Pellet sampling on a broad scale. Multiple burners=entertaining???

[fidiro]

I found with the laser to clip a piece of small tin to the heat exchanger outlet. Let the air warm the tin and check the tin with the laser. It will do just as good as a probe does.

Jay I have a Digital Probe Meat Thermometer that I can use instead of the laser. It's capable of reading to almost 600 degrees but would it give me an accurate enough reading if I stuck the probe into the outlet.

I'm going to try it soon to see what kind of reading I get but don't know if it's accurate reading dry heat. Should work the same meat or dry.

It cannot touch any metal. Somehow it needs to be suspended.

Ok, so keep it away from touching metal, the probe that is shouldn't touch metal. That shouldn't be a problem. Thanks.

 

[jtakeman]

Well I think I'm catching the pellet bug again, Thanks to Debi at BT Ent. She sent me an email saying there carrying a new brand an I can stop by to pickup a sample to test for us.

That got me all wound up on pellets again. Before I had a chance to swing by. I stopped at some local bigboxes to see whats going on there. Lowes only had Green Teams out front for $4.36/bag. HD had some Fireside Ultra's but the older batches from last season. But they did have stove chow and another brand stacked in doors(even). Same price aas Lowes. TSC company had Instant Heat for $229.50/ton.

So today I took a ride to see the folks at BT and picked up 2 bags of Potomac's. I have been trying to get these for 2 seasons. Now I finally have a chance to burn some.

I also got an email from Nick at Southern Indiana Hardwoods (SIH), He's send me 2 bags of his pellets to add to the test. I am really excited now!

Here are my scores so far!

Allegheny
Potomac
Southern Indiana Hardwoods (SIH)

Pellets I am looking to test(I will test 3-4 of the following list I can get).

Stove Chow
Heartland(might be a travel stretch But I would love to!)
WinterWarm
Energex American or this years Fireside Ultra's
PWI
Country Pine
Western Pellet

Looks like were getting close(Of coarse today's temps were 80ºF plus!)! Maybe we need a role call for the fellow testers to step forward.
What have we for test pellet brands?

 

[fidiro]

I still plan on messing around a bit with the TC's but outside temps are not there yet to start the long burns. Tomorrow 81 and Friday 90 here.

After I run a few bags of TC's I'll keep the thermo. in the same spot and pick up the GreeneTeams and Clean Energy.

I ordered a digital meat thermometer purposely to keep for stove use only, hope it works.

 

[schoondog]

Jay, I can get ya a few bags of stove chow. I think I still have a bag in the other room and local HD has em. I would be happy to help. :cheese:
I am interested in the Alleghenys. Have you ever burned em? Place north of here has em, I think $235 a ton.
And I may be scoring a ton of LG that the guy up the road wants out of his shed !! Wants to start burning wood. I told him I'll take em.

The dog.

 

[jtakeman]

I still plan on messing around a bit with the TC's but outside temps are not there yet to start the long burns. Tomorrow 81 and Friday 90 here.

After I run a few bags of TC's I'll keep the thermo. in the same spot and pick up the GreeneTeams and Clean Energy.

I ordered a digital meat thermometer purposely to keep for stove use only, hope it works.

TC's, Greene Teams and Clean Energy brands for pelletnubi. Very interested in the TC's and the Clean Energy!

Jay, I can get ya a few bags of stove chow. I think I still have a bag in the other room and local HD has em. I would be happy to help. :cheese:
I am interested in the Alleghenys. Have you ever burned em? Place north of here has em, I think $235 a ton.
And I may be scoring a ton of LG that the guy up the road wants out of his shed !! Wants to start burning wood. I told him I'll take em.

The dog.

I am interested in the Hardwood heats you got there mr dog! Any chance you can share? Stove Chow and Lg's for the dog so far!(careful once you start, You will be heading all over searching for the next test batch.) ;-)

Having over lapping brands are good and Only what you can get without major traveling.

 

[magsf11]

Jay,
I voted for yes also. the test are really helpfull. A few yrs ago ai did a so call test with my stock, so i could see what brands burned the hotest and restocked my pellets so i had the hot one for the coldest weather. your test are fo sure a lot more thaughtout, if I had the time and really knew what i was doing I would help you out I think i saw in one of your manny post that you wanted to test dry creek?

 

[jtakeman]

Jay,
I voted for yes also. the test are really helpfull. A few yrs ago ai did a so call test with my stock, so i could see what brands burned the hotest and restocked my pellets so i had the hot one for the coldest weather. your test are fo sure a lot more thaughtout, if I had the time and really knew what i was doing I would help you out I think i saw in one of your manny post that you wanted to test dry creek?

I found the Dry Creeks last season and They did well for me. I liked them! There in the Ultimate pellet search.

Well look what I got this evening!

Thanks Nick!

 

[jtakeman]

Stopped at HD in Bristol, CT. Found some more samples!

I was really really hoping for Winter Warm! Darned if I can get them! errrr!

 

[schoondog]

Jay, I can and will get ya some Hadwood Heats and I am also lookin for those Winter Warmths. If I find em , so will you.

Schoondog

 

[jtakeman]

Jay, I can and will get ya some Hadwood Heats and I am also lookin for those Winter Warmths. If I find em , so will you.

Schoondog

We can do a meet and trade sometime. Tell me what you are looking to try out?

 

[teetah222]

While I value the information, I just don't think you could level out the variables enough to make it really fair. I do like cruising through and seeing people's comments about what they are using and how it's working; but that's with the added information of what kind of stove, what area they are in, how often they clean the stove, how many feet they are heating, etc... Plus as someone else has already said, from year to year pellets change slightly and not every one stores their pellets in the same environment.

But that's just my 2 cents...

 

[jtakeman]

With the majority saying yes. We will continue as planned. The nay's don't have to pay any attention at all to us.

But I know you will!

Would have loved getting a few members from the NW states to do some sampling for the group. With all the great pellets available out there, It would have been interesting seeing the results. Maybe some day?

 

[gbreda]

I was really really hoping for Winter Warm! Darned if I can get them! errrr!

Hey Jay

I manged to get a few winter warmths about 6 weeks ago for testing, but they were almost out if those. If they still have em, I can Fedex a bag over if interested.

Geno

 

[jtakeman]

I was really really hoping for Winter Warm! Darned if I can get them! errrr!

Hey Jay

I manged to get a few winter warmths about 6 weeks ago for testing, but they were almost out if those. If they still have em, I can Fedex a bag over if interested.

Geno

Geno,

That is very generous of you, But the fedex cost would be outrageous. Maybe we could do a swap someday? Of coarse finding the time might be an issue too! Let me look around some more, Maybe a trip to Enfield might yield some?? We will be taking some weekend foliage rides soon. I think the wife wouldn't mind a quick stop at HD.

Any other CT members seen the Winter Warm's yet?(sorry if you posted and I missed it!)

 

[teetah222]

I'll be running some Premium Wood Pellets once I finish last year's Armstrongs... I'll let you know what I see.

 

[Meneillys]

I was really really hoping for Winter Warm! Darned if I can get them! errrr!

Hey Jay

I manged to get a few winter warmths about 6 weeks ago for testing, but they were almost out if those. If they still have em, I can Fedex a bag over if interested.

Geno

Geno,

That is very generous of you, But the fedex cost would be outrageous. Maybe we could do a swap someday? Of coarse finding the time might be an issue too! Let me look around some more, Maybe a trip to Enfield might yield some?? We will be taking some weekend foliage rides soon. I think the wife wouldn't mind a quick stop at HD.

Any other CT members seen the Winter Warm's yet?(sorry if you posted and I missed it!)

It cost around $40 per bag to UPS them after buying a box and paying for the weight. Then they beat the hell out of them and turn them into sawdust for the person receiving them.

 

[briansol]

Jay, Have you tried those potomac's yet? I see BT is stocking those now. I'm going in a few hours (sat morning... i'm up WAY to late) to make a pick up at BT

 

[jtakeman]

Jay, Have you tried those potomac's yet? I see BT is stocking those now. I'm going in a few hours (sat morning... i'm up WAY to late) to make a pick up at BT

I am a holdout! I keep telling myself not until the 15th of October! But the weather is changing, A bit nippy this morning. I thought about it, But My wife has hid the power cord. :lol:

Still to warm to burn anything yet, But as soon as I do start the stove the Potomac's are first in. 2nd is SIH.

 

[briansol]

Fair enough. I understand. I'm not planning to burn until nov 1st if I can!

I didn't make it out there this morning anyway, so maybe monday i'll go. Thinking about getting 1 ton of cubex and a few bags of the potomacs to see how they do. Then i'll make my decision for tons 2 and 3 of the season.

 

[fidiro]

I stopped in a different lowes yesterday and they have just the Tidy Timbers. Are they worth trying or skipping? $5.48/bag

The lowes closest to me still has the greane team and clean energy.

 

[jtakeman]

Tidy Timbers were decent, But I liked the Greene Teams a bit better due to more heat out my stove. Clean Enery I have not had the chance to try yet. So no comment on them.

 

[jtakeman]

Giving this a bump as the season is almost here. I woke up to low 30's and the stove was doing its job. So far the pole results are 55 total votes with 43 looking forward to this seasons testing wiht multiple people doing the sampling. That's 78% saying yes!

I am going to start with the Potomac's that BT fuels donated.

Also wondering what my fellow testers were planning(just a refresher)? We can start a new thread with a list of who's testing and the brands there going to sample along with there test results. No big deal if we have some brands sample by more than one person. I can't wait to get started.

Are there were any suggestions or requests?

 

[WoodPorn]

I'm not burning just yet but, I can test this years Somersets, Last years NEWP's (kinda pointless), I can get Freedom fuel from my local HD, Ligs and Inferno's from my local ACE. I'll look around to see what else I can find.

 

[MCPO]

Of great interest for sure and I am aware of the time / work involved but it`s all pretty much a waste of time for me since I buy early and have to burn whatever I`ve got stacked regardless of whether this years Lignetics are lousy or better than last years.
Aside from the high prices and lack of brand selection around here I find pellets can be inconsistant from year to year anyway , and often a roll of the dice.

 

[jtakeman]

Of great interest for sure and I am aware of the time / work involved but it`s all pretty much a waste of time for me since I buy early and have to burn whatever I`ve got stacked regardless of whether this years Lignetics are lousy or better than last years.
Aside from the high prices and lack of brand selection around here I find pellets can be inconsistant from year to year anyway , and often a roll of the dice.

I have my stash set too! Sometimes I wonder why even bother with this. But it is somewhat fun doing.

Could you check a local place for me? I think you said there was a lumber place that carried the Heartland Pellets made by Pope & Talbot Inc. Spearfish, SD. I might take a foliage run and see if I can score 2 bags to check out. TIA