Jotul Castine Loading

[G6 at Snook TX]

I am curious, but on a Jotul Castine f400, how full should/can I stuff the box with wood on the cold start up? I start with a super cedar oak and, maybe, hickory. Splits and kindling, but I find I need to start adding wood about 30-45 minutes into the burn to get up to the 625 range on the center of the stove. I have normally started with about 5 small or smallish pieces of wood. The stove is about 1/2 to 2/3 full.

 

[logger]

I am curious, but on a Jotul Castine f400, how full should/can I stuff the box with wood on the cold start up? I start with a super cedar oak and, maybe, hickory. Splits and kindling, but I find I need to start adding wood about 30-45 minutes into the burn to get up to the 625 range on the center of the stove. I have normally started with about 5 small or smallish pieces of wood. The stove is about 1/2 to 2/3 full.

My brother has a Castine that I've started many times. If you have any less dense wood than oak or hickory it will be easier for you to start, but you can still get by w oak and hickory. I start with smaller splits when lighting a fire. Perhaps split a regular size one in half once or twice. Place one by the font door near the air and one in the back of stove and place super cedar in middle. Lay a few small splits on top of the other two as perpendicular as you can with some small air gaps, and then maybe another row on top of that row. The Castine does not have as deep a box as my Oslo, so the rows have to be a little more angled to fit in the stove. Light the super cedar and leave door cracked for a few minutes til the fire takes off then close it, but keep air fully open. When this load burns down a little you can do a full load of regular size splits with air still open until that takes off, then shut her down in 5 or 10 minute intervals. The second loading is what will really bring the stove temp up and get secondaries roaring. With practice, you should be able to hit 500 pretty easy with the first small load, but it will def burn faster from the small splits, so the second load is what will keep her really going. Not hitting 600 on the inital load is pretty normal, as it burns faster. As for loads, I load up as high in the box as possible without touching the burn tubes. This makes it easier for the secondaries to kick in. Good luck.

 

[G6 at Snook TX]

Thanks,

That sounds about like how I do it, maybe add a stick or two more on the first load. Second load is what makes the real heat.

 

[logger]

Yah, I really like the Castines. My bro has the brown enamel which looks pretty sharp. Only reason I got the Oslo was sq footage of my house and the longer burns. How many hours you get out of yours? If you can get 7-8 thats pretty much good enough for overnighters, unless you sleep like a bear.

 

[oldspark]

I have a Summit and my stove seems to be out of sync with a lot of other peoples, I can start a fire from cold and get 600 stove top easily for some reason, that's with some Green Ash or Cherry, the fire does not last that long but it will get good and hot, this is done lincoln log style.

 

[begreen]

I have a Summit and my stove seems to be out of sync with a lot of other peoples, I can start a fire from cold and get 600 stove top easily for some reason, that's with some Green Ash or Cherry, the fire does not last that long but it will get good and hot, this is done lincoln log style.

Taint the stove, it's the person running it. And I don't mean that in the negative. A fire will burn in different ways depending on how you build and nurture it. There are lots of different ways to do this, especially in a large flexible firebox like the Summit's. Stacking lincoln log style allows a lot of air circulation which promotes a vigorous, hot and quick fire. The downside is a shorter burn. For longer burntimes try loading the stove with all splits parallel. North/South gives us a hotter fire, East/West gives us a longer burn. And then there is the wood selection. Last night I built a nice full fire with locust and madrona. 10 hrs later the stove top was at 250F and I had lots of hot coals to take right off with a morning fire. That would be much less likely with softwood.

 

[G6 at Snook TX]

Logger,

If I load up at about 2130 I can relight it at 0600 without much trouble. The temperature will be around 150 on the stove top in the morning. If we ever got real cold (15-20* at night) I might have to get up around two or three and add another log or three on the fire to keep her going. It should be about 25 tonight so it should burn real well with the temperature difference.

 

[Wade A.]

My burn time/schedule roughly coincides with yours, G6.

My typical cold start-up is three medium oak splits +kindling and paper. Two splits E/W with a gap between, topped by a split layed on the bias, door cracked a smidge. When I get flash over, I'll scoot the diagonal split to the back and put a fresh split up front. I'll be at 500* in no time.

 

[WellSeasoned]

From a cold start I use the newspaper, skid pieces and then medium splits.I leave the door open only for a couple minutes tops, and always stay with the stove. I am able to get the secondaries going (around 450f) ususlly within about 20 minutes, than I'll add a few more medium splits, let that cycle through and when the wood is thouroughly burned and in a coal state, I'll put some smaller splits and then large splits on top of that. E/W longer burns, & N/S quicker, hotter burns. Since the stove is 20 " across, I put 16" splits e/w and then around 8 " n/s and the stove really takes off!

 

[rijim]

I start out the same way you do but I burn in cycles, that is, I don't add any wood until down to coals(stove top temp 250) then I reload as much as will fit and repeat the cycle. I usually hit 500 deg in about an hour from cold start.

Jim

 

[logger]

around 8 " n/s and the stove really takes off!

Ok. I was about to ask what the heck you guys were talking about loading n/s in that stove. Guess you cut some shorties for just that.

 

[WellSeasoned]

around 8 " n/s and the stove really takes off!

Ok. I was about to ask what the heck you guys were talking about loading n/s in that stove. Guess you cut some shorties for just that.

Yes, I have shorties just for that. Also, I burn in cycles unless its real cold. When it is, I will reload when the usable heat goes away or when the stove temps descend. That way I have a continuous heat, w/o the chance for cool down. Also, the longer the stove its running, that"radiant" heat gets absorbed in the walls, furniture, floors, ect. thus a warmer house w/o running the stove super hot. There are so many variables its mind boggling. :bug: