Burning Cycles...am I doing it right?

[Stax]

Okay, so I think BB said this in another thread. Start a fire with a couple small splits and some kindling. Once that burns down and gives you a good coal bed and the box drops to 300-350, rake em forward and load the stove. Once a good flame is established, close her down in increments of 3 (hold on, BG might have said that) usually in 10 minute intervals.

I've done this now twice (I don't put a full load in, usually 3-4 medium sized splits running N/S and parallel), and it has worked pretty well for me. Is this the correct way to burn?

 

[pen]

If I put just a few in, I try to place them in the shape of an "A" 2 on bottom, 1 on top. Or stacked somehow like that.

pen

 

[joecool85]

I'm gonna have to try raking the coals to the front like that. Do you rake everything to the front or just the coals and try to leave an ash bed on the rest of the stove? I normally can get a fire going from coals, but only if I have a nice hot coal bed, if it's just maybe 1/4 of the stove in coals then I can't get it going and have to use the lighter (butane torch actually hehe).

 

[oldspark]

I'm gonna have to try raking the coals to the front like that. Do you rake everything to the front or just the coals and try to leave an ash bed on the rest of the stove? I normally can get a fire going from coals, but only if I have a nice hot coal bed, if it's just maybe 1/4 of the stove in coals then I can't get it going and have to use the lighter (butane torch actually hehe).

What kind of wood is that, soft Maple, Elm, Cherry, and Green Ash take off real easy in my stove with only a small amount of coals.

 

[nate379]

I spread the coals out evenly, let them cook for 5-10 mins if it's been a day or so since I've loaded the stove and throw the wood in, load it as much will fit in the stove.
The stuff I'm burning now is dry enough I can pretty much light it with a match.

 

[joecool85]

I'm gonna have to try raking the coals to the front like that. Do you rake everything to the front or just the coals and try to leave an ash bed on the rest of the stove? I normally can get a fire going from coals, but only if I have a nice hot coal bed, if it's just maybe 1/4 of the stove in coals then I can't get it going and have to use the lighter (butane torch actually hehe).

What kind of wood is that, soft Maple, Elm, Cherry, and Green Ash take off real easy in my stove with only a small amount of coals.

Mixed softwoods mostly. Primarily pine and fir but with some willow and a little birch with a few pieces of maple. If I have a good bed of coals it will light off the cordwood in 30 seconds to a minute, but if it's died down too much it will light in 5-10 minutes with a good deal of smoldering first unless I give it a hand with the flame, then it's still off in a minute or so. I've only been burning since Friday night, so needless to say - I'm still new! My wood seems good and dry though and most of it has been cut, split and stacked for 2 years now. We have no problem getting the stove up to temp, 550F isn't too hard to get to and cruise at and that's the maximum continuous burn temp for this stove (it has a convective heat shield).

 

[oldspark]

I'm gonna have to try raking the coals to the front like that. Do you rake everything to the front or just the coals and try to leave an ash bed on the rest of the stove? I normally can get a fire going from coals, but only if I have a nice hot coal bed, if it's just maybe 1/4 of the stove in coals then I can't get it going and have to use the lighter (butane torch actually hehe).

What kind of wood is that, soft Maple, Elm, Cherry, and Green Ash take off real easy in my stove with only a small amount of coals.

Mixed softwoods mostly. Primarily pine and fir but with some willow and a little birch with a few pieces of maple. If I have a good bed of coals it will light off the cordwood in 30 seconds to a minute, but if it's died down too much it will light in 5-10 minutes with a good deal of smoldering first unless I give it a hand with the flame, then it's still off in a minute or so. I've only been burning since Friday night, so needless to say - I'm still new! My wood seems good and dry though and most of it has been cut, split and stacked for 2 years now. We have no problem getting the stove up to temp, 550F isn't too hard to get to and cruise at and that's the maximum continuous burn temp for this stove (it has a convective heat shield).

Well it sounds like your wood is plenty dry with the 30 seconds light time, I would just rake the coals together leaving as much ash as you can in the back and place your splits on the coal pile.

 

[joecool85]

Well it sounds like your wood is plenty dry with the 30 seconds light time, I would just rake the coals together leaving as much ash as you can in the back and place your splits on the coal pile.

That's kinda what I thought. If I take a piece of my pine for instance, and push it down into the coals, sometimes it will light up while I'm still loading the stove Nothing like a piece of pine to get the stove fired, then birch on top to keep it hot. I don't have any oak and probably won't because I don't have space to let it season for 2+ years.