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  1. kayakkeith Member

    joined: Sep 20, 2010
    174 posts
    West Virginia
    So I have a Woodstock Keystone and the question is........
    The stove is at about the 3 hour stage of burning with cat engaged- stove temp is around 350 or so- down to a big bed of coals that I need to stir up and push together- so I disengage the cat and open the door to push the coals around and when I am done close the door and re engage the cat - door is only open about 30 seconds or so

    Any issues
    #1

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  2. pen Super Moderator

    joined: Aug 2, 2007
    6,075 posts
    N.E. Penna
    There shouldn't be an issue with that, but what was the reason for pushing the coals around?


    pen
  3. kayakkeith Member

    joined: Sep 20, 2010
    174 posts
    West Virginia
    Just to break them down and get them to burn down to get another load in
    I usually wait about 30 minutes after I do that and I have some more room for the reload
  4. pen Super Moderator

    joined: Aug 2, 2007
    6,075 posts
    N.E. Penna
    If you are opening the air up at the same time to help burn those coals down then you are doing fine.
  5. weatherguy Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 20, 2009
    2,716 posts
    Central Mass
    I do the same thing, I rake the coals in a pile together up front, open the air and engage the cat, as long as your still up to temp your ok.
  6. Todd Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 19, 2005
    8,804 posts
    Lake Wissota
    I never need to rake the coals, I just open up the air if I want to burn them down quicker.
  7. jeff_t Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 14, 2008
    2,695 posts
    SE MI
    I find that the coals burn down more completely if I don't stir them up. Sometimes I have to dig them out of the sides of that big firebox, though. The other day I had almost a full split on one side that was charred, but still intact. It flamed right up and off gassed like crazy. The other side had a full split, but it was pretty light, and broke of after I beat on it with the poker a few times. This was after 36+ hours, though, and the cat was getting down in the inactive zone. Got me through till evening ;)
  8. Backwoods Savage Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 14, 2007
    24,181 posts
    Michigan
    I've known folks who have burned less than perfect wood and with this, you will get some extra coaling. Raking the coals can help in burning them up a bit faster so it is okay to do that. For sure open the bypass before opening the firebox door else you will get a face full of smoke. Then after closing the door, engage the cat again.

    One thing we found for burning down a big coal bed is to open the draft full when the stove top gets down to maybe 350 or even 400. Not much worry about all the heat going up the chimney at those temperatures and by the time the stove is down to 300, most of the coals have burned. It works.

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