dry locust does not seem to produce enuf smoke and the flame is blue?

[SmokeyCity]

Im burning some *extremely* dry locust right now. I stoke up a raging hot bed of coals then throw the pieces in and immediately they burst into flame. I gradually back down the air until I can watch the charring on the bare (no bark) splits turn the wood dark brown and can see the stark contrast line of coloring advance along the surface. What is strange is that there is no smoke and the flames coming are dark blue with some orange at the tips of the flames.

What im wondering is if im getting secondary combustion. I see flames across the top of the baffle but the flame scoming out of the holes are dark blue like the flames coming out of my gas range

AmI getting 2ndary combustion even though I see no smokeinthe firebox or on the glass ??

Is it burning too hot ?

 

[pastera]

my insert is cruising along with the blue flame right now - deep bed of coals with two 4" rounds, doesn't take much for a 1.4cf box

I wouldn't worry if you are getting predominately blue flames

If nothing is glowing you are probably fine.

Aaron

 

[begreen]

Sounds pretty normal for locust. If you're concerned, I will take it off your hands.

 

[SmokeyCity]

Sounds pretty normal for locust. If you're concerned, I will take it off your hands.

LOL I love the heat. My red oak puts out way more smoke and volatiles than the locust and it produces a far more spectacular light show.

The locust burns a little hotter tho.

 

[North of 60]

Im burning some *extremely* dry locust right now. I stoke up a raging hot bed of coals then throw the pieces in and immediately they burst into flame. I gradually back down the air until I can watch the charring on the bare (no bark) splits turn the wood dark brown and can see the stark contrast line of coloring advance along the surface. What is strange is that there is no smoke and the flames coming are dark blue with some orange at the tips of the flames.

What im wondering is if im getting secondary combustion. I see flames across the top of the baffle but the flame scoming out of the holes are dark blue like the flames coming out of my gas range

AmI getting 2ndary combustion even though I see no smokeinthe firebox or on the glass ??

Is it burning too hot ?

That all sounds like a good thing to me. Burning too hot should be referenced by your stove top thermo.
I get the same blue flames at the face of my CAT with my well seasoned pine. Air and fuel ratio at its best.

 

[dafattkidd]

The thing with Locust is it smells terrible when you burn it. I burned about two cords of it this winter. Loved it, but it is so stinky. One of my neighbors was burning locust tonight. I could smell it. Good heat. Good coals. Seems to season quick, but smells like an old butt.

 

[Wood Duck]

You need to see smoke in order to have secondary combustion. I often (usually?) don't see smoke in the firebox when I see secondary combustion. Much of the gases that burn up in the secondaries are invisible or at least hard to see.

 

[smokinj]

Sounds pretty normal for locust. If you're concerned, I will take it off your hands.

LOL I love the heat. My red oak puts out way more smoke and volatiles than the locust and it produces a far more spectacular light show.

The locust burns a little hotter tho.

Black locust, hedge apple both will burn like that....Enjoy you will miss it when its gone!

 

[Jags]

The density of the wood slows down the off gassing. "less" smoke would probably be a better description (you may not even see it, but it is there). You don't have to see rolling flames for the secondaries to be doing their job. Locust makes for some great fuel.

 

[firefighterjake]

Sounds to me like everything is normal . . . just burning with very good and seasoned wood with the result that you're not producing a lot of smoke . . . but are getting the BBQ propane grill jets of flame . . . one of the three commonly described signs of secondary burn (the other two being the Northern Lights where the flames burst like fireworks -- maybe I should rename this the Fireworks Display -- and the oft-seen and described Oh-no-I've-opened-a-portal-to-hell-in-my-woodstove-and-will-surely-burn-my-house-down secondary.)

As to whether or not things are too hot . . . depends on the overfire temp of the stove and what your thermometers are registering . . .

 

[SmokeyCity]

The thing with Locust is it smells terrible when you burn it. I burned about two cords of it this winter. Loved it, but it is so stinky. One of my neighbors was burning locust tonight. I could smell it. Good heat. Good coals. Seems to season quick, but smells like an old butt.

I mix with cherry and apple - I have a lot of both

 

[SolarAndWood]

You must be stocked with the good stuff, I can't imagine burning locust at the end of March.

 

[smokinj]

You must be stocked with the good stuff, I can't imagine burning locust at the end of March.

And whats up with the blue flame! lol

 

[SmokeyCity]

You must be stocked with the good stuff, I can't imagine burning locust at the end of March.

I couldn't resist trying it out - it got down to 30 here so I threw in some cherry apple and locust