Cold starting without kindling?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.

twcronin

New Member
Oct 18, 2021
8
Wayland, MA
I have an MF fire Nova (single burn rate cat EPA stove), and this is our 2nd winter heating with it. I like the stove a lot in general but we have a relatively strong draft and with no airflow control it burns down to ashes (and maybe some tiny embers) overnight and I need to restart.

I've done a lot of top-down fires for these cold restarts, but recently figured out a way to light the stove with just brown paper grocery bags and splits of wood, no kindling needed. The stove loads from the front (but the long firebox direction is E-W not N-S). To lay the fire I do the following:
1) Put two short splits in N-S on the floor of the stove, at about 1/4 and 3/4 of the width of the firebox
2) Crumple in 3 paper bags, one to the left side, one in the middle, one on the right
3) Lay 2-3 splits E-W on top of the bottom splits and paper
4) Light the 3 pieces of paper from the front, leave the door cracked until the bottom splits catch decently, then close the door and engage the cat once the stovetop temp is high enough

This will nearly max out the stovetop temperature gauge, and burn hot and fast down to a great coal base in 2-3 hours, then I'll do hot reloads for the rest of the day (with no airflow control and a strong draft, the stove eats through wood really fast and it is hard to get as much heat as I want out of it without fairly frequent reloads -- it's undersized for whole-house heating but that was necessary given install location details, etc etc...).

I've seen others talk about methods like this, but usually using kindling in the bottom middle of the stove. There is something about this approach that is borderline magical -- it catches the splits directly, even though I'm not using particularly amazing wood (have heard sizzling and seen some steam bubbling from parts of splits and this has still worked). The use of brown paper bags rather than newspaper is obviously helpful -- they are heavy and have considerably more heat content in them than newspaper, but still light with a match. In terms of wood: we're burning mostly a seasoned but not perfectly dry mix of ash, norway and sugar maples, with some pine, cherry, spruce, and oak mixed in.

Does anyone else use a method like this with other stoves? If so, any thoughts about what makes it work so well? My observation is that the parts of splits bordering the bottom center passage from front to back of the stove seem to ignite very effectively and drive most of the start of the burn. Radiant heat from initial combustion here is certainly almost all going into the wood and not heating the stove or being lost up the chimney.
 
Last edited:
I skip the kindling, but use a quarter puck of SuperCedar instead of the paper.

1. Plow a divot in the ash bed, about 6" square and down to the firebrick.
2. Break a 1/4 off a SuperCedar puck, light, and set it in the divot.
3. Load N-S atop this, no criss-crossing of the splits.
 
I get charged 12 cents a bag plus tax now. I’m doing 1-2 cold starts a day when it’s mild out. Might get to cold start two stoves tonight and have coals for a re light tomorrow but I still need kindling.
 
I second the supercedars! Two splits in the bottom, light a quarter of a puck and toss between the splits. Put one more diagonally across the two, close the door and wait 30 minutes and it's going pretty good by then to the point I can start turning back the air on it. I don't load much wood in at once(can only fit 4 good size splits).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Judge80
On my non cat PE vista initial cold start is top down with two small sleepers kindling NS than two medium splits EW. Two to three diagonal smaller split and some kindling on top. Light with two pieces of fatwood on top for quick ignition and flue temp. I like fatwood and got a 35lb box from LL bean for $30 with my points so will last for years. When stove top goes to 300 rake ashes forward and small split on top of coals with two splits behind. Now if I let it die out to the point of not many ashes but firebox is warm and my insulated flue is still warm I use two pieces of kiln dry kindling 1 fatwood if needed and a few small split on top and it takes off again. Don’t need top down at this point.
 
Cardboard works, it burns slower than paper, but it works in a pinch.
 
Cardboard works, it burns slower than paper, but it works in a pinch.
The ash can plug a cat.

Supercedars are ok for cat stoves and they do a great job. I only need 1/8 of a puck to start dry doug fir from cold.
 
The ash can plug a cat.

Supercedars are ok for cat stoves and they do a great job. I only need 1/8 of a puck to start dry doug fir from cold.
Plus… super handy to have on-hand for starting outdoor fire pit in a breeze or with less than dry hedge trimmings!
 
I have a lot of pinecones on my property and they work great for starting my stove with some sticks. Top down method.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fbelec and spuldup
The major benefit I find with kindling is I’m able to make a quick hot top down fire to heat my flue leading to increased draft and less smoke. If I use two pieces of fat wood without kindling under my splits the process is much slower.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ozarkoak and EbS-P
I skip the kindling, but use a quarter puck of SuperCedar instead of the paper.

1. Plow a divot in the ash bed, about 6" square and down to the firebrick.
2. Break a 1/4 off a SuperCedar puck, light, and set it in the divot.
3. Load N-S atop this, no criss-crossing of the splits.

Im on the use starters band wagon. I was hell bent on my method of two paper towels, some other small assorted stuff above that, then thin pieces of wood then actual pieces of kindling all around. One match and poof.

With a starter, I just haphazardly throw kindling inside, put a tiny piece of starter in between, start...leave the door open a crack for a few minutes, then close the door and away it goes.
 
With most starters (eg. SuperCedar or a fatwood stick), you don't even need kindling, assuming your wood is dry. I just use 1/4 SuperCedar puck, and put 5" oak splits right on that, never an issue!
 
  • Like
Reactions: CentralVAWoodHeat
I know on survival shows, they sometimes use cotton balls soaked in hand sanitizer, or Vaseline. Lights fast, and burns a while.
 
I know on survival shows, they sometimes use cotton balls soaked in hand sanitizer, or Vaseline. Lights fast, and burns a while.
Sounds like survival in Manhattan.
 
I only ever used to use a couple sticks of white cedar and that always worked. Don’t have cedar around my new place so will have to improvise.
 
I lay 3 larger splits N/S then smaller splits E/W. Fat wood and then kindling on top. Top down is the only way I start up now. Like a previous poster said, the flue is heated much quicker and you have draw in a minute or two. My goal at the beginning of the season is one fire one match. Running 100% this season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wildflush
Have used many varieties of kindling over many years. Now I place my dry ash splits in the Jotul 3 and take the propane torch to it for a minute or two. With this warm weather I’m relighting at least once a day. I get over a season with one bottle of propane.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ozarkoak
I second the small propane torch. It uses it with a camping type of push button starter. I get a few years of starts from one bottle. We save all our paper towel and toilet paper tubes. With a well constructed stack of dry splits and a paper tube I can relight a hot stove. If that fails my go to is Diamond strike a fire, fire starter.
 
I lay 3 larger splits N/S then smaller splits E/W. Fat wood and then kindling on top. Top down is the only way I start up now. Like a previous poster said, the flue is heated much quicker and you have draw in a minute or two. My goal at the beginning of the season is one fire one match. Running 100% this season.
Lately I’ve been supplementing my fatwood for dry pinecones on my property. Fatwood is awesome. I keep a few sticks in my hunting pack for emergency use if needed.
 
I do a combo of kindling and a small bit of supercedars (1/8 or so) pick. Get a quick fire that way.
 
Screenshot 2022-08-05 6.44.07 PM.png
Cold starts I fill er up and light at the top and close the door shortly after. Been doing this for years now. Of course having dry wood is key. I use a half of a fire stick (from Menards)
 
or use a stringy split like i used yellow birch lighter on the stringy parts and poof
 
The major benefit I find with kindling is I’m able to make a quick hot top down fire to heat my flue leading to increased draft and less smoke. If I use two pieces of fat wood without kindling under my splits the process is much slower.
I do the same. I save up all the scraps from splitting to use as kindling for the following year. If that runs out I just take a dozen or so dry splits and split them down to 1-2". I build a regular fire with the top middle piece missing. Throw some of the scraps in with a piece of fatwood on top. Light that and it's off to the races. Very little smoke and the flue gets nice and hot. I burn 4 cords a year on average (barely used 2 so far this year) and my chimney is always squeaky clean at the end so I stand by this method!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wildflush