If we are really careful -- I mean borderline anal -- about adjusting the primary air on our stove as the fire matures, we get a different looking, and most efficient fire:
If the primary is open too far, the fire burns bright yellow and is consumed relatively quickly.
Shut a hot fire down abruptly, and you get the most spectacular -- but short lived -- result: You know...the spectoral blue wispy flames at the top. 'The "gas stove" appearance at the secondary burn tubes. This fire produces longer useful heat than when burning "wide open", but the wood is not well consumed.
Take a fully involved, well packed fire over 475 degrees (stove top), and close it ALMOST all the way, but play with the setting until it's just right, and something neat happens: The secondary tubes get so hot that they glow pretty brightly. The flames up top build downwards from the top, filling half the box. They are partly blue, but are mostly dim yellowish orange. The secondary is so involved that nothing reaches the tubes unignited, so there is no "gas stove" effect. But the tubes and firebricks stay so hot that they continue to radiate the wood with intense I.R. There's not enough oxygen at the wood for flame, but it is REALLY baked, and continues to "distill" in the hot gasses, releasing (wood alchohol?)and aeromatics, gradually, until it is powder. 'Built a large fire at 8:40pm and refueled at 6:00am and it lit-off easily -- all with lodgepole pine. (firelight 600 cb)
Regards!
If the primary is open too far, the fire burns bright yellow and is consumed relatively quickly.
Shut a hot fire down abruptly, and you get the most spectacular -- but short lived -- result: You know...the spectoral blue wispy flames at the top. 'The "gas stove" appearance at the secondary burn tubes. This fire produces longer useful heat than when burning "wide open", but the wood is not well consumed.
Take a fully involved, well packed fire over 475 degrees (stove top), and close it ALMOST all the way, but play with the setting until it's just right, and something neat happens: The secondary tubes get so hot that they glow pretty brightly. The flames up top build downwards from the top, filling half the box. They are partly blue, but are mostly dim yellowish orange. The secondary is so involved that nothing reaches the tubes unignited, so there is no "gas stove" effect. But the tubes and firebricks stay so hot that they continue to radiate the wood with intense I.R. There's not enough oxygen at the wood for flame, but it is REALLY baked, and continues to "distill" in the hot gasses, releasing (wood alchohol?)and aeromatics, gradually, until it is powder. 'Built a large fire at 8:40pm and refueled at 6:00am and it lit-off easily -- all with lodgepole pine. (firelight 600 cb)
Regards!
great post ...oh by the way...what happened next?
