Don't ~pine~ if I do!

[Bster13]

Last night's hardwood load went from 7:30pm until I reloaded this morning with a load of uglies. Stove room is 74F. I wanted to use some tips I've learned from some recent posts to go for an even longer burn:

- N/S loading (easier, can see gaps easier to stuff in more wood. I've always done N/S to fit bigger splits)
- Rake coals to the front of the stove before reloading N/S to do a "cigar" burn (never rakes squat)

I reloaded at 10:25 with a massive base of coals, raked them forward and loaded PINE (well conifer of some sorts). When I first started to collect wood I took any wood I could get my hands on, and pine was the first stuff I could find so I took it and C/S/Sed it in Nov of 2012.

So the race is on, slow and steady!

 

[HotCoals]

Pine will sure out gas fast and hard..cat loves it.
That said if not careful it will be a inferno with a full load of it.

 

[Bster13]

It definitely burned well when I had the bimetal thermostat all the way open, but seems "normal" now that I have the insert on "1 dot." Just loafing away...

All this time (ok, maybe 1.5 weeks as a new burner, haha) I've been loading E/W and not raking coals and have been floored with the burn times, love it, but if it gets better whoa nelly!

 

[HotCoals]

Ok just be careful with the full loads of pine but for sure burn it!
I once put a bunch of really old pine boards in my stove and left the air open a little to long. Man did it get wild!
Even after shutting the air down it was crazy in there..actually had me worried some.
But after awhile it settled down.
I either just mix some pine in or just use a smaller load for a fast warm up.

 

[HotCoals]

Looking at your pics and watching my stove I have come to think the only reason the middle upper of the glass stays clean is because of the heat from the cat.
There is so little air washing over the glass when the air is way down.

 

[Bster13]

That may be a good point about the CAT keeping the upper glass decent, didn't think of that.

As for the pine, I guess I watched it better so it never had a chance to get away before I got it settled in. I once did a LOT of kindling and limbs, and that got hairy for a bit.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Lol...we're burning pine now. Only pine. Probably 12% MC. About a half load, since it's only 40 and a bit windy (extra draft). Cruising at about 550. Pine's fine. Just control it

 

[Seanm]

We have coals from our overnight burn so my wife threw some pine on. I will be burning lodgepole all day.....

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Pine, have seen it take off and get out of control quickly. It's a nice quick hot burn, more of a teaser. You will have to get off your easy chair more often for relaods

 

[Bster13]

Well it's not 12:45 hrs later and the fire (of pine) still has some fight in it:

The stove room is 78F with the windows open, the rest of the house is 71F. This is with the blower on low and the thermostat on 1-1.5 all day. I turned the thermostat all the way open to try and get a decent pic of the leftover coals through the blag smog, but no luck. It's now turned back down to 1.5 dots. I'll prob reload right before bed. There are a LOT of coals in there still. Pine works for me, whatevs...

 

[STIHLY DAN]

I think it's the appliance not the wood. This is why it's best to buy quality, not price.

 

[BrotherBart]

I think it's the appliance not the wood. This is why it's best to buy quality, not price.

You know better than that. Wet wood ain't gonna burn worth a damn in a $50,000 stove. I burned all of those cords of pine in my Englander 30. After it was dry enough.

 

[fossil]

You all bring smiles to the faces of those of us out here where the hardwoods don't grow. We burn Pine and other Conifers...and that's all we burn. Somehow we've managed to survive for generations. I've never had a stove "run away" just because I filled it up with Pine. Rick

 

[1750]

I cut up a bunch of big hemlock in the early spring. I barked it, and could finally split it about 4 months later. Following Backwoods' sage advice, I split it small and it seems light and dry. I'll check the MC soon, but won't be surprised if we can burn it later this winter.

 

[STIHLY DAN]

You know better than that. Wet wood ain't gonna burn worth a damn in a $50,000 stove. I burned all of those cords of pine in my Englander 30. After it was dry enough.

I didn't mean that. I meant a long burn time on a lesser BTU wood like pine. There are not many appliances that can get a 10 hr burn on eastern white pine.

 

[dafattkidd]

Although BKs seem to be in a league of their own in most circumstances, it seems that stretching loooooong burns from soft woods is the most amazing feat of all.

My insert is a beast and cranks out heat, but that load of pine wood have exploded into the 800s then cooled down to 250 within 6 hours or so. Small splits of pine loaded NS like that go nuclear quick.

 

[weatherguy]

I burn pine all the time, it doesn't last as long as oak but it still lasts pretty long in a BK, I look at pine now just as I look at maple and other softer hardwoods and take all I can get.

 

[blades]

Heck it's shoulder season here and I have a big pile of willow to get rid of, & a pile of pine cutoffs ,through the stove of course. So it is willow, pine, and spliter uglies/trash burn time.