Thinking of adding Corn to pellets

[brokenknee]

Corn is currently 3.85 a bushel. I did a short search but did not find what I was looking for.

How much corn, in bushels equal a bag of pellets 40#? I have read corn throws off more heat but it is also a dirtier fuel.

How long does corn keep, if keep dry?

What is the price point were you are saving money? Last paid about $225 a ton for some Inteck energy pellets at Menards, that is all that is available in the area. Home Depot carrier the same brand, no other sources close by that I am aware of.

The dealer said I could burn straight corn if I slow down the feed rate, (P68) Has anyone tried this or even tried the 50/50 mix that Harman says is OK?

 

[Bioburner]

A bushel of corn official by weight is 56 pounds. Corn is a dense little critter. About the same btu. per pound as pellets. Now corn to be stored needs to 13 percent or less moisture. Last year area farmers were harvesting corn at 11 percent and it burns great. Still burning corn that's three years old. Last time it was less than 4.50 per bu. Put in sealable drums with some moth balls to keep the insects negligible. If you try straight corn you will probably get some terrible clinkers. That's why the pc45 has a stirrer. Ignition point of corn is higher as well and the pc45 has a burn pot cover to reflect heat back into the pot. The Bixby stove was a pot design that worked well but the pot was of titanium and reflected heat back into itself and was self cleaning making pucks every few hours. Indeck are ashy pellets. I went through 2 tons last year and still have a ton but with the sale and 11 percent stacked sale was about 150 a ton. Fleet farm has a sale ending tomorrow for some pretty good pellets for 205 a ton.

 

[brokenknee]

Thanks for the reply, I think I will pick up just a bushel to try.

No Fleet Farm close by, I wish there was.

 

[john193]

Considering your stove is not a multi fuel unit I wouldn't go above a 33/66 mix with wood pellets. As mentioned you will likely get more clinkers with corn.

Do you have a multi fuel vent? Corn combustion results in an acidic smoke which will eat away your metal liner (and stove internals) much more aggressively than wood. Additionally, considering the higher moisture content of corn, you may not even get ignition with 100% corn.

 

[Bioburner]

Harman p series manual states they can burn up to 50 percent corn. If you don't have multifuel venting its going to be hard on it. Even with multifuel venting the exterior of the pipe at the termination will catch hell. I can dig out some examples and photo if anyone is interested.

 

[john193]

Thank bioburner. If you are bored, I like pictures.

 

[Bioburner]

Two years. Condensate on the outside is ugly.

 

[brokenknee]

Is that picture of a multifuel vent or is it regular vent? I would think the dealer just gave me regular vent. I would have to factor the pipe into the overall cost savings.

 

[Bioburner]

Multifuel. Been burning corn etc. since 2002. The end with the termination catches the brunt of the damage because of the temperature causing condensate to form. The rest of the pipes seem good for five years or so.

 

[brokenknee]

How does that compare to just burning pellets? I never really thought about the venting being a "consumable" part. class A chimneys last for years in a wood stove.

 

[Bioburner]

Wood stove temps are a lot higher and vertical. Might be that simson is just cheap.