Best way to burn a piece of wood with a lot of pitch

[bunfoolio]

I had a large build up of coals so I decided to put in a piece of white pine that had a lot of pitch. I figured that since it was pretty hot at a little over 400 degrees it would be a nice fireworks show. It would be a good way to burn down coals and getting a hotter stove with only putting in once piece of wood. I did get a great fireworks show and it got hotter fast but I looked up at my stack and it was gushing black smoke everywhere. Is there a optimal way to burn pieces of wood with a lot of pitch such that it will not billow out black smoke all over the neighborhood? My Stove is a Olso and I had the air open half way.

 

[bcrtops]

I had a large build up of coals so I decided to put in a piece of white pine that had a lot of pitch. I figured that since it was pretty hot at a little over 400 degrees it would be a nice fireworks show. It would be a good way to burn down coals and getting a hotter stove with only putting in once piece of wood. I did get a great fireworks show and it got hotter fast but I looked up at my stack and it was gushing black smoke everywhere. Is there a optimal way to burn pieces of wood with a lot of pitch such that it will not billow out black smoke all over the neighborhood? My Stove is a Olso and I had the air open half way.

Split it into kindling -- makes for great fire starter sticks. Or, as kindling size, just burn one at a time. Pitch makes such copious amounts of smoke, the secondaries or cat just cannot keep up.

 

[Dinnerbellmel]

What does 'pitch' mean? Sorry for the newb question.

 

[Highbeam]

You probably know it as sap.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

I had a large build up of coals so I decided to put in a piece of white pine that had a lot of pitch. I figured that since it was pretty hot at a little over 400 degrees it would be a nice fireworks show. It would be a good way to burn down coals and getting a hotter stove with only putting in once piece of wood. I did get a great fireworks show and it got hotter fast but I looked up at my stack and it was gushing black smoke everywhere. Is there a optimal way to burn pieces of wood with a lot of pitch such that it will not billow out black smoke all over the neighborhood? My Stove is a Olso and I had the air open half way.

Was that piece dry? I burn lots of pines in my Castine and don't get any more smoke than with hardwoods. It is likely a moisture issue.

 

[blacktail]

Was that piece dry? I burn lots of pines in my Castine and don't get any more smoke than with hardwoods. It is likely a moisture issue.

Not always a moisture issue.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Not always a moisture issue.
View attachment 192262

I really like the looks of those, blacktail. I'd get 'em real dry and they'd pump out the btus. Your hands must have gotten real sticky when processing that one up!

 

[kennyp2339]

Pitch is a naturally occurring hydro carbon, there use to be a whole industry prior to the industrial revolution that revolved around collecting and selling pine pitch.

 

[Jags]

I would think your best bet would be to make sure the stove was running on the hotter side. Bare with me... If the secondary burn tubes are very, very active (hot) it will have a better chance of consuming the off gassing of a pitch laden piece of wood. This line CAN be crossed so I would NOT be loading it with a fresh load of wood with lots of volatiles left in it. A single stick on a hot fire with proper air control (so no overfire) I would think would be the ticket. On my stove - a 400F stove top does NOT have very active secondaries. It takes 550-600F to really get them going. Just one dudes opinion.