This won’t be about coal burning FYI. In a recent post about Splitting Elm in the woodpile section, some of you posted about elm getting some interesting hard leftover chunks in the ashes. Well I used a tool to dig around for those hot leftover coals and found a few of these things that look much like someone posted a picture about. I don’t have a picture of one that I found yet but can likely get one soon. They were hard, grey, black and white, about the size of a pack of gum and a bit irregular as if it were like the lava rocks for gas grills. I didn’t squeeze it, still warm at that. But what’s interesting is most of the ashes its found in are that of white pillow-like ash so I’m ruling out that the fire is cooling down in the late stages of burn that would leave more unburned wood and black charcoal. I’ve been burning white (garry)oak for the most part and not much else. This would be likely to say that woods other than elm could produce these chunks. Anyone experiencing this as well? Any kind of specific wood? I know it would be hard to get a conclusive answer out depending on how often some of you dig out the ashes or rake the coals. Since burning in the insert, its mostly been one type of wood besides the cedar kindling and usually found in the ashes after a fresh fire. Since a lot of the wood I had planned on burning this year is already gone, the wood is specific and no longer mixed.
I think it is. I get clinkers from American elm and box elder. I know there's some in my insert now. I'll get pics tonight.
This is what I wondered. There’s not been any Metal in my splits that I know of but unless my stove reaches 2000F...it’s a different anomaly. Melted or constitute of something
"Clinkers are the result of ash fusion, where noncombustible salts and minerals entrenched in the wood fibers liquefy and bond together" That's what I saw somewhere on the internet. I've never seen it when I don't burn elm, or elder.
Let me see if I can pull out a couple tonight. I’m interested in knowing what the mineral is, you have the link still available to share?
I got about 5 gallons worth of these this year. I think I was burning mostly oak and ash when they started accumulating. Once I got through that particular stretch of wood, I only occasionally get little ones that mostly burn off, which is more typical in years past. It was weird. I'm going to add them to my rain barrel and get the minerals back into the soil.
I'll see if I can. I reloaded my stove and forgot to pull them out. The link, it was what someone said on a forum. Not FHC
Yeah that's what it sounds like. Regional depending on the soil. Like wine.. each varietal has it's own terroir based on the soil, temps, etc
Per one site.. What are these "clinkers" that are left behind in the fireplace? "They ARE called "clinker" and they are the result of the fire being hot enough to fuse and melt the ash and non-combustibles in the fire. My day job is partly designing instruments to measure the properties of the liquid ash INSIDE the fire. Typical fusing points are around 1300°- 1400°C (2500 °F +), my instruments go up to 1750°C, 3200°F +."
Horkn, since you bring up that its minerals and regional, suppose this could have something to do with fertilizer? Minerals they used to help grow the trees over time? Honestly its like crushing that Pop-rocks candy if that makes sense. Definitely a crystal feel in that...just about ready to start a fire. I had been away for a couple days.
I'm burning mostly bigleaf maple this year from 2 trees that were in my yard. I've had clinkers before, but never like this year. They're huge.
I get them with oak, even red maple. Towards the front of the stove which is close to the primary air in. Right there in the area where the fire is almost always the hottest.
They were actually like a big sheet when I got the ones out last night but still crumbled up. I just haven’t really seen anything like this but I’m also gathering only hardwoods have this effect?
I’ll eventually get better pics of larger clinkers. I get them every time I burn elm and this time they got quite large. For the vid, I broke up chunks to fall through the grates and this one made it to the ash pan. I’m separating splits so o can burn a firebox full.
