Break in fire needed for 2nd year castine?

[Soadrocks]

Having our first fire right now, but getting that smell from when we first broke it in last fall. Is this normal? Should we have broken it in again? Please advise.

 

[firefighterjake]

My own take on doing break in fires on the second year is that they can't hurt things . . . and I suspect having a short, lower-heat fire to drive out any possible moisture in the stove cement would help . . . but I also suspect that the type of fires we tend to do this time of year during the shoulder season -- namely partial loads of "junk" (i.e. lower BTU) wood would have a similar effect.

 

[gpcollen1]

The first fire or two of every season is going to smell a bit because of dust or ghosts or whatever burning off...

I never do break in fires like when new...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I agree about the dust burning off. It seems no matter how clean you keep it you will still get this on the first fire of the season. It should not persist though.

 

[firefighterjake]

Oops . . . I missed the really important question . . . yeah . . . like others have said . . . that's most likely the dust burning off that you're smelling . . . completely normal . . . and it should go away after the first burn or two.

 

[cycloxer]

No break in fire is required for the second year of the stove. It was fully cured after the very first few fires.