I've had my new stove for about a week and a half, did the paint cure burns, started learning how to work things out, had a heat wave and then went out of town. I came home to a cold house and am ready to get back to the process of learning. And I have come up with a few questions so far.
I am trying to figure out the cycle burning. From what I have learned, it is definitely how I want to go. I have got a good feel for the top down start - that is awesome! I get the stove hot and can gradually close it down some while the bottom layer of splits burn to build the coal bed. Add more wood and then gradually close it down again. I have seen some nice secondary burns and feel rather proud of myself for getting something right. I haven't had too many fires where I load wood more than once or twice, but we are getting there.
I understand that there is an ideal range of temperatures to run the stove in - I don't have a flue thermometer yet, but am using an IR on the stove top. As the wood burns down to coals, the stove cools off considerably. It seems that there is still too many coals to add more wood, but at this stage should I open the primary air up again to try to increase the temp? Or just let it do it's thing until time for more wood?
Is there an ideal time/temp to add more wood?
I know there was at least one more.... I think I will just blame the time change for the brain fade, gets me twice a year, every year!
I am trying to figure out the cycle burning. From what I have learned, it is definitely how I want to go. I have got a good feel for the top down start - that is awesome! I get the stove hot and can gradually close it down some while the bottom layer of splits burn to build the coal bed. Add more wood and then gradually close it down again. I have seen some nice secondary burns and feel rather proud of myself for getting something right. I haven't had too many fires where I load wood more than once or twice, but we are getting there.
I understand that there is an ideal range of temperatures to run the stove in - I don't have a flue thermometer yet, but am using an IR on the stove top. As the wood burns down to coals, the stove cools off considerably. It seems that there is still too many coals to add more wood, but at this stage should I open the primary air up again to try to increase the temp? Or just let it do it's thing until time for more wood?
Is there an ideal time/temp to add more wood?
I know there was at least one more.... I think I will just blame the time change for the brain fade, gets me twice a year, every year!