Any tips to cleanly raise coals above the ashes?

[rashomon]

Sorry, I'm afraid this may be a dumb question, as the obvious answer is "sift them out".

I have a Green Mountain 60 burning exclusively pine, and half of it still has 15+% moisture, regardless I don't think it's much better with the wood I knew had 5%. (I've only had the stove 1.5 years and it's been a challenge retrieving wood from my steep backyard to properly season. I will be borrowing my friends ATV early next summer to finally have a proper seasoning.)

Every morning I wake up with tons of coals buried under ash. I leave the air intake open 1/4" in the medium-low burn rate as the manual states "is the typical setting and is preferable if the stove is unattended.At this burn rate, a little goes a long way." On very rare occasions I'll notice somehow the was a more complete burn. Maybe this is due to the Catalytic nature of the stove?

User begreen recommended this scooper which I got but I've noticed the wires are far too close together. I've been using a wire rack for a toaster oven which has much wider spacing, but even that creates a giant mess if I attempt to shake it to allow ash to fall through. I do this within the firebox itself but the plume comes out.

Does a rake work better for some reason?

 

[begreen]

Look for ash shovels or coal sifter. There are several threads on the topic. Here's one:

sifting out embers

Hello all. Got a new woodstove this past summer and am loving it so far. There is one problem I'm having, the embers take forever to die down so I can clean out the ash. I know I can just shovel out the embers with the ash but that wastes a lot of the bucket space and also I'd like to...

www.hearth.com

 

[Garbanzo62]

Metal cat box scooper from walmart

 

[Garbanzo62]

Generally I just use a fireplace poker, I use the scooper when I try to clean ash but want to keep coals

 

[ozarkoak]

The only two tools I use with my stove are a shovel and a weird thing that looks like a small hoe. I push the coals and move the ash with the hoe thingy

 

[stoveliker]

I use this:
Amazon product ASIN B00BZ21BSWSeems smaller holes between the wires than yours. Scoop, shake it a bit (and then shovel out the ashes).

But I only use it when taking out ashes. Before a reload, I simple rake through the layer of ash and coals a bit (with a similar hoe-like thing as above, a bit smaller width), leading to the coals coming to the top. Then reload on top of that, and the coals burn down.

 

[rashomon]

Thanks everyone. Sorry my searching before posting didn't reveal any of the posts already covering this. At least I know it's not just me. I'll try the poker for a week. Next I may try the hoe or the "ember extractor" I saw on youtube. Wouldn't it be nice if I could keep the Powersmith vacuum nearby and to keep everything clean and manage to not let embers get in it. Only $80 at home depot.

 

[begreen]

A stainless kitty litter sifter will get the job done.

 

[ctreitzell]

the panadero ashtray design is great for this, but will never allow a lot of ashes to build up
cuz firebox on the Delice I have is pretty small

I empty ashes once every 24hrs

 

[30WCF]

Push the ashes to the back and pull the coals to the front.
If you have too many ashes, you can scoop them from the back at this point with your long shovel, making more room if needed. I generally don’t need to remove ashes. They will disappear on their own if you burn down some pine or have some hot fires.

I tried the sifters. Now I just do this and toss in another couple splits.

 

[RockyMtnGriz]

Wouldn't it be nice if I could keep the Powersmith vacuum nearby and to keep everything clean and manage to not let embers get in it. Only $80 at home depot.

A regular shop type vacuum (I like the Craftsmans) with a HEPA filter works fine for me. Only for cold cleanup though, one ember in the vacuum could burn the house down.

 

[Sealcove]

I use the thick end of cedar shingle and a welding glove to rake everything over the grate to the ash pan. You would think that the cedar would light on fire, but it is not in contact long enough. I have been using the same shingle for years. There are probably a million better tools, but this works for me, it doesn’t get hot, and is much quieter than a metal object (I tend to get up very early out of habit and don’t want to wake the house when I load the stove).

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Just stirring the ashes with a poker will let the ash fall and bring the coals up.

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

I use a small homemade rake attached to a 36'' steel handle for large embers and red glowing chunks and a welding glove with a cat litter scoop for the small embers, works great.

 

[cahaak]

I posted this before, but I purchased a small seven tine child's rake at Menards and wrapped the handle with foil tape to protect it. I can pull coals forward or push them back with it. What I do, since I burn 24/7 is to push all the coals to the back and then scoop out the ashes in the front. I get a few small coals in the ashes in my metal ash bucket, but no big deal and they eventually go into a large metal ash garbage can for use in the spring.

 

[FTG-05]

Push the ashes to the back and pull the coals to the front.
If you have too many ashes, you can scoop them from the back at this point with your long shovel, making more room if needed. I generally don’t need to remove ashes. They will disappear on their own if you burn down some pine or have some hot fires.

I tried the sifters. Now I just do this and toss in another couple splits.

That's what I do as well.

 

[ozarkoak]

Ordered one of these today.
Amazon product ASIN B004X9NTS4Kind of excited to give it a try.

 

[Caw]

I only really use 4 stove tools: a welding gloves, poker, a rake/hoe, and a shovel. If I need to clean out ash I just move the coals to the side, shovel, repeat, and I'm done. I use my coal rake for the vast majority of things with the stove so it lives right next to the door:

 

[ctreitzell]

I only really use 4 stove tools: a welding gloves, poker, a rake/hoe, and a shovel

oh c'mon, you use the brush too, sometimes!😈

I use my brush daily

 

[Caw]

oh c'mon, you use the brush too, sometimes!😈

I use my brush daily

I've had these tools for 5 years and never used that brush once lol. We got the set because it's kind of cool, modern looking, all black, and not too big. It looks nice next to the stove. I really only use the poker from it. I use my rake for 90% of the work. The poker if I need to get under a log or pry one out from under something. Then the ash bucket wide shovel for cleaning.

Pardon the mess I've been working all week. Today is cleanup day.

 

[Trevor Tahclep]

Ordered one of these today.
Amazon product ASIN B004X9NTS4Kind of excited to give it a try.

For ash removal I use a AshTrap, I purchased this tool 8 inch model 20 to 25 years ago from a gentleman in Ontario Canada, I paid somewhere between $29.95 to $39.95 Canadian ( roughly $22.00 to $30.00 U.S dollars ) for it plus shipping. Unfortunately lost his name and address, if I still had it I would order a couple more for gifts to family. Best ash removal tool around, absolutely no dust, you can pick ashes and red coals with it easily, I use it once per week.

You can see it on you tube:

 

[Pinesmoke]

I've had these tools for 5 years and never used that brush once lol. We got the set because it's kind of cool, modern looking, all black, and not too big. It looks nice next to the stove. I really only use the poker from it. I use my rake for 90% of the work. The poker if I need to get under a log or pry one out from under something. Then the ash bucket wide shovel for cleaning.

Pardon the mess I've been working all week. Today is cleanup day.

View attachment 323710

I see a torch hiding back there. The number of people that see mine and say they would have never thought of that is surprising. Been using one for years to light fires indoors or out.

 

[Caw]

I see a torch hiding back there. The number of people that see mine and say they would have never thought of that is surprising. Been using one for years to light fires indoors or out.

Oh yeah absolutely, I don't know what I'd do without it. Quick lights my fatwood, has good reach to start the fire pit, and can rekindle sleepy coals in a second. One canister of MAP lasts about 1.5 years at my house.

 

[xman23]

Depending how lazy I am i do the following. Easy, clean no ash and burn again and again. Reburing on ash does reduce it somewhat. If I have a cold start in the morning. I use a 4 inch paint brush and sweep the ash back and forth sweeping it thru the floor grate into the ash pan . Then leave all the bigger chunks in the stove.

 

[rashomon]

Push the ashes to the back and pull the coals to the front.
If you have too many ashes, you can scoop them from the back at this point with your long shovel, making more room if needed. I generally don’t need to remove ashes. They will disappear on their own if you burn down some pine or have some hot fires.

I tried the sifters. Now I just do this and toss in another couple splits.

30WCF, What tool are you using? Is that a hoe? I find my coals buried in the morning so my shovel doesn't easily take them from the top. Someone mentioned using a poker and that's been working well in place of my trying to actually sift out the coals using a sifter. I'm surprised you find your ashes disappear!?? What kind of stove do you have? My Green Mountain 60 hybrid creates a lot of ash. I exclusively burn pine and have hot fires (so I think). I don't have an ash grate or anything, but could easily get a few big scoops mixed with coals each morning, or a few big scoops of just ash every few days if I'm able to reburn the coals. The Green Mountain doesn't have a deep entry for ash to lay so maybe it just feels more in the way than your stove's design?

....I get a few small coals in the ashes in my metal ash bucket, but no big deal and they eventually go into a large metal ash garbage can for use in the spring.

May I ask what you use the ashes for in the spring?