Grainstoves from J. A. Mitchell Marketing

Chapter One: Grain Burning Basics

As we stated above, burning grain is much more difficult than burning pellets. Much of the difficulty associated with grain-burning is due to the fact that grain smoke will not burn until it reaches roughly 1100º. If a grain-burning stove cannot get the combustion area in the burn pot to 1100º, nothing else matters. Getting the burn pot that hot is easier said than done, especially when you are starting a fire. One major obstacle is heat loss into the other elements of the stove. All the metal and refractory in the stove drains heat away from the burn pot, so you end up having to heat many of the other elements in the stove before you can reach 1100º in the burn pot.

The moisture in the grain is also large obstacle preventing many stoves from reaching and maintaining an 1100º combustion area. Simply put, as long as there is moisture in the grain, it cannot reach 1100º. Therefore, the moisture must be driven out. The moisture can only be driven out by heating the grain to 212º, at which point the moisture leaves as steam. Of course, the higher the moisture content of the grain, the more heat it will take to drive the moisture out.

In summary, grain needs to be heated to 1100º before it will burn. However, in order to get the grain to the requisite temperature, the entire stove needs to be heated and all the moisture must be driven out of the grain. As the moisture content of the grain increases, so does the amount of energy required to drive out moisture. The more heat being used to drive the moisture out, the less heat is available to maintain the 1100º burn pot and heat the house.

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Warning, J.A. Mitchell Marketing Ltd. is not the manufacturer of the Harman PC-45 or any other product. J.A. Mitchell Marketing Ltd. is not responsible for any loss or damage caused by the Harman PC-45 or any other product. J.A. Mitchell Marketing Ltd. provides no representations or warranties. If you are confused or unsure at any point, contact your local Harman dealer.