Really good info. MAJOR WARNING: Be careful loading pellets onto coals (no flame). I had a situation in my woodstove-to-pellet conversion whereas I loaded about 3 pounds of pellets on a bed of pellet coals (thinking eventually the fresh pellets would catch fire from the coals). What happened was as the fresh pellets heated up, they gave off extremely flammable gas. When they heated up to the flash-point (point of ignition) the gasses caused a major explosion in the stove. Blew the door wide open, and blew the cap off of my stovepie, which landed halfway across the yard. So, when coals are present load a small amount of pellets until a flame is present before loading up on pellets (to avoid gas buildup).

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

Yes, have had that happen one time, so now when I add more pellets I always scrape the remaining coals to the front of the basket then I add more pellets in the back and wait for them to ignite before closing up the door again.

@jeffreykreiley7265

Жыл бұрын

Yes I could see that happening. Thanks

@WolfQuantum

Жыл бұрын

I learned that about 25 years ago with a coal stove. Usually, just toss some more coal in (vertical stove) and go. I put too big chunks that covered the hot coals below. No explosion, but the coal would gas, then ignite. It did this several times. Each time a big whoof and blowing coal smoke out around the door. Everything smelled of coal for a good while after that. Gotta watch the gassing as that's what does the real burning. The initial lights and coals just ignite the gas. Good of you to pass that warning on!

@lynnclark4208

Жыл бұрын

Great information!

Hand sanitizer gel works good for starting the fire. Just squirt a healthy line on top of your pellets and light it up. By the time it burns off your pellets will be lit. Have also tried burning pellets in my woodstove and it works for cooler days but doesn't put out near as much heat as firewood.

@jeff911rn99

11 ай бұрын

A legitimate use for all that useless Covid hand sanitizer!

Hello Scot, it's good to see you had some success burning pellets in a regular wood stove, I came up with the idea ~30 years ago due to the price of cordwood reaching $150 a cord, gawd knows what it is now here in Nova Scotia. Add to that the price was going up every year but the quality of the wood was going in the opposite direction, not to mention how it's a pain in the ass having to stack 4 or 5 cords of wood then in the middle of winter having to carry it in. As for lighting the pellets from the top, I have no idea why folks (who didn't Invent or Design the baskets suggest that. I always started the fire from the bottom, using a couple of pieces those wax like "Fire Lighters". I would push them under the basket 4" or so in, and 4" away from each other. I would then leave the door open for 10 to 15 minutes to avoid what Bret mentioned happening below, if you leave the door open while the fire is getting established there won't be a built up of gas. I also found that it's better to let the stove breathe a tad more than you would do with wood. As for the type of pellets, stay away from softwood pellets, hardwood pellets give a lot more heat. Speaking of which, a standard 40lb bag should last 10 hours, burning 4lbs per hour, decent pellets will produce ~9000 BTU's per lb, so 4lbs will push out ~36,000 BTU's to put that into perspective the average propane stove will put out around 30,000 to 40,000 BTU's but they aren't half the fun as burning pellets in a wood stove :) The baskets I designed should never occupy more than 40% of the volume of the inside of the stove, that's to reduce the chance of a buildup of gas. The basket that I have is now over 20 years old, made of 316 stainless steel, mild steel would be oxidised (burned away) within a matter of a few months, other than Titanium the only affordable metal able to stand the heat is stainless steel. My basket holds 8lbs of pellets, they last ~2 hours, when they have burned down to say 1" deep I reload with another 8lbs, within 10 minutes I have a roaring fire again, as mentioned thought don't dampen the combustion, let the stove breathe. You might enjoy reading the Patent that I applied for, Energex paid handsomely for it, but they made money selling "my little wire basket" that they called the Prometheus, shipping them as far away as Australia. Here's a link to the Patent...patents.justia.com/patent/5941234 Other than using the baskets in a woodstove they make a great little BBQ in summertime, you can't beat a brace of kippers cooked over a pellet basket :) All the Best, it's great to see folks using what I came up with all those years ago. Canada Bob.

@scotsbbq8119

Ай бұрын

Thank you so much for the information and thanks for stopping by.

The music was so loud I could hardly hear him speak Great idea!

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

Glad to hear that you have excellent hearing :) I on the other hand am 75% deaf lol

Wow!! I have this stove!! I just saw this video and am so happy you posted!!! I went thru so much wood this past week, Pellets seem so much easier. I'm about to price them and the Pelletier basket!!

I've been looking into getting a pellet basket for my woodstove and haven't been able to find very many videos of people using them or that many options either. Thank you for this and I cant wait to see an update on your thoughts.

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

Today is November 18th and this week it has been in the low 30's during the daytime and high 20's at night, and so far the pellets are working well, I am going through a bucket full of pellets a day, maybe a bag and a half every two days. Keeping the downstairs nice and toasty!

You can build your own pellet basket for a LOT less than the price of this thing, just get a couple of 12x24" pieces of expanded metal lath at the hardware store, cut one in half to form the ends and bend the other to be the belly. Wire them together with some decent wire (not the thin stuff for hanging pictures), fill with pellets and you're ready to go. I light it by pointing a blowtorch at one spot close to where the draft lets air in for about five minutes. When it's glowing steadily, you're off to the races. It'll take a while to take off but it'll work. Mine usually goes for about 3-4 hours. I don't light the top, but shoot the torch right at the belly, close to where the draft lets air in. You can splash some lamp oil on, but the blowtorch for a few minutes works fine. It doesn't have to be on full blast. A flame spreader on the torch is a big help, if you have one.

@justinw1765

Жыл бұрын

You can also use large stainless steel colanders as well. Like a 5 to 6 quart capacity one. The downside is that the metal is thin, so it won't last a long time. I'm going to be experimenting with coatings (like silicates) to see if I can get it to last significantly longer.

Thank you for the update! I picked a pellet basket and am looking forward to trying the pellets.. curious how many lbs that basket holds when filled compared to burn times per fill? Can you shut the stove down completely for longer burns @ night? Hoping for 3hrs + per load but I think your insight will tell me for sure. My basket will hold 13lbs..of course the ease of pellets is my driving factor as it was for you. Also tryin Wood bricks this year.

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

You can shut down your draft to slow the burn however I have found that you really lose heat output by doing this and get more of a smoldering of the pellets. I think your best bet would be to use the wood bricks at night with the damper shut down too low as they burn more like a regular wood fire as opposed to the pellets which are more of an all-or-nothing type burn. :). Oh and my basket holds 14lbs

I have a regular wood stove and I supplement a good fire, with a good bed of coals, with cups of wood pellets. This method works great. Boosts the heat and I burn less cords of wood. Bag of pellets is $7 here and lasts me a couple weeks.

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

Great tip!

@tamarap387

Жыл бұрын

Do you just add the pellets directly on to the hot wood coals or do you put them onto one side or another? Any problem with gas/fume build up? Thank you!

@jeffreykreiley7265

Жыл бұрын

@@tamarap387 I add just a couple cups of pellets onto a hot bed of coals with the door of stove open a crack. Every time I open the door to throw more wood in I throw another couple cups of wood pellets.

@tamarap387

Жыл бұрын

@@jeffreykreiley7265 Awesome. Thank you!

To me this may be an answer for the not so cold late spring and early fall times where burning wood gets the house too hot. I’m not sure you’ll generate enough heat using pellets without forced air on really cold days. By the looks of things you’ll also be getting up at least 3 times a night to keep that sucker going.

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

You're right If I were to rely solely on pellets I would have to get up 3 times a night to keep it going. However I use the stove to supplement the heat from my mini split unit in my living room. And yes for early spring late fall the pellets are perfect, as well as not having to lug wood in form the cold cold outside :)

@mikefarmer4127

Жыл бұрын

@@scotsbbq8119 3:48 3:49 3:50

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

Hi Mike, I am curious for what purpose did you reply with links to those timestamps?

In Belgium, even pellets are crazy expensive. You'll be looking at $850/ton nowadays. At that price, I prefer to burn coal (which gives a way higher BTU/kg).

I'm glad to see a video showing that you had problems, I tried to make a basket out of a metal cooking tin with loads of holes, didn't work, I then cut a 2" hole and fixed a tube in the centre of the tin to get more air flow, didn't work, I tried putting in more fire lighters, worked a bit but couldn't get the heat hot enough for a good draw. I then started the fire as normal and once got the flue temp up I put the basket in and it burned ok but found if I put more scoops in as it burned it would just sit and smoulder and I would loose temp quick. I was using cat litter that on the bag says made from wood pellets they were fairly cheap but it was the fact my local UK farm shop sold them so I didn't need to order from online shopping places, I've gone back to just wood but after watching yours I might look at getting some actual heat wood pellets because like you say storing bags is a dam sight easer than a ton of wood logs. I even made a grate to burn coal but that didn't give out much heat, I have a pure log burner fire box type that you only have to dig it out once every 3 months as it just burns everything to Ash. Thanks again for reinvigorating my interest 👍

@junit483

Жыл бұрын

For a cheaper option go to a thrift store and buy a stainless steel colander. It'll get you in the right neighborhood to figure out if you want the pellet basket

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

Harbor freight has Ammo cans for like $8.00 I have seen some people on You Tube use those, although they probably hold half as much as the basket, mine holds 14lbs.

@ricardo-iw9sq

Жыл бұрын

@@scotsbbq8119 HHaaa ammo cans, Im in the uk the closets we get is a beans can, Im welding some rebar to make a basket as i had some spare, thanks any way 👍👍 ammo can 😂😂 👍👍

I like your bucket/shovel where did you get it? And what kind of stove temps were you getting?

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

For the output I am getting I am not really sure, my thermometer only goes up to 200 and it's above that for sure. The bucket and shovel I got at Tractor Supply ... Link: www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sunnydaze-decor-steel-fireplace-ash-bucket-with-lid-shovel-and-brush-gwc-500?cm_vc=-10005

Why not burn compressed blocks like Bio Blocks or Enviro logs from Tractor Supply? Many others available, but I get Bio blocks from Ace hardware. About the same cost as split wood delivered, but less space required and longer burning.

I put my pellets into a cardboard shoe box and then lit the box on fire from the bottom. Lovely fire lit within 10 mins. I also put a log on top

How does the heat compare to soft and or hard wood. I’m not sure when you made the video, but did you have a chance to determine the amount of heat gained vs. the amount of heat from your wood (please tell what wood you burn), and if you put a dollar aloe on the cost of wood vs the cost of pellets which way will you continue to go. Thanks

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

The heat produced from firewood both soft and hard woods is much greater than that of the pellets. I usually burn hard woods mostly oak when I burn firewood. Firewood will run me out of the living room after a couple of hours where the pellets do not. The 50 bags of pellets = 1 ton and cost $285 to $330. 1 cord of wood is about the same if not a little more.

I enjoy burning logs but the winter's in Boston will require a lot of wood! Is it easy to move the basket in and out ? Also , can you use firestarters like fatwood to ignite the pellets??

@scotsbbq8119

7 ай бұрын

Yes you can use the fire-starters, that is what I use, 2 squares and it will get it going. The basket is easy to lift out but can be a bit messy unless you use a shop vac on it before you remove it.

If you put a few sheets of newspaper preferably something from rupert murdoch you will get a rapid heating and generate a hot air column going up the chiminey which creates an area of low pressure in the fire box which then causes air from the house to moving rapidly into the fireplace causing the fire to burn properly

@ScotGardnerProfile

10 сағат бұрын

Newspaper? Can't believe they still print those relics. I mean, with all the 'real' content they cram in there, I'm surprised they're even useful for starting a fire. Who needs in-depth articles when you have memes and clickbait online, right? 😂📰🔥

Great video. I recently put a fireplace insert in my fireplace. I also have a pellet stove as well in my other fireplace. I have a 180 year old farm house. The Harman pellet stove utilizes a fan and feed system that gives a hotter burn compared to a draft process with using pellets in a wood stove. I did try fire bricks and the heat/BTU's were minimal. I would love to see your thoughts and the end of the season. Thanks...Dave

@elkeschmitt623

Жыл бұрын

how are you liking the insert in the fireplace-is it more efficient. We have one and I am thinking of removing it. Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks

@davesauerzopf6980

Жыл бұрын

@@elkeschmitt623 The insert is kicking it in terms of heat output compared to the fireplace. I bought a smaller insert because I am not planning to burn full time, mostly weekends. 1 drawback is the size of the firebox. I can fit 20 inch logs in but not a lot of capacity. I have to split some of my bigger logs so they fit in. I would say I am burning 50% less wood and getting a lot more heat. I also did notice that the insert is fussy about the wood being dry compared to the fireplace that would basically burn anything. Hope that helps. Happy Holidays.

A stainless steel colander works decently. I have 2 6 quart SS colanders. Price paid like 27 dollars.

@XG393

Ай бұрын

I hate to say it, but, you aren't wrong :) as long as the container is stainless (and the right grade) you are off to the races, and that's from the Inventor !!!

Just add 3 scoops of hardwood pellets to the existing log fire, last for hours and hot with nice flames...Thanks for the coffee

It's been a month are you still using the basket. Do u like it on the cold nights and how well does it heat the house?

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

Yes I am using the basket almost daily, it has done a great job with keeping my living room toasty. It has been in the 20's and thirties at night for a few weeks now. I do not get up in the middle of the night to fill it, I just start it up again in the morning while waiting for the coffee to brew. My home is brick and windows are well insulated. With the mini split set at 70 the other parts of the house are around 67 in the mornings when I get up.

The music has to go.

I have pellet stove since 2006, yeah pellets are hard to light, there is a huge difference in Pellet makers I like western elite

I go to the lumber mill and get hardwood blocks they are 3.5 thick 7 to 9 inches wide and from 4 to 20 inches long for 25 bucks a pickup truck load. I sold my log splitter and have little ash because there's no bark.

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

I used blocks a couple of years ago, but they seemed to disappear from the places I would get them. I never thought of checking with the lumber mill thanks for the tip.

A Propane or Map Gas Torch is Nice for Pellets.

You need spacing under the basket use angle irion so the point is facing up so air cn travel under basket

@XG393

Ай бұрын

CORRECT, airflow under the basket is very important, if your basket doesn't have legs then stand it on a couple of (fire grade) half bricks.

What kind of pellets r best long,short or thick wood stove pellets basket

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

I don't think it really matters that much, of course I would prefer long, but they break when I scoop them into he shovel anyway :)

Where did you get second bag?

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

The Pennwood Pellets were purchased from J&R Mulch and Landscaping here is a link to their site. www.jandrmulch.com/

Stick one chunk of charcoal in a jar of charcoal starter for a few minutes, then put the charcoal in before the pellets, light it from the bottom....

Find someone that works in a restaurant, once our fry baskets start to break we throw them out. I have 4 I cut the handle off and put a full basket of pellets about 5 lbs on top of a bed of coals last about one and a half to two hours.

Where can one get the fan?

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

I got mine on Amazon. amzn.to/3j7MZ9L

i tried a pellet basket in my wood stove. Problem is, compared to a dedicated pellet stove, you can continue to fill pellets that burn very quickly and at low efficiency

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

While I agree with you that a dedicated pellet stove would be better, I am not in anyway trying to say the method I use is in any way comparable to having a real pellet stove. I just wanted to try it in my Wood Stove and share my results for others that are curious.

@shootingsportstransparency7461

Жыл бұрын

@@scotsbbq8119 Fair

How often do you clean out the ash and also do you have to remove the basket when cleaning out the ash or do you vacuum it out?

@scotsbbq8119

8 ай бұрын

When it looks full of Ash :). I would guess after about 10 or 12 full burns. I do not have to remove the basket, as there is room to push it to each side so the little shovel can get it all scooped up. I scoop it out into a bucket and do not use a vacum.

@tinman9093

8 ай бұрын

@@scotsbbq8119 OK thank you for getting back.

You will probably need forced air or a fan blowing on the pellets.

@scotsbbq8119

10 ай бұрын

In the open basket, that would burn the pellets too fast, but it would definitely generate more heat.

I used lighter fluid after 2 uneventful attempts with firesticks WORKED A TREAT

People, be careful with this. This will NOT work with many wood stoves. Pellets require A LOT OF AIR moving. Most wood stoves only have one or two small holes that allow the air into the stove when the door is closed. This is not enough air for pellets. Some pellet stoves even have an electric "blower." A coal stove with a big air grade "underneath" would be far better than a wood stove for pellets and the pellets should NOT "cover" the entire grate like a blanket. A small basket with air moving all around, on all sides may work best.

You light all wood burner from the top as wood burn top down . Your wood burn is not very clean you need to clean it up this will improve the appearance and efficency

Pellets are too small to burn effectively this way. They tend to smolder and you are left with half burnt charcoal at the end. Better to get something larger, like left over chunks and pieces from a wood processing company.

@scotsbbq8119

Жыл бұрын

I have not seen that issue with the Pennwood premium pellets. At most I have maybe a fist full on charcoal ones and ash left in the morning. The other brands I did see that on occasion.

try corn

40 minutes in and my stove would be at best burn temp that's not good my stove is at proper operating temp in 10 minutes we will have 200 c fire. Pellets are fire pellet fires

@krimke881

Жыл бұрын

I'd bet you wouldn't be able to be in your stove for even 20 minutes ;)

need to take out side air , not your inside air if so your loosing heat your using pre heated air for burning the fire bring in an out door air intake too get all the hat in your house

Stop the music

You need to get rid of the music, it's annoying and can't hear what you're saying

You would have to be mad.

Too long winded get to the point first

ha ha omg you better of just heat your house with oil would be cheaper

Please lose your background music, it is annoying and not needed 😃