A Blue 55 Gallon Barrel Holds...

...how many pounds of rice coal. I figure one of you coal burners could answer this much quicker than the math I have
done to get at the answer. If it was a square I would be confident about getting the right answer. I got 440 lbs in each barrel filled to the top with no dome of coal on top. Am I right?

Thank you in advance.

There is no right answer but generally speaking 400+/- pounds per barrel. There is no exact volume for coal. Smaller sizes have more volume and the source of coal itself can have a very large effect. The harder coal particularly around the Hazeleton area is super dense and takes up a lot less room.

425 lbs piled over the top...your mileage may vary.

Thank You guys.

Richard, Is that Hazelton coal then the best to get? I am thinking the most BTU's would come from a super dense coal. I also think the closest breaker to my house is near there.

Geeze joeski, after 2 yrs, you'd think if you completed your profile, people would have a better idea of your location & give you suggestions that might be helpful. Really my friend, nobody's gonna steal ya.

Joeski wrote:Thank You guys.

Richard, Is that Hazelton coal then the best to get? .

Not necessarily especially with stokers. When it gets really dense it doesn't want to burn.

The one year the beaker was running a lot of it and I had a bunch of angry stoker owners and some ecstatic hand fired owners.

Richard S. wrote:There is no right answer but generally speaking 400+/- pounds per barrel. There is no exact volume for coal. Smaller sizes have more volume and the source of coal itself can have a very large effect. The harder coal particularly around the Hazeleton area is super dense and takes up a lot less room.

My Stockton pea weights in at about 42 lbs in a 5 gallon plastic pail that is filled level to the top. My Blasckak pea weights in at only about 37.5 lbs. at the same fill level. That's an increase in density of 12% for the Stockton vs. the Blaschak.

It can be quite a bit and why you need to be careful determining the weight based on volume. if you were going to take a rice coal of average density and compare it to har density stove there would be such drastic difference it would be obvious just looking at two different piles.

freetown fred wrote:Geeze joeski, after 2 yrs, you'd think if you completed your profile, people would have a better idea of your location & give you suggestions that might be helpful. Really my friend, nobody's gonna steal ya.

Hi freetown fred, I got my profile up. Thanks for the reminder. I'm still in the process of putting that Reading in. My goal is zero oil purchased this heating season.

I hear that one my friend, and a damn good feeling it is.

[quote] My goal is zero oil purchased this heating season.[quote]

It can be done. Last season was my first with coal and I use about a cup of fuel oil! Damnn mother in law cranked the thermostat one night she house sat the dogs instead of turning up the draft.