Help with burning corn in Accentra.

[FirepotPete]

Wasn't bad, but I did have a few Rx compartment entries (inspection purposes only). Probably only 500 mrem over the four shipboard years

The worst for me was always the SG replacement jobs, no way around it, never use nice boots on those jobs!! But that was all land based for me so I always had a chance to run if need be! After many years I finally got smart and got my EPRI I&C rating, much cleaner work

 

[dozerdean]

I tried corn mixture & pellets. Just wasn't worth the hassle! To much cleaning..

 

[bags]

I tried corn mixture & pellets. Just wasn't worth the hassle! To much cleaning..

Yeah the pellet only route is is easy as it gets but she has access to free corn.

 

[FirepotPete]

I tried corn mixture & pellets. Just wasn't worth the hassle! To much cleaning..

With running my stove clinker style I actually have less cleaning than running an agitator. Also corn is $110 a ton.

 

[Bioburner]

The key is the wording "can burn up to 50% corn" and the next sentence is where get out of jail card is. Different corn burns different blah blah.
I usually only can go to 40% by weight of corn without using a stirrer etc and not premium grade pellets to mix and the corn I dry down to under 10%. You can squeeze the corn at that moisture with your fingers and it will break.
The Bixby is made to burn straight corn and it has a deep titanium pot that keeps the burn temps way up and with the super dry corn it looks like its propane with almost pure blue flames. A days burning of 30 lbs corn will produce a ash biscuit the size of a hockey puck. The corn burnt in lower temps trys to keep its kernel form and becomes bulky.
Got in 70 bushels yesterday for $107/T

 

[fedtime]

I was not aware I could burn corn in my Accentra, so put me in the newly informed category. Once again, Hearth.com educates me.

Does anyone know where in Nova Scotia Canada I could buy corn suitable for burning? I've tried a few feed supply places without any luck so far.

 

[Bioburner]

What is the common feed stock for animals there? I may try wheat if it gets any lower. Don't go near soybeans. Like trying to burn crayons.

 

[fedtime]

What is the common feed stock for animals there? I may try wheat if it gets any lower. Don't go near soybeans. Like trying to burn crayons.

Just got a call back from a feed mill - whole corn is $357 a long ton (2240 pounds); by the bag it is $12.70 (55 pounds). But it is dusty and I'd probably have to clean it before burning. Wood pellets are around $6.00 per bag here ($336 a long ton).

Around here, it seems like corn is not economical compared to wood pellets.

 

[Bioburner]

Well corn is grown all around me. I have a five acre homestead in the middle of 2 sections, over 1200 acres that was in corn. I can go 2 miles to the elevator with my gravity box and get corn. I have a sluice that I clean my corn as the Bixby will spit out fines. I feed the fines to the local pheasants.

I just bought a ton of pellets Friday for $175 or $3.50 per 40lb bag

 

[bags]

It amazes me seeing the price differences between the US and Canada. Not to change the subject but what is the tax rate there? Can someone give a quick summary break down on say income tax, auto, sales tax, and all taxes you all see there in daily life, etc;

I have not messed with pricing or adding corn this season but was planning on adding a bunch to my burning arsenal this season but I fell the first week of August and broke both ankles and my right heel. I was in the hospital for almost a week then laid up scooting around on my ass for awhile. I had casts on both legs from the knees down so that slammed me on corn hunting.

It was all I could do to get $199 per ton OTD Somersets here. I'm walking again but still not 100%. I may run down the road to see about some corn or at least pricing here which follows elsewhere so I'd say it is about the same price give or take a buck or two.

I think the pellet suppliers and sellers here had a good wakeup call on the price gouging last season and not moving product. Some of the BBS here are still a bit high because they seem to set prices nation wide and get away with it in certain areas. Those are the places I'll be looking for deals this spring because they will still be sitting on stock.

I am disappointed here in season 3 that I was not able to get corn introduced more so but glad pellets were cheap per se. I've only messed with store bought bagged corn thus far and prefer pellets overall but if I can save money or cut heating costs significantly using corn additive then that's how I will roll. I haven't heated with wood for years and then toted 40 pounders merely for sport.

 

[fedtime]

It amazes me seeing the price differences between the US and Canada. Not to change the subject but what is the tax rate there? Can someone give a quick summary break down on say income tax, auto, sales tax, and all taxes you all see there in daily life, etc;

I have not messed with pricing or adding corn this season but was planning on adding a bunch to my burning arsenal this season but I fell the first week of August and broke both ankles and my right heel. I was in the hospital for almost a week then laid up scooting around on my ass for awhile. I had casts on both legs from the knees down so that slammed me on corn hunting.

It was all I could do to get $199 per ton OTD Somersets here. I'm walking again but still not 100%. I may run down the road to see about some corn or at least pricing here which follows elsewhere so I'd say it is about the same price give or take a buck or two.

I think the pellet suppliers and sellers here had a good wakeup call on the price gouging last season and not moving product. Some of the BBS here are still a bit high because they seem to set prices nation wide and get away with it in certain areas. Those are the places I'll be looking for deals this spring because they will still be sitting on stock.

I am disappointed here in season 3 that I was not able to get corn introduced more so but glad pellets were cheap per se. I've only messed with store bought bagged corn thus far and prefer pellets overall but if I can save money or cut heating costs significantly using corn additive then that's how I will roll. I haven't heated with wood for years and then toted 40 pounders merely for sport.

A quick summary of Canadian taxes? That is a tough one, but here goes:

Sales tax: varies from Province to Province, but it is 15% here in Nova Scotia and applies to almost everything you buy (groceries being a notable exception). I'd have to pay 15% tax on top of the price of either corn or wood pellets. Income tax: federal income tax varies with income (up to a max of around 55%) as does the Provincial portion that varies from Province to Province. Fuel tax for motor vehicles: included in the fuel you purchase, and comprises a big portion of what you pay (35-40%).

We also pay property tax (varies from municipality to municipality). Businesses also pay additional taxes, but have the advantage of many deductions for both federal and provincial income tax.

I'm sure I've missed some. Put another way, here in Canada, it is generally believed that you work until June or July just to pay your taxes - in other words, over 50% of your income goes to taxes.

 

[Bioburner]

I just found that the appraiser was here today again taking pictures. Was here last April after I questioned the raising of the property valuation 28% and they came and took pictures too and got a letter that the appraisal was 42% to high. I have the feeling someone is trying to waste time and our $$$

 

[dozerdean]

Just got a call back from a feed mill - whole corn is $357 a long ton (2240 pounds); by the bag it is $12.70 (55 pounds). But it is dusty and I'd probably have to clean it before burning. Wood pellets are around $6.00 per bag here ($336 a long ton).

Around here, it seems like corn is not economical compared to wood pellets.

That was my problem.Had to clean the corn WHAT A MESS! I couldn't tell the difference in the heat plus had to clean stove more.

 

[dozerdean]

I just found that the appraiser was here today again taking pictures. Was here last April after I questioned the raising of the property valuation 28% and they came and took pictures too and got a letter that the appraisal was 42% to high. I have the feeling someone is trying to waste time and our $$$

Taxes what dirty word! If they can find some way to bend u over & put it to u they will!

 

[FirepotPete]

That was my problem.Had to clean the corn WHAT A MESS!

That can be a problem. The first year burning corn I cleaned by hand, through a rain gutter with screen. Long process. And corn from most feed mills is pretty dirty. Then I found a farmer to buy direct from.

Invested in a corn vac, 25 gallon secondary tank w/blast gate, two 300 gallon IBC totes. Now I just vacuum the corn right out of the pickup bed into the secondary tank and drop it into the IBC tote. The corn I get is extremely clean to begin with but by vacuuming it it cleans it even more.

And it gets vacuumed again when I remove it from the IBC tote into a 55 gallon drum. Normal winter weather and one 55 gallon drum lasts about a week. I have another 55 gallon drum in the basement for when it gets real cold so I don't have to go outside and scoop the corn out of the barrel to bring in the house.

 

[Bioburner]

That was my problem.Had to clean the corn WHAT A MESS! I couldn't tell the difference in the heat plus had to clean stove more.

I have the means to clean and live in the middle of nowhere. Savings is about $100 ton. The Harman does not care about the fines and have to empty the bin every week which is what all my other stoves or less are. With the feed being tweeked I get a brown ash on the interior.

 

[fedtime]

I have the means to clean and live in the middle of nowhere. Savings is about $100 ton. The Harman does not care about the fines and have to empty the bin every week which is what all my other stoves or less are. With the feed being tweeked I get a brown ash on the interior.

I'm not giving up on corn and am not intimidated by the work to clean it. I'll grab a few bags and try it out. If that goes well, I'm going to try to find a farmer that will sell to me because I think the feed mills charge a premium. If I can get the price down to your level of savings (say $250 a long ton), it may be worth it.

 

[Bioburner]

I pay the elevator 25 cents per bushel over what they pay-market. Smart farmers usually are on some form of contract sales hedge here.

 

[jp99]

I'm not giving up on corn and am not intimidated by the work to clean it. I'll grab a few bags and try it out. If that goes well, I'm going to try to find a farmer that will sell to me because I think the feed mills charge a premium. If I can get the price down to your level of savings (say $250 a long ton), it may be worth it.

You do pay a lot for it! I pay about $160 for a ton (2000 lbs) here. $4 a 50 lb bag. It's already cleaned, and I can vacuum it to a 50 gallon fiber drum for cleaning the small amount of dust it has. I'd be burning pellets in your case too if corn is that high.

 

[Bioburner]

With getting the new local corn and getting some dried down the record crop is hot. Usually the flame on the Bixby will only go 4-5 inches out of the pot on setting 1. I am getting flames to the exchanger. The Harman mix is running the crosslink boiler 15 degrees hotter. Will probably need the extra heat come next week with very cold predicted.

 

[FirepotPete]

With getting the new local corn and getting some dried down the record crop is hot. Usually the flame on the Bixby will only go 4-5 inches out of the pot on setting 1. I am getting flames to the exchanger. The Harman mix is running the crosslink boiler 15 degrees hotter. Will probably need the extra heat come next week with very cold predicted.

I didn't ask the bushel weight this year from my farmer. I did notice the kernels are smaller this year compared to last year. I had to tweak the stove some, lower feed rate on low but a little higher exhaust (not much) because it was burning a little dirtier than last year. So I'm guessing it's denser this year than last years larger kernels.

Density of the corn is about the only variable that really changes anything for my stove and the settings are usually very close so only a little tweaking is necessary year to year. I get that nice blue torch like flame at the base of the pot when I have a nice clean burn.

Amazing once it gets really cold and bump up the heat range, with the intense heat in the pot the corn almost vaporizes when it hits the flames, unlike on the lower heat ranges where it take 30-60 seconds for it to ignite.