Banking Coals

[dafattkidd]

This extended shoulder season (mild December) has led me to begin using the strategy of banking coals. I read about this last year but have only started implementing it this year and haven't heard much about it so thought it was worth writing about.



Banking coals is when you have some coals that are great for a relight, but you don't need to relight, so you shovel the coals onto a back corner and cover them with a blanket of ash. This preserves your coal bed for an extended period of time allowing for longer periods of time between relights.


I love this strategy and it has been working out well for me this year. Anyone else banking coals? Hope that helps.

 

[certified106]

I have been utilizing this method for the early part of this burning season due to the mild temps and it works great! I would load the stove up and get it going at night and then shut it down. The next morning before leaving for work I would push the coals for that night into the back corner and throw a shovel full of ash on them. If I needed a bit more heat in the morning I would pull some forward and place them on one side of the front of the stove and light a 2-3 pieces of wood off of them after banking the rest in the back which would take the chill off and and get me through to that night. I was floored with how long the coals would keep in the back corner of the stove.

 

[LLigetfa]

I just leave them undisturbed nestled in the ashes for as long as possible and then rake them out when I need them. Ja, they would keep longer if carefully buried but not worth the effort for me just to save 1/4 of a Super Cedar or a bit of kin'lin.