Due to the many stove and furnace designs currently available there is a wide range of recommendations concerning the use of additives in corn burning units.

Fact # 1: Wet corn (13%+) will produce more flyash and tend to form hard ash clumps (clinkers) in most units. This is why dry/clean corn is so important for best burner performance.

Fact #2: The starch component contained in all corn kernals is also a major contributor to clinker formation. No amount of drying of the corn will remove the starch, but drier corn greatly reduces the clinker effect.

Fact #3: Some owners mix small quantities (a small handful to a stove hopper of corn) of crushed oyster shells (sold where chicken feed is available) in with the corn. The shells work as an oxidizer to promote combustion and usually will greatly reduce clinker formation. Problems associated with the formation of clinkers seem to occur most frequently in appliances using an agitator or finger style stirrer in the firepot, and these are the units in which folks report best results with the oyster shell treatment. Daily additional cost of adding shells to the fuel is minimal because so little is used.
As always, read your owner's manual before using oyster shells or other additives. Also remember using dry/clean quality corn fuel will usually greatly lessen or eliminate the need for additives.

Fact #4: Some folks we know like to mix wood pellets with our corn. This allows for the ease of start-up provided by the pellets while still capturing the higher BTU output capability of SPARKS FARMS high quality corn fuel.

Fact #5: In two of the last three years there has been some level of wood pellet shortage, resulting in high pellet prices and in some cases unavailability during the heating season.
We grow and have available tens of thousands of bushels of corn annually - we pledge to all our loyal customers a steady supply of our quality corn fuel to carry them warmly through the winter.

Even high quality corn fuel will deteriorate if stored in a damp location, especially on a damp floor. Also, SPARKS FARMS does not recommend storing corn from one heating season to the next. Insect and moisture damage from humidity will probably occur during long periods of storage through the warmer months.

You wouldn't knowingly put contaminated fuel in your car or gas/oil furnace, would you? Don't  put it in your corn appliance either! Remember: Quality Corn fuel counts in $$$ saved!