Wood Pellets - Cold or Warm Up before use?

[343amc]

I burned some older than those this season. I dug some bags out during the 'longest pellet' contest around Christmas. One bag of Pennywise I found was at least 3, maybe 4 years old. My stove didn't care one bit.

I don't think wood goes stale or has a 'best if burned by XX' date. Keep them dry and you should be fine.

 

[Defiant]

Not if I get there first!

Let's settle this the old fashioned way

 

[jtakeman]

I don't think wood goes stale or has a 'best if burned by XX' date. Keep them dry and you should be fine.

Shush already. How we pigs gonna make some scores if your blabin the truth. Pellets go stale!

don, better give em to me so I can dispose of them for you. I have all the proper licensing and I only charge a minimal removal fee. But seeing you don't own a Harman. All fees will be waived if you help me load em in my pellet hauler!

 

[343amc]

Shush already. How we pigs gonna make some scores if your blabin the truth. Pellets go stale!

I stand corrected. Some do come stale from the mill, namely Wood Fibers Inc and Michigan pellets.

At least I get the bonus screw or two every now and again with the Wood Fibers pellets.

 

[jtakeman]

At least I get the bonus screw

DAM, I'm buying the wrong pellets!

 

[CT Pellet]

Well, by storing the pellets in the warm basement it did help and there is no more ash in the burn pot every morning

Yes Don.......The mere flawless precision of your experiment, while adhering to the strict laws of the scientific method, has produced data that irrefutably concludes that a forty degree increase in the temperature of your wood pellets is enough to significantly alter the bio-chemical make up of the fiber to eliminate the ash content.
Your logic goes well beyond the norms of the obvious. Please, remember us "little people" when you are accepting your Nobel Prize!

 

[Evan_J]

Well hey, if warming up the pellets before burning is all I have to do to stop producing ash I'm gonna move them inside. The wife is out of the house for a few hours and I think I can make a couple of great arm chairs out of bags of pellets if I stack them just right....

 

[jtakeman]

Yes Don.......The mere flawless precision of your experiment, while adhering to the strict laws of the scientific method, has produced data that irrefutably concludes that a forty degree increase in the temperature of your wood pellets is enough to significantly alter the bio-chemical make up of the fiber to eliminate the ash content.
Your logic goes well beyond the norms of the obvious. Please, remember us "little people" when you are accepting your Nobel Prize!

You missed the stale part. The hogs will be over to inspect your stacks and will gladly remove any expired stale product!

 

[jtakeman]

Hey Jay

I am almost done with the Maine's choice. This last batch was in my garage for 2.5 years which may be another factor.

Anyway here are the pellets available in my area, which would you choose?

Fireside Ultra
Infernos

Pennington Nature's Heat

MWP - Main Wood Pellets
Geneva Premium Wood Pellets
Logic-E

NEWP - New England Wood pellets
Cubex

Okanagan Super Premium Wood Pellets

Hey don, Sorry I missed it. I'm getting frugal in my old age. Can you add the dollar amounts?

Fireside Ultra's were nice last fall

Decent quality and usually decent prices(boxstore) Fireside Ultra - MWP

Nice pellets and usually mid range as far as prices. Geneva - Logic-E

Good fuel but usually pricey! Cubex - Okanagan

On the pennington and inferno's. I have seen too many problems so I just stay away! There is some chatter the Inferno's have been getting better,YMMV so try some JIC!

 

[343amc]

DAM, I'm buying the wrong pellets!

Not that kind of screw, this kind.

 

[DBCOOPER]

Yes Don.......The mere flawless precision of your experiment, while adhering to the strict laws of the scientific method, has produced data that irrefutably concludes that a forty degree increase in the temperature of your wood pellets is enough to significantly alter the bio-chemical make up of the fiber to eliminate the ash content.
Your logic goes well beyond the norms of the obvious. Please, remember us "little people" when you are accepting your Nobel Prize!

I've started preheating mine in the oven... figure I'll never have to clean the stove again...

 

[Thaddius Wenderoth]

Because of the great information in this 4 page thread, I have started warming mine in a pellet stove specifically for warming my pellets. After I burn warm them in that stove I shovel them into my main stove. I figure within days I will never have to clean the stove again.

 

[DexterDay]

Yes Don.......The mere flawless precision of your experiment, while adhering to the strict laws of the scientific method, has produced data that irrefutably concludes that a forty degree increase in the temperature of your wood pellets is enough to significantly alter the bio-chemical make up of the fiber to eliminate the ash content.
Your logic goes well beyond the norms of the obvious. Please, remember us "little people" when you are accepting your Nobel Prize!

Dont forget that pricey A$$ Selkirk DT. I thought thay preheating the air was gonna stop it? Now the pellets and air have to be preheated?

Don, sounds like you need to get rid of that Avalon and put that Quad downstairs. No caking in a Quad. No need to preheat either

Just sayin.... Dump em in and burn em. I have 3 yr old pellets that burn great. Pellets dont go stale (in your wet garage, they absorbed moisture) Buy a better product and keep it dry!

 

[Jack Morrissey]

Yes Don.......The mere flawless precision of your experiment, while adhering to the strict laws of the scientific method, has produced data that irrefutably concludes that a forty degree increase in the temperature of your wood pellets is enough to significantly alter the bio-chemical make up of the fiber to eliminate the ash content.
Your logic goes well beyond the norms of the obvious. Please, remember us "little people" when you are accepting your Nobel Prize!

Wonder how little ash i'll get if I microwave them for a minute??

 

[Augmister]

Try putting them next to her!.....

(broken image removed)

Now you are introducing moisture to the physics equation. THIS is a problem!

 

[CT Pellet]

Because of the great information in this 4 page thread, I have started warming mine in a pellet stove specifically for warming my pellets. After I burn warm them in that stove I shovel them into my main stove. I figure within days I will never have to clean the stove again.

If you warm them up enough, the pellets will actually vaccuum out the stove for you.

 

[Don2222]

Not if I get there first!

My friend had a few stale bags of pellets not used for a year. She said they were more crumbly than the new fresh bags. So is there some differences Jay?

 

[DexterDay]

My friend had a few stale bags of pellets not used for a year. She said they were more crumbly than the new fresh bags. So is there some differences Jay?

No. Those pellets got wet.

Moisture will KILL PELLETS.

Keep them dry and they are good.

 

[Don2222]

No. Those pellets got wet.

Moisture will KILL PELLETS.

Keep them dry and they are good.

Wet pellets explode into saw dust. These are just dry and crumbly

 

[Sweets]

Suspect its the Maines Choice, they are pretty ashy and leave clumps in my stove. But they are cheap. I usually slosh the old pellets down from the hopper so the warm ones are first in line then dump the new ones on top.

Maine choice suck , cheaap

 

[Sweets]

Hot or cold , don't matter , depends on if there
Wet or not.

 

[Don2222]

Hey don, Sorry I missed it. I'm getting frugal in my old age. Can you add the dollar amounts?

Fireside Ultra's were nice last fall

Decent quality and usually decent prices(boxstore) Fireside Ultra - MWP

Nice pellets and usually mid range as far as prices. Geneva - Logic-E

Good fuel but usually pricey! Cubex - Okanagan

On the pennington and inferno's. I have seen too many problems so I just stay away! There is some chatter the Inferno's have been getting better,YMMV so try some JIC!

Thanks Jay

In a pinch I picked up some Genevas for this weekend.

FireSide Ultras have been loaded with fines in this years batch in my area.

I have also seen quite a few horrible reviews on this year's Cubex!

So when I have a chance I will pick up the Okies.

Thanks Jay! I always appreciate your advice!

Luckily I only have 3 bags of the Stale Maine's Choice left and they burn fine in the Santa Fes. Not as much heat but I do not need much for my 10 x 10 workshop.