So...I have come to believe that with moisture meters, various stoves, different climates , etc...blah, blah, blah...we need a TRUE standard against which we can judge our wood burning results.
I submit to you....the pepperoni taste test.
Some background....over the years I have burned wood of varying qualities and in different systems. The results have been mixed. As a wood burning afficianado I continually seek the best combo for my family. Battenkiller, Backwoods Savage and a few select others have supplied incredible, but sometimes conflicting, information. What to do?
2 years ago I entered the phase some may know as WTHAID? aka "what the hell am I doing?" I struggled but, by chance, I discovered...I KNEW what to do!
One morning, pacing near the stove I accidentally dropped some, ok, quite a bit, of pepperoni slices on the stove. Don't judge, I work night shift and bourbon washed down by pepperoni is not unheard of....
So... As I am picking slices off of the Shenandoah I realize...some slices taste better than others. Thanks to the bourbon I don't know if the slice has been on the stove 5 seconds or 5 days. All I really know is that some pepperoni slices REALLY tasted much better than others. A few days, a few bottles, a cord, and who knows how many pounds of processed meat later someone found me. The intervention was not pretty.
Realizing my addiction I chose to check into a self-help facility. Yes, I mean rehab; worse yet, it was an oil heated facility but, I knew that if I were to heal myself I must make sacrifices. My poison wasn't available in ANY form. So...I sucked it up.
Finally, I came home. My loving family, wishing to avoid me any possible stress which could lead to a relapse, provided me with, comfort, nourishment, and, knowing my preference for a warm stove, the Shenandoah was well into the coaling stage. A day or two go by and I realize...I have a fully stocked ...
...fridge!
My poor family thinks it was all about the bourbon....suckers!
I work feverishly! Finally, months later, I discover, 27 seconds per side, per slice...the perfect stove temp. I am warm and my quest is over.
So... I submit to you..as the cops are beating on my door looking to bring me to the local looney bin for an eval, my family is filing multiple probate suits, and my co-workers are wondering, "Is that nut job coming back?"...should I cover my pepperoni if I am ever let near a stove again? Is a manually knife ok for slicing or should I go electric?
I submit to you....the pepperoni taste test.
Some background....over the years I have burned wood of varying qualities and in different systems. The results have been mixed. As a wood burning afficianado I continually seek the best combo for my family. Battenkiller, Backwoods Savage and a few select others have supplied incredible, but sometimes conflicting, information. What to do?
2 years ago I entered the phase some may know as WTHAID? aka "what the hell am I doing?" I struggled but, by chance, I discovered...I KNEW what to do!
One morning, pacing near the stove I accidentally dropped some, ok, quite a bit, of pepperoni slices on the stove. Don't judge, I work night shift and bourbon washed down by pepperoni is not unheard of....
So... As I am picking slices off of the Shenandoah I realize...some slices taste better than others. Thanks to the bourbon I don't know if the slice has been on the stove 5 seconds or 5 days. All I really know is that some pepperoni slices REALLY tasted much better than others. A few days, a few bottles, a cord, and who knows how many pounds of processed meat later someone found me. The intervention was not pretty.
Realizing my addiction I chose to check into a self-help facility. Yes, I mean rehab; worse yet, it was an oil heated facility but, I knew that if I were to heal myself I must make sacrifices. My poison wasn't available in ANY form. So...I sucked it up.
Finally, I came home. My loving family, wishing to avoid me any possible stress which could lead to a relapse, provided me with, comfort, nourishment, and, knowing my preference for a warm stove, the Shenandoah was well into the coaling stage. A day or two go by and I realize...I have a fully stocked ...
...fridge!
My poor family thinks it was all about the bourbon....suckers!
I work feverishly! Finally, months later, I discover, 27 seconds per side, per slice...the perfect stove temp. I am warm and my quest is over.
So... I submit to you..as the cops are beating on my door looking to bring me to the local looney bin for an eval, my family is filing multiple probate suits, and my co-workers are wondering, "Is that nut job coming back?"...should I cover my pepperoni if I am ever let near a stove again? Is a manually knife ok for slicing or should I go electric?
