2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[Beldin]

That sounds a little low, but I guess they are pine numbers. Still, 2.75cf firebox on that stove.

He didn't eat to give bs numbers. So he was being ultra conservative. That's with cutting down, bucking, splitting with in a few days. No seasoning, just bare, standing, better kill, lodge pole.

I burn my princess insert when it's 60 degrees outside. These stoves crank WAY down, and the more you turn 'em down the less wood you use. You do need reasonably good draft to burn very low, though.

That is what I'm looking for. Part of my home had an upstairs. Terrible layout, and cold. I am going to open up a 221/2 inch square hole above the hearth (within 5 feet) and make a homemade register. I will have great draft. So I plan on flooding alot of that heat up stairs which will not stay in the home too long anyway.

 

[Beldin]

I just use the plug tool, run it around the opening then put the plug back. Easy breezy!

Huh. They never mentioned that. We'll great! Bells and whistles that will work.

 

[Poindexter]

I use the ash plug on my 30.0.

Less airborne crud in the house.

Run the tool around the perimeter of the hole like webby described, works great.

And i can do it while the stove is hot to keep the ashbed in the floor of the stove in the sweet zone without having to shut down. Just push the coals to the back, ise the tool to pull the plug, get your hockey stick on, replace the plug, spread the remaining ashes, spread the coals, reload, empty the drawer.

I wasnt a believer until i realized i could do it hot, and without making a mess.

 

[Beldin]

I use the ash plug on my 30.0.

Less airborne crud in the house.

Run the tool around the perimeter of the hole like webby described, works great.

And i can do it while the stove is hot to keep the ashbed in the floor of the stove in the sweet zone without having to shut down. Just push the coals to the back, ise the tool to pull the plug, get your hockey stick on, replace the plug, spread the remaining ashes, spread the coals, reload, empty the drawer.

I wasnt a believer until i realized i could do it hot, and without making a mess.

It looks like the pan was designed to take our hot. Nice thick handle too. Sales rep did tell me not to even use black newspaper for starter. Only suppose to use their little fire starter cubes. No way.

 

[webby3650]

It looks like the pan was designed to take our hot. Nice thick handle too. Sales rep did tell me not to even use black newspaper for starter. Only suppose to use their little fire starter cubes. No way.

I've never shut the stove down to do a clean out. Keep in mind though, the pan will get pretty hot on you way outside with it. So have some good gloves available for this task.

 

[jetsam]

I've never shut the stove down to do a clean out. Keep in mind though, the pan will get pretty hot on you way outside with it. So have some good gloves available for this task.

I don't have an ash plug, and I always do hot cleanouts.

I let it go low enough that there's room to scoop. Move the big stuff off to one side, clean out the other side. Knock the big stuff over to the clean side, repeat. Then the ash bucket goes outside until next cleanout.

When I'm ready for another cleanout, I go outside and pour it the ash bucket from last time into a big deep fryer basket and shake out all the ash. I dump the charcoal in an airtight steel bucket (I throw it back in the stove a few days later, but you could save it for next summer too). The reason for letting the charcoal cool down all the way is that it's easier and safer to handle cool than red-hot.

You could of course cut 2/3 of the process out by just dumping the coal with the ash but I use all my ash and I don't want the chunks in it. I guess the charcoal recycling probably cuts down on my wood usage a tiny bit too. It also saves me from trying to avoid coals when scooping, which is nice.

 

[webby3650]

I don't have an ash plug, and I always do hot cleanouts.

That's the way it should be done. Some people think that in order to use the ashpan the stove has to burned out.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

That's the way it should be done. Some people think that in order to use the ashpan the stove has to burned out.

Maybe that's because the Blaze King Operation Manual instructs to "Wait until the stove is fully cooled off before the removal of ashes."

 

[Ashful]

Maybe that's because the Blaze King Operation Manual instructs to "Wait until the stove is fully cooled off before the removal of ashes."

Maybe that's because the ash plug isn't always over the pan! [emoji14]

True story, my Ashford 30.1 plugs are over the rear edge of my pans, such that some fraction of the hot coals always ends up on the floor behind the pan. It was an issue on the early 30.1's, which BK has since fixed.

 

[Highbeam]

It looks like the pan was designed to take our hot. Nice thick handle too. Sales rep did tell me not to even use black newspaper for starter. Only suppose to use their little fire starter cubes. No way.

I now use only my propane bernzomatic push button torch. Way easier than wax cubes and cheaper than about anything other than newspaper which I haven't used for decades.

 

[webby3650]

Maybe that's because the Blaze King Operation Manual instructs to "Wait until the stove is fully cooled off before the removal of ashes."

Well then maybe I can help people to have a much more enjoyable, successful experience.
That's why I'm here.

 

[SuperJ]

Is there any difference between the Ashford and Sirocco with how they heat (I understand they have the same firebox). I understand the Ashford's cast panels give an integrated convection effect. You can purchase a convection deck for the Sirocco. I'm assuming if you want the heat to spread out in the home a little more convection is desirable (convection heats the air thru thermal currents, radiant heats objects that are within view of the stove). Does this amount to any difference in the real world? Or is the Ashford a better choice if convection is desired?
Also, can the surface of the Sirocco be used as a cook top?

 

[Niko]

just picked up my princess ultra stove . finally I can run my king lower downstairs.

 

[moresnow]

I believe all Sirocco's come with the convection deck from the factory now. Mine did. The top could easily be used for cooking.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

just picked up my princess ultra stove . finally I can run my king lower downstairs.

Congratulations Niko! That looks great. More pics when you get it installed!

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Well then maybe I can help people to have a much more enjoyable, successful experience.
That's why I'm here.

Got attitude?

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Also, can the surface of the Sirocco be used as a cook top?

I had the same question about the Chinook before I purchased it as none of the three dealers within a reasonable drive had one I could look at. The Chinook also has a convection deck and, while you could cook on it, it doesn't get hot enough to quickly boil water or hit saute temperatures like stoves without convection decks. While I don't know how easy it would be to remove the deck on a Sirocco for cooking, or whether that would change the minimum distance to combustibles, why don't you ask Webby? He knows almost everything and exists to make your experience more enjoyable and successful.

 

[webby3650]

Also, can the surface of the Sirocco be used as a cook top?

Absolutely. The convection deck doesn't take up the entire top, so the top of the firebox is exposed to the room. Unlike the Ashford, which is a jacketed stove.

 

[webby3650]

Got attitude?

I have no idea what you mean?

 

[moresnow]

My Sirocco convection deck starts at the back of the stove top and comes ahead towards the front until approximately the middle of my pipe. Very small and not at all a hindrance to cooking area. Cooking would appear to only require a higher thermostat setting than your normal low setting. Never tried it but expect it could be accomplished.

 

[webby3650]

I had the same question about the Chinook before I purchased it as none of the three dealers within a reasonable drive had one I could look at. The Chinook also has a convection deck and, while you could cook on it, it doesn't get hot enough to quickly boil water or hit saute temperatures like stoves without convection decks. While I don't know how easy it would be to remove the deck on a Sirocco for cooking, or whether that would change the minimum distance to combustibles, why don't you ask Webby? He knows almost everything and exists to make your experience more enjoyable and successful.

I've seen you make trouble more often than you help anyone. Get a life dude!
Why would it bother you that I actually want to help people with issues, Rather than just cause trouble and ramble on about things that I have no experience with?

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

I've seen you make trouble more often than you help anyone. Get a life dude!
Why would it bother you that I actually want to help people with issues, Rather than just cause trouble and ramble on about things that I have no experience with?

Got attitude?

 

[jetsam]

Threads look kind of surreal when two people are posting back and forth to each other, but you have one of them on ignore.

"Who's he TALKING to?"

 

[webby3650]

Threads look kind of surreal when two people are posting back and forth to each other, but you have one of them on ignore.

"Who's he TALKING to?"

I'll be joining you my man!

 

[BKVP]

I believe all Sirocco's come with the convection deck from the factory now. Mine did. The top could easily be used for cooking.

Correct.