As a side note to the "Pellet size matters" discussion, I open with, ( What is used as ingredients i

[bostonfan49]

I am looking into bulk delivery ( blown in pellets) into a bin in my basement...but that's for another discussion. This company named the pellets that they use and the ingredients that go in them.....besides wood. So, What's in your pellet.........this should be interesting! Bill

 

[bostonfan49]

OK, I'll open. The company that could supply me with bulls pellets has a pellet that comes from the South, and besides water, they add Corn Oil.....

 

[jtakeman]

Interesting question! I think I will lots of have fun with this one! ;-) Anyway, I doubt you'll get a straight answer from the mills. I can't even get them to give clues on the binders they are using. "It's a secret"!

Fillers or bye products hehe. Hmmmm. OK here we go. Things I have hear one mill bashing another say. plastic, wax, styrofoam, glues, sand, grass, corn, grains, and dirt. But all hear say and no physical proof! Don't shot me on this one! But if you soak a handful of pellets in a jar of water you will see just whats in them. Many are just wood fiber. I have seen plastic and bits of white spec's. Pretty sure it was Styrofoam. Sand, dirt and bark bits. Things you won't see are the binders and glues. Most likely they will be water solubles

A warning on bulk. There aren't many mills in the bulk thing, So your choices will be rather limited to whats available. We might need to wait on this a bit, Hopefully it takes off. But I for one will hold out until some of the big guns get in the game. I personally don't want me choices limited to one or two brands. Too many good choices out there in the bagged products.

 

[jtakeman]

OK, I'll open. The company that could supply me with bulls pellets has a pellet that comes from the South, and besides water, they add Corn Oil.....

Corn or vegetables are nothing bad. I have heard worse, But no actual proof!

 

[jtakeman]

Dang, I forgot to mention that PFI has been trying to make the mills add label's to the bag with ingredient's. Just so we know whats in there! But I have yet to saee any of these label's on pellets yet. They are supposed to list any fillers or binders from what I gather. But just like the food and drug adm. I bet they allow small amounts that do not require listing. Kind of like the bug protein thats allowed in TV dinners.

Are we having fun yet? :cheese:

 

[ScotL]

It can be done without adding anything. I'd personally like to see requirements to list additives on the bag.

 

[jtakeman]

It can be done without adding anything. I'd personally like to see requirements to list additives on the bag.

Same here. AFAIK the natural lignin is enough to bind them. Good quality wood should have enough already in it. Now that recycled or half rotted stuff well? I can smell what some are using but can't actually point at it. No chemical analysis to prove nada and I can't afford the testing. But it isn't crayola crayons!

 

[bostonfan49]

The pellets that this company uses for bulk are, Kentucky (Anderson) Hardwood/Oak, but they offer some Curran's as well...Bill

 

[DexterDay]

Definitely seen plastic bits. Also your standard wood chips. The stray bolt (1/4" x 1.5") and actual corn.

All of these come from different brands. Over the course of a few seasons. . . Most in the last 2. Since I have been sifting. You see and catch a lot.

 

[pell it]

I found a little plastic tag from the end of a "top choice lumber" 2x6x10!!

 

[krooser]

I have to use pellets made with olive oil as my stove is on a Mediterranean diet....

 

[movemaine]

La Crete
La Crete Sawmills Ltd. pellet fuel is made from clean, dry wood-waste fiber from our own lumber operations and neighbouring sawmills. Only the finest material is used and dried to the lowest moisture possible before being used in the pelletizing process. No additives are used, only the natural resins and binders hold the pellets together.

MWP
We pre-screen our wood before processing it and we use no debris or additives of any kind. Many pellet manufacturers will use vegetable oil and some even use plastic resin. Our pellets are made with 100% wood - no additives. This plant can produce up to 100,000 tons of wood pellets per year for both the bulk and bagged fuel markets, which makes us the largest pellet manufacturer in Maine. We are setup to efficiently handle high volume bulk shipments for industrial customers and export.

Somerset
100% USA hardwoods—made in the USA from the excess sawdust and wood fibers generated from Somerset’s lumber and flooring manufacturing facilities

Barefoots
Barefoot Pellets are made with clean sawdust and other clean wood waste material primarily generated in the manufacturing of hardwood lumber into various wood products such as kitchen cabinets, hardwood flooring, etc.

Okies
Our Okanagan Super Premium pellets are made from 100% softwood sawdust. There are no additives, bark or other possible contaminants. We manufacture our wood pellets to exacting standards. Our automated and quality control processes ensure that all pellets made at our facility meet the Super Premium standard of the Pellet Fuel Institute.

Just a quick snapshot. Interesting which ones mention "no fillers, etc." and which ones don't (doesn't mean it's true)

 

[mepellet]

Anybody ever hear of adding an octane fuel additive to pellets?

 

[bostonfan49]

First of all...Kudos to krooser putting his stove on the Mediterranean diet!! I bet a lot of stoves here suffer from high Pellesterol......but high octane fuel? Like maybe a spray of high test per bucket full as we load the stove....? Kids......don't try this at home

 

[mepellet]

First of all...Kudos to krooser putting his stove on the Mediterranean diet!! I bet a lot of stoves here suffer from high Pellesterol......but high octane fuel? Like maybe a spray of high test per bucket full as we load the stove....? Kids......don't try this at home

I def would not try it. I only asked because there is a pellet supplier that lists on their website that they sell pellets with an octane fuel additive for $275/ton. I find it hard to believe but what do I know?

 

[ironpony]

Inquiring minds want to know

is it still "wood" when it is saw dust???

 

[DirtyDave]

octane boost would be like using canned air to clean the window wash while in operation..... booom and bad results.