Crunchy ashes?

[Chris-PA]

It's because you have an EPA stove. There is a special tracking device built into each one, and at night the EPA agents come down from their black helicopters and pee in your stove. This is what Spidey told me and he must be right!

I've never had any elm and I get that stuff too. I think it's just how ashes look when something has dripped into them and then been cooked back out again, whatever does that.

 

[branchbuzzer]

My theory: roadside wood with a lot of sand/salt in it. The cottonwood was literally growing in the ditch, the elm less than 50' from a busy roadway.

Both trees were he** on chains and had lots of sand and grit under the bark.

I can't completely discount Del's pine theory either. The pine Ive been burning is heat treated scrap lumber, some with a lot of pitch in it.

sand, ok, but wouldn't the salt dissolve in summer rain? .

 

[branchbuzzer]

All the signs were there - moodiness, irritability, talking to himself. If he wouldn't have been miles away from any form of civilization, perhaps someone could have gotten him to realize it and get help. Nevertheless, when he started sifting through the ashes, even Steve had to admit to himself that cabin fever had set in.....

 

[woodchuck357]

Clinker, it forms when ashes get heated hot enough to fuse. Doesn't mater what wood you burn or where it comes from. Ash is the noncombustible portion of the wood, with a grate type stove the ash falls away from the coals and clinker seldom forms. When coals are next to ashes and air is introduced by blower or good draft the resulting high heat fuse the ash.

 

[zogger]

All the signs were there - moodiness, irritability, talking to himself. If he wouldn't have been miles away from any form of civilization, perhaps someone could have gotten him to realize it and get help. Nevertheless, when he started sifting through the ashes, even Steve had to admit to himself that cabin fever had set in.....

Lol!

 

[Iska3]

I think you might have something here. I'll find those clinkers from time to time in the front part of my ashes and never in the rear of my OWB. I'll notice them if the wood has a larger knot so it might have something to do with the sap. I would think the ashes are well burned because the clinkers are always Gray or White in color..

????

Clinker, it forms when ashes get heated hot enough to fuse. Doesn't mater what wood you burn or where it comes from. Ash is the noncombustible portion of the wood, with a grate type stove the ash falls away from the coals and clinker seldom forms. When coals are next to ashes and air is introduced by blower or good draft the resulting high heat fuse the ash.

 

[remduck1]

Wash it off and see if it is iridescent green? I have found these mostly after burning elm.

 

[woodchuck357]

[quote="haveawoody, post: 4640237, member: 70667
Or could be firebrick that has gotten to hot,.........
Next time your fire is all but out have a good cleanup and inspect brick for holes/chips if not then Elm clinkers is my guess.[/quote]
Not far off, firebrick is basically a deliberately formed clinker!

 

[Bushmans]

This explains everything! Or maybe not!.. It does discuss all the minerals contained in a few varieties of wood and how different temps affect it. Still researching!

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1993/misra93a.pdf

 

[Bushmans]

Question: Clinker - Definition of a Clinker
What is a wood ash clinker? Why are clinkers a concern?
Answer: A clinker is an incombustible fragment that can be found in ash residue after burning heating fuels such as coal or wood. In relation to burning wood for heat in a wood stove or fireplace, a clinker looks like a chunk of ash, and is composed of wood residue and ash. The concern is that clinkers can contain live or active spark.

 

[mallardman]

Yep clinkers like in a blacksmiths fire.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Whitespider]

OK... I've been waitin' for Steve's theory... but my "I'm right" time is wearing thin.
I also call 'em "clinkers", and only find 'em when burnin' elm.
Always figured it was the combination of high mineral content in elm, and high temps.
The ones I've always found had a "greenish/blueish" tint... leading me to believe the "mineral" content thing.
But... seriously... I have no idea whatsoever what they are or what produces them... ... ..

And I still have three hours of birthday "right" coming to me...
*

 

[woodguy105]

I was just looking at those today when I cleaned out the stove. Kinda looks like slag

 

[Photog95]

I burn Elm almost exclusively and I get this a lot. Mine usually has a green tint to it. Never really gave much thought to the stuff.

 

[SWI Don]

It's usually an elm thing. Since Elm coals pretty well, the statement about being fused ashes makes sense. I have a bunch of it right now since the rack on the porch is all red elm.

 

[Jakers]

i leave my ashes piled up in both my stoves so there is less air hitting the underside of the coals. makes the coals last for up to 24 hours after a good burn and low draft kinda day. when i finally do let it go out (or work too long away) the whole grate is covered with a clinker except for the front 2-3" i keep clean. i burn almost exclusively ash and it seems to coal up and get hot for a long time.

 

[Steve NW WI]

I'll buy pretty much any of the answers, or combination thereof. Yup, they're clinkers. What's in em? From Bushman's link, (which talks ash in general) mostly good stuff, calcium, potassium, phosporous, and a bunch of trace metals, all of which are good for the ground in small quantities. They'll be fertilizer come spring, if they're not used for traction on the hill in the driveway first. What caused em? Burning hot, I guess. Can't say I've been taking it easy on the stove the last week or so.

All in all, a good head scratching was had by us, and some time got wasted on the way to warmer days ahead.

Speaking of which, these two guys need to get outside FAR worse than I do!

All the signs were there - moodiness, irritability, talking to himself. If he wouldn't have been miles away from any form of civilization, perhaps someone could have gotten him to realize it and get help. Nevertheless, when he started sifting through the ashes, even Steve had to admit to himself that cabin fever had set in.....

He scrounged through an old box of catcher's gear he'd had since little league retrieving only his mask and a jock strap. He changed from his carharts into his new 'uniform', saluted himself in the mirror and dove off the deck of his trailer into a snowbank. Then he went to the woodshed, gassed up a dolmar, grabbed a hookaroon and some rope, threw it all in his pickup and drove to Green Bay with his head out the window since the windshield was caked with permafrost......

 

[haveawoody]

I think it's rabbit poo, make sure your rabbits are cured properly or best solution is stop burning rabbits at all

 

[Steve NW WI]

That ain't it, woody. Everyone knows rabbits are "shoulder season" stuff.

 

[haveawoody]

Steve NW WI,

I bet your neighbours are not happy at all in shoulder season.
Well fed yes but stinky smoked out LOL