Burning Chunk

[SolarAndWood]

I took a few days off this week while the kids were on break. As my dry wood supply is never what I would like it to be, I figured I might as well experiment with burning some chunk from my late summer/fall processing.

7:50 AM nice hot bed of coals by leaving the door open for 15 minutes

7:52 AM a bed of 2 year dried small splits of lesser varieties well lit

7:55 AM chunks loaded up

7:59 AM chunks well under way by leaving the door propped

8:20 AM chunks charred and no hissing after 20 minutes with the door closed

8:22 AM cat lit right off after 2 mins with the bypass closed

I've been doing this a few days now and haven't noticed any gunk in the cap which is where I usually get the you are burning stuff you shouldn't be burning indicators. Turning the stove down stalls out the cat but running wide open is OK when its cold out and I still get 12 hour burns. Certainly not as ideal as burning the ideal length 2 year plus dried stuff, but this saves a little bit of it for when I need it.

 

[ecocavalier02]

this is what im bout to start doing now. i did this in the beggining of the season i just left by pass open longer and left it on 3 for 20 to 30 min then to 2.5 for a little then to 2 then after an hour or more down to 1.5 no problems in the flue or cap getting plugged. i always load on a nice hot bed of coals to get it to up and roaring fast. i to am running low on the good primo wood this year. i should be all set next year though with enough normal wood. my goals is to let the chunks and uglies season for a couple yaears as well to. just makes it easier not having to leave the bypass open so long.

 

[henkmeuzelaar]

I took a few days off this week while the kids were on break. As my dry wood supply is never what I would like it to be, I figured I might as well experiment with burning some chunk from my late summer/fall processing.

7:50 AM nice hot bed of coals by leaving the door open for 15 minutes

7:52 AM a bed of 2 year dried small splits of lesser varieties well lit

7:55 AM chunks loaded up

7:59 AM chunks well under way by leaving the door propped

8:20 AM chunks charred and no hissing after 20 minutes with the door closed

8:22 AM cat lit right off after 2 mins with the bypass closed

I've been doing this a few days now and haven't noticed any gunk in the cap which is where I usually get the you are burning stuff you shouldn't be burning indicators. Turning the stove down stalls out the cat but running wide open is OK when its cold out and I still get 12 hour burns.

Certainly not as ideal as burning the ideal length 2 year plus dried stuff, but this saves a little bit of it for when I need it.

Congratulations with a very detailed and well illustrated report!

This should encourage some of us to become a bit more adventurous in using cat stoves with less than perfectly seasoned wood, if planned and managed carefully.

Henk

 

[Beetle-Kill]

WOW! I can honestly say I've never had coal bed like that. And you don't even have much ash in there. That is drool worthy.

 

[SolarAndWood]

coal bed like that

Compliments of a load of locust last night.

 

[SolarAndWood]

if planned and managed carefully.

Henk, I don't think I can overstate what a mess you can make of your stove and stack if you aren't very careful doing this. I never leave these chunks near the stove as my wife is a throw a log on the fire style burner.

 

[SolarAndWood]

my goals is to let the chunks and uglies season for a couple yaears as well to.

I haven't found this to work with the uglies but the chunks seem to do fine. In an ideal world it would all be ideal length, of high density, dry and nicely stacked in a shed outside the door. I've got 3 cord of 2 year dry stuff under a roof outside the door, but I will sacrifice some chunks to extend it until my pipeline catches up.