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Don't know about everyone else, but I could just sit and watch them all night long... Just loaded up for the night and it's cruising along. Almost hate to go to bed! Hope everyone has a warm and comfortable night!
Typically when the wood is down to coals, all the wood gases that the secondaries would be burning are gone, and you're left with hot-burning charcoal in the bottom of the stove. At that point, I usually open the air up just a little to keep the heat going until I'm ready to reload.
My secondaries last for about 7 minutes tops and they are fast and furious like a blow torch til they die out so i don't quite get this "captivating dance" everyone talks about. Thinking maybe my chimneys to short
Secondaries are why if I ever get a non cat EPA stove again, Im gonna raise it high enough off the floor so I can sit in my couch and get a good view. They are nifty.
I find that turning down the air control at the right time has a lot to do with the secondary burn I get on my stove. As the temp gets to around 450F on the top, I close the air control fully and get a nice secondary burn and the stove cruises at about 550F. If not closed down fast enough, the secondaries are screaming and the top peaks and cruises at 650F. Great if I need more heat, but not so great for the burn times and view.
Secondaries vary from brand to brand. The fire show in my Downdraft Harman TL-300 is so much nicer and longer lasting than in My Englander NC-30. Harman reminds me of the "northern lights" at the poles and the Englander 30 looks a lot like my gas grill.
That's one thing I never got with my blaze king and love about my New stove, I'm sitting on the couch now with my dog and we're both watching the stove.
I like the secondaries.. but I really like it when late in the burn, you get these blue flames that jump up and kind of explode at the top of the firebox..