Pellet Mill

WisJim · #21 04/18/10, 08:58 PM

I talked to some local guys who were thinking of making pellets as a sideline to their pallet business, to use up some of the scrap and sawdust. They decided it was too touchy, moisture content of the wood had to be within narrow limits. They were talking commercial quantities with industrial equipment. Didn't sound like something that an individual would do easily.

**Ross** · #22 04/18/10, 09:15 PM

I doubt I'll go this route I have other plans anyhow. I have the high dollar moisture testers grinders hammer mills, harvesting equip already for hay.... grass pellets if they burned OK might be an option for a smaller producer but I don't really know.

fishhead · #23 04/18/10, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PulpFaction

I'm sure it would just take a quick search for me to find out how a pellet stove works, but I am short on time right now so here's my question:

Could a pellet stove not be modified to burn rabbit or goat droppings? Afterall, they are essentially grass pellets.

And dried manure is a very efficient heat source. At least in that one article that was passed around, poo bricks burned comparably to well-cured oak logs.

I like the versatility of the pellet mill (for feed and fuel,) but I like the idea of not dropping tons of $$$ and using a waste resource I have ready to go.

Edited to ask whether all pellet stoves require electricity to work?! That's weird.

I'll bet that rabbit or goat pellets would burn in pellet stoves but you might have to speed up the auger since they are lighter and contain less burnable material per volume. I would think manure bricks would be more condensed.

PulpFaction · #24 04/19/10, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishhead

I'll bet that rabbit or goat pellets would burn in pellet stoves but you might have to speed up the auger since they are lighter and contain less burnable material per volume. I would think manure bricks would be more condensed.

Actually, I mentioned that idea to my boyfriend last night and, surprise, he had a lot of experience with pellet stoves and said it presumably would not work for the same reason that low-quality pellets clog the machine--they are not compacted enough to stay together through the vibrations of the machinery, etc.

So, I guess I'm back to dreaming about poop bricks in a regular wood stove.