Difference between Turf and Briquettes

B

Boston44

Guest
Hello,
We live in the states where Turf is not readily available(and expensive) but I wanted to order some for special occasions as we love the smell.
I noticed the briquettes are easier to get but I wanted to hear some opinions on the differences between the two and if you get the same smell from the briquettes?

Thank you for reading this post
 
No nothing like the same smell from briquettes - a faint whiff maybe.

I don't know the specific physical differences but if turf is raw/wild then briquettes are processed/manufactured - if you get my drift.

One advantage though is that briquettes give off better heat.

Turf isn't exactly widespread in Ireland anymore either - even in country areas - quite a few posts on this very site looking for places to buy it.

Edit: here you go for an explanation:

[broken link removed]
 
Turf is a lot cheaper! I get loads of turf, my shed is full of it! Briquettes are processed and compressed, so its totally different. Cut turf isnt formed into a shape unlike the briquettes. My dad has a bog so we have loads of it!
 
Peat Briquettes are munufactured in a factory. Turf is cut and dried either mechanically or manually out on the bog.

Raw bog as a moisture content approaching 100%. Turf has a mc of about 35%. Peat Briquettes have a moisture content of about 10%

see pdf [broken link removed].

and from bnm.ie

Bord na Móna Peat Briquettes are made from 100% natural products with no additives or binders. They are produced using a complex and energy efficient process. Each briquette is a small block of highly compressed dry peat.
Because Bord na Móna Peat Briquettes are much drier than turf they are easier to light. They produce more heat when burned and less smoke. Modern technology has been used to ensure consistency of product.
Bord na Móna Peat Briquettes are an environmentally friendly solid fuel, due to their low sulphur emissions. Their use, along with other low-smoke fuels, has played a significant part in making the air of Dublin and Cork cleaner.
The process of manufacturing Bord na Móna Peat Briquettes has a number of stages.
Peat which has been milled on the surface of the bog, is air dried and stored. It is then brought by narrow gauge railway across the bogs to the factory.
Different grades of peat are carefully blended in the factory to ensure raw material consistency.
It is then ground to a fine particle size and dried to about 10% moisture content using heat from large industrial boilers at this stage, the peat is a fine, powdery material.
The peat is extruded through a twin-stamp briquette press. The compression is sufficient to bind the remaining water with the peat, so forming the briquette.
Click to expand...
 
Two points

(a) I'm guessing here.................

There are a number of restrictions on importing stuff ( e.g. rashers ) into the U.S. This is for reasons of trying to stop contaminated items being imported and not some sort of trade barrier.

I could well be that turf will be caught up in these rules as bugs seem to like living in turf.

That said, please understand that I believe the U.S. does bugs way better than we do in Ireland

(b) I'm guessing here too ...........

Turf is dug out of a bog

As well as bogs in Ireland there are bogs in Finland and Russia. I cant help thinking that there maybe some in Canada. If this were to be the case then perhaps it would be easier to source turf there ?
 
We live in a turf-cutting area and both natural turf and brickettes are available locally, the turf from the farmers at about €3.00 a bag, and the brickettes from the gas stations. There's nothing quite like the traditional turf fire if you could get a container load shipped to you. If there's no import restriction that's what I would recommend, if as you say the idea is for special occasions. Nothing wrong with the brickettes, they're compact and burn nicely, but they're utilitarian things really. Plus, they are much denser and therefore quite heavy. I just hope you're not airfreighting them ! Just think of your carbon footprint - or is it a sod footprint?
Good luck with it!
 
Thank you very much for the replies I think I will go with the Turf as it is the smell that we are after the most.
 
Hi there,

to make peat Briquettes, what happens is the turf is powdered, crushed etc then mixed with a binding agent and put through an extrusion vessel/ element and then baked dry at a very high temperature. Its the same as turf better than raw unprocessed turf really. In my experience the smoke smells exactly the same, no difference its the same product.

Hope you can get it into The States, I dont see a problem.

Enjoy your fire !!
 
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