Question on burning corn or cherry pits

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

hawl

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Mar 22, 2009
19
Northwestern CT
I have a ST Croix Hastings stove the manual says it can burn a 50-50 mixture of corn and pellets. What kind of corn are you supposed to burn, where do you get it, and how much does it cost. The manual also says the stove can burn cherry pits, same line of questions where do you get them, how much do they cost? Do either come bagged? Thanks in advance for any answers.
 
Check out Iburncorn.com for good info. on corn burning, my stove can burn it also and I am looking at mixing in some for this winter. According to what I have read it should be 20% moisture level, getting and keeping it there seems to be the issue to most burners. Mixing it with pellets seems to ease most of the problems with keeping the fire lit and getting a good burn. Most people who use my type of stove for straight corn have problems getting the air settings correct to get complete fuel burn. Getting cherry pits depends on your area, enough to burn depends on having food processing plants nearby or a supplier who stocks them.
some users burn weird stuff, like dog food, stale cereal for examples it just has to burn, one farmer was burning wheat he grew as his rotation crop, due to not being able to sell it easily up here in maine, and they talk of burning soy, oats etc.
 
I have seen cherry pits for $250.00 per ton in tractor supply. No one had anything positive to say about them.
 
Hi HAWL,

I have been burning corn for a while and found a local Farmer selling it. It is Shelled corn. Same as feed corn. It will come in 50lb bags. And Its $240.00/ton or $6.00 a bag.

I have found the 50/50 mix is still to dirty of a burn for my stove. I'm at 60% pellets and 40% corn and its cleaner but not much. You will need to clean the stove and vent more often.

Not only do you have have a stove thats approved for corn you also need the vent pipe to be approved. If you only have pellet vent then you will eat up the vent pipe. Must check before even trying corn!

I haven't seen the Cherry pits yet to try them. But the TCS in Barkhamsted has had them in the past. Keep an eye out for them in the fall.

Jay
 
that is the nice part about having an OPB, the only pipe I have is what came with it and CB sells this stove as a corn/pellet burner.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.