2016-17 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK) Part 2

[webby3650]

In an effort to get the most fuel in the box I was getting pretty skimpy with kindling and then loading outdoor temp, big splits, tightly above the kindling to the roof. I should clarify that most times I am active before the hour is up but with the top down method I use the same amount of kindling on top where the kindling energy boosts flue temps and cat temps more than spending energy warming up the bulk fuel load.

No super cedar for me. I'm all about the torch now. Previously I used a golf ball sized chunk of wax type firestarter which was likely not as intense as a supercedar.

New routine is just working way better. I am getting the same amount of fuel under the kindling as I was before but it's easier to load.

I am certainly not the first person to be happy with the top down method but before I had bad luck with it.

Ditto. I have found the cat probe useless, as an indicator for when to close the damper. I drive by flue thermometer, or just the look of the fire.

"Often"? Mine never takes more than 10 - 15 minutes to closing bypass. Cat always glows within 30 seconds of that.

Define kindling, Highbeam? I just use a few 2x4's or cedar splits of similar size.

Since I completed my woodshed I've not bothered with kindling at all. Full size splits and a starter tucked in there somewhere and off she goes. I have found that it takes off much faster if I leave the door cracked and give it a little extra by propping my fire poker up in front of the door. Rather than letting the door rest on its latch.

 

[jetsam]

It's funny how many slightly different strategies we have for getting to the same place. Similar strategies seem to be grouped by wood dryness.

 

[kf6hap]

I use pine splits only. No kindling. For starting a Rutland starter square with ONE drop of lighter fluid on a corner. Instant starting. When I close the bypass, the cat is immediately aglow, with no elapsed time.

 

[Woody Stover]

For starting a Rutland starter square with ONE drop of lighter fluid on a corner. Instant starting.

With the Meeco squares, I can actually reduce that to ZERO drops of lighter fluid, but it doesn't start instantly, it takes one second. Plus the extra time to split the wafer in half.

 

[jetsam]

I filled 2 ~10 gallon tubs with splitter chips and slivers this summer so I could use them as kindling.

It turns out that I have a BK and this is about 10 years' worth of firestarting materials... Oh well, at least I'm done gathering kindling for a decade or so.

 

[dh1989]

On the fire starter topic I recently made a batch of my own recycling a bunch of otherwise household waste. I save paper egg cartons, sawdust vacuumed up after I cut wood, and bacon/cooking grease. I buy cheap ugly candles for the wax and melt them down in a double burner setup. Stir in the sawdust and cooking grease and pour the mix out into the egg cartons. Once they dry I saw them up into little starters. Considering I only buy the candles it runs me about $0.03 per fire starter. They burn hot for almost a full 10 minutes.

I've been reloading on hot coals for about a month now, but these will be handy in the spring shoulder season.

 

[jetsam]

There's an idea for a faux wood product I could get behind.... BACON LOGS! Sawdust and bacon grease. Bring the delicious smell of bacon to your woodstove today!

 

[kf6hap]

Quartered onions tossed in will make your neighbors think you are Bar B Q ing. I used to use diesel soaked saw dust in years past until the splitter ram started leaking. I don't do this with a cat stove though. Good way to poison the cat. Ram seal is replaced.

 

[webby3650]

It's funny how many slightly different strategies we have for getting to the same place. Similar strategies seem to be grouped by wood dryness.

Haha, sounds like a personal problem.

 

[Woody Stover]

Since I completed my woodshed I've not bothered with kindling at all.

I might put a couple or three kindlings around the starter, that's about it, no Lincoln-log type affair.

 

[huauqui]

Took the opportunity yesterday and gave the chimney a complete cleaning from top to bottom. Emptied the ash out and then carefully vacuumed inside the top of the stove, just for good measure. Now I just have to wait for some cooler weather to use it again.

 

[jetsam]

Haha, sounds like a personal problem.

Keep your dry little twig out of this!

In other news, I think we've entered shoulder season here on LI. 52 yesterday, 64 forecast for today.

The "good" part of the burning season with the roaring flames is over, but here come the 3 months where everyone else goes back to oil/gas/electric and my BK burns 24/7. Thanks, BK!

(This is the least snowy picture I could find from yesterday's dog walk, to support my theory that spring is getting underway.)

 

[Highbeam]

Another benefit of the top down fire with a freshly cleaned glass is the nice fireshow right from the start.

 

[Niko]

just curious to ask those of us who have a pipe prob thermometer at what temp do you close the bypass or do you even use it to meter when to close the bypass? Or are you following the cat gauge no matter what? I am closing the bypas anywhere from thr 400-500 mark, but most of the time my cat meter is still not active. It only takes a couple of minutes to get active tho.

 

[lsucet]

just curious to ask those of us who have a pipe prob thermometer at what temp do you close the bypass or do you even use it to meter when to close the bypass? Or are you following the cat gauge no matter what? I am closing the bypas anywhere from thr 400-500 mark, but most of the time my cat meter is still not active. It only takes a couple of minutes to get active tho.

I use it more to have a better idea of when to closed the door from cold start. When I see it touching/going into 400, I know the fire will keep going cause some draft is already establish, but I go by the cat probe to engage the cat. During the burn I check here and there just to see how is everything going but that's it.

 

[Woody Stover]

are you following the cat gauge no matter what? I am closing the bypas anywhere from thr 400-500 mark, but most of the time my cat meter is still not active.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...rything-bk-part-2.159901/page-21#post-2160131

 

[Highbeam]

just curious to ask those of us who have a pipe prob thermometer at what temp do you close the bypass or do you even use it to meter when to close the bypass? Or are you following the cat gauge no matter what? I am closing the bypas anywhere from thr 400-500 mark, but most of the time my cat meter is still not active. It only takes a couple of minutes to get active tho.

The cat is supposed to be active when it and the smoke running through it are above 500 for ceramic and 400 for steel. The cat meter is slow, delayed, retarded, and if it says active then you are well above 500. Soemtimes, you are awesome enough to get your fire ripping hot really fast and flue temps are well above 500 even though the cat meter says too low. At that point, with a steel cat especially I have gone rogue and engaged the cat with great success even though the cat meter reads inactive. This is contrary to the manual but what's the worse that could happen? If your cat stalls, then it was too soon. My cat has always taken off and glowed (glown) right away and the cat meter catches up.

With a ceramic cat, the thermal shock of an early engagement might be more of an issue. I still would rather not send my flue gasses up to 1000 while waiting.

 

[Niko]

thanks guys, silly of me not buying the probe meter so much earlier. I engage my bypass around the 400-500 mark and have yet to see the cat meter say active even when my flue temps sored closer to the 700 range. Rather be safe as once I close the bypass the flue slowly climbs to the 600-700 mark anyway. It is a lot easier to determine things now with the emphasis of not burning my fuel away either.

 

[kf6hap]

Re-run post:

For my Ashford: 1. If flames are licking up at the cat shield and (2) the flue probe hits 400 it is rollover time! Instant red cat and never fails. Often in less than 15 minutes. No matter where the pointer is, it jumps to the active zone in a few minutes. Pine on the top of the pile greatly helps. Your rollover flue temp might vary but once found the stove is very boring.

 

[dh1989]

I have the Condar Fluegard probe meter. As soon as the pointer crosses into the orange (optimum) 300-400F zone I can close the bypass and the cat (steel) will glow. The cat meter is usually still lagging around 3/4 of the way to active at this point but quickly jumps into active once the bypass closes.

 

[Ashful]

Re-run post:

For my Ashford: 1. If flames are licking up at the cat shield and (2) the flue probe hits 400 it is rollover time! Instant red cat and never fails. Often in less than 15 minutes. No matter where the pointer is, it jumps to the active zone in a few minutes. Pine on the top of the pile greatly helps. Your rollover flue temp might vary but once found the stove is very boring.

This. I have a pipe thermometer on one stove, and I'm always closing the damper when the exterior of the single wall reads 200 - 250F, corresponding to roughly 400 - 500F internal flue temp. The other stove has double wall and no flue thermo, and there I'm just doing it by the look of the fire. Once the load is charred, and burning vigorously, I close the damper. From a cold start, the cat probe will usually be less than half way up into Inactive, but I trust a visibly glowing cat before a slow mechanical probe, any day.

 

[Woody Stover]

once I close the bypass the flue slowly climbs to the 600-700 mark anyway.

What? Flue temp should drop after you close the bypass.

 

[lsucet]

What? Flue temp should drop after you close the bypass.

If after you closed the bypass you let it burn for the 20 -30 minutes recommended, yes it can get there and a little more sometimes. it is normal. Now, if you dial down the draft/stat, yes it should drop, but all depend how hot you are burning.

 

[Ashful]

If after you closed the bypass you let it burn for the 20 -30 minutes recommended, yes it can get there and a little more sometimes. it is normal. Now, if you dial down the draft/stat, yes it should drop, but all depend how hot you are burning.

Correct. Please, please, please ignore all of Woody's advice, he has never even seen a Blaze King, let alone owned one. He really needs to stop giving advice on BKs.

Going back to the earlier point of driving by flue probe vs cat thermometer, here's my stove on a cold start this morning. Glowing cat, probe thermo reading dead cold. It is far too slow to be of any use, here.

 

[Highbeam]

What? Flue temp should drop after you close the bypass.

You're wrong Woody. Might be right about how your Woodstock works but wrong here and a detriment to the thread.

This is why this thread is the BK PERFORMANCE thread and not the "lets mislead people by comparing everything to my woodstock" thread. If you don't have a BK, no experience with a BK, then start your own thread about whatever it is that you have.