are kind of tough to get going, they'll smoke a bit until they catch good.

Much easier that my "seasoned" wood however.

 

[damusm]

Thank you for the answers. What are the dimensions of the biobricks? I'm hoping the "artificial" logs I've purchased are bigger, because if I've got to load ten a night then 700 dollars' worth will be burnt up in two-and-a-half months or less, and I'm better off (money-wise) burning logs. Though I have to cut and split them, I can get a half-tandem of logs that lasts a year and a half for 800 dollars.

My logs are 10 inches long and 3 inches in diameter. I doubt that equals ten biobricks ...

Our heating season is too long to spend money on inefficient burnables!

 

[tredvr6]

I've been burning these on and off for the past couple of weeks and still can't get them to burn consistently. It seems like they burn well for 1-2 hours and then the ash starts to build up on the bricks and the flame goes out. The bricks are still glowing coals beneath the ash, but the ash seems to be preventing them from burning efficiently. The temp drops down to ~300F and it's really difficult to get more bricks going.

Another problem I'm having is the fire will not last through the night. If I go to sleep at 10:30pm with the fire blazing, it is completely out when I wake up in the morning at 6am. The logs that I have are advertised to burn for 6-9 hours and I am starting with 2 logs. These logs are ~4lbs each and measure about 10" long and 4" in diameter. Perhaps I have the damper open too much, however, when I dampered down until the flame went out per the instructions, I ended up with black soot on the glass doors indicating that I wasn't burning hot enough.

At this point, I'm disappointed in this product. I have 2 tons (half bricks / half logs) and I'm wishing that I spent my money on regular cord wood.

 

[jjhof0306]

trdvr6, do you mind if I ask where you got your biobricks?

Thanks.

 

[Smokeless]

I've had great luck with the BioBricks. Pack them in real close together (like the instructions state) and you'll get a good long burn with the air turned down. I haven't tried any of the particle logs...

I packed them one night, like 3 rows high by three rows deep (about 18 bricks). They took off very nicely with the air open. Then they started swelling a bit and were getting close to the air tubes. I shut the air all the way. The fire was still pretty intense. So I panic, once they all ignite, who knows what I would have. So I got the trusty ash bucket and proceeded to open the stove door (now the bricks have full air) and wrangled three bricks from the front lower area that weren't fully engulfed yet. They were smoking and firing pretty good as I dropped them into the bucket and hauled them outside. Surprised the smoke alarm didn’t go off, but it was quick. So I ended up with about 15 bricks in there (that includes 3 already from starting the fire). I haven't done that again...

So, lesson learned... I can't shove a whole bag of BioBricks in the Regency!

 

[JustWood]

What have you guys been paying for a ton of bricks and when did you purchase?

 

[Smokeless]

I paid $285 per pallet with $40 delivery 1st ton, $20 for each additional in July. Bought 3 "tons".

I bought from another place a couple weeks ago for $290 per pallet and $6.00 for delivery (why?). ought 2 "tons". (My wood wasn't so "seasoned".)

I think the going price was $300 per ton, so I was happy to get the $290.

Wonder if the prices will start dropping now that home heating oil has dropped.

It will be costing me more to heat with my stove than my furnace now. But I'm (I think we're all) on a mission.

 

[tredvr6]

trdvr6, do you mind if I ask where you got your biobricks?

Thanks.

Sent you a PM...

 

[tredvr6]

I've had better luck over the past couple of days using 8-10 bricks. I start out packing them tightly per the instructions and then add 2-4 bricks at a time as the temperature drops. With my stove (a Morso 3610), I can't let the temperature drop below 300F or else I have a hard time getting the bricks that I've added to catch.

Now I've just got to figure out the logs since I have a little over a ton of those too. It is much more difficult to get the logs to catch. It's not a problem if I establish a strong bed of coals with traditional wood before adding the biologs, however, it takes a long time for them to start using the coals from the bricks. My plan was to use bricks during the day and logs at night (since they're supposed to burn longer), but I wasn't planning on adding traditional wood to make the transition to biologs at night.

Anyone have experience with the biologs?

 

[begreen]

What brand logs are these?

My best success for burning the dense compressed logs was to set two of them in parallel with about 1" between them. Place a good firestarter like a half a SuperCedar in between the logs. Then put one or two logs on top, at a right angle to the bottom logs, and over the starter once it's burning well.

Here's a posting about the HomeFire Prest-Logs and Northern Idaho Energy Logs. Do treat them with respect. There is a lot of heat in this fuel.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Home_Fire_Prest_Logs/
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/wiki/Northern_Idaho_Energy_Logs/

Edit: I see you mentioned them in the first post - BioFlamme. It's hard to tell from their website, but they appear to be more like the Lignetics or WOW HE pressed logs. If that is the case, they will burn with more ash and for a much shorter time (~2hrs). I wrote up a brief review of the WOW logs here:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/4763/

 

[tredvr6]

What brand logs are these?


Edit: I see you mentioned them in the first post - BioFlamme. It's hard to tell from their website, but they appear to be more like the Lignetics or WOW HE pressed logs. If that is the case, they will burn with more ash and for a much shorter time (~2hrs).

You are correct - I have the Bioflamme logs - the Night Logs to be more specific. They also make a product called a Power log that is intended for ambiance in fireplaces. The Night Log is marketed as "extra long lasting heat" They are 4" in diameter, about 13" long and weigh about 8lbs each and are supposed to provide heat for 6-9 hours. I suspect that I need to use at least 2 and maybe 3 in my stove in order to get heat for 6-9 hours.

My problem seems to be transitioning from the brick to log product. I plan to try your suggestion or 2 logs with a space between them next time. I'll place the hot coals left from burning the bricks between them. My stove is not deep enough to place another log across the top, but I could try stacking bricks across the logs perpendicularly once the logs are going.

 

[begreen]

Maybe snap a log in half and put the two halves on the top of the bottom two logs, log cabin style? This is a somewhat different product. I'll have to try and get some, but I'm not sure I'll find them closer than BC Canada. The claim for burn time is impressive if they deliver good heat for the majority of that time. Let us know what you think and what the heat output is like.

 

[nhimack]

What brand logs are these?


Edit: I see you mentioned them in the first post - BioFlamme. It's hard to tell from their website, but they appear to be more like the Lignetics or WOW HE pressed logs. If that is the case, they will burn with more ash and for a much shorter time (~2hrs).

You are correct - I have the Bioflamme logs - the Night Logs to be more specific. They also make a product called a Power log that is intended for ambiance in fireplaces. The Night Log is marketed as "extra long lasting heat" They are 4" in diameter, about 13" long and weigh about 8lbs each and are supposed to provide heat for 6-9 hours. I suspect that I need to use at least 2 and maybe 3 in my stove in order to get heat for 6-9 hours.

My problem seems to be transitioning from the brick to log product. I plan to try your suggestion or 2 logs with a space between them next time. I'll place the hot coals left from burning the bricks between them. My stove is not deep enough to place another log across the top, but I could try stacking bricks across the logs perpendicularly once the logs are going.

Where did you buy the bioflamme logs, I recently tried "smart logs" available at aubuchon Hardware at 12 for a box of 12. I was very impressed with the amount of heat that i got from just 3 logs but i would like to investigate other alternatives. I'm using a Vigilant multi-fuel stove and using multi fuels. The smart logs gave enough heat to get my nut coal going. The coal last longer over night that wood or a bio log

Ian in Northern NH where global warming is wicked cold LOL