Enjoying the No-Kindling Season

[PDXpyro]

Ahhh, it's finally chilly enough here in the PNW that a reliable coal bed is maintained in our unit 24/7. Every year, early on in the burning season I tend to overestimate how much kindling will be needed to get us through the winter, and spend quite a bit of time squirreling away slivers for the months ahead.

However, we haven't needed any true kindling in weeks, since just about anything dry that lands in the stove takes off right away. At this point, I'm more occupied by taking large shovelfuls of live coals OUT of the firebox in the morning to make room for more wood, and that's a luxury of sorts. I've even dumped those hot coals in our small cast-iron hibachi and used them to grill morning sausages, etc. on the deck a time or two. Nice!

 

[jatoxico]

A few sticks of kindling on the coals should help to burn them down and throw a little heat. You don't have to shovel or waste your coals and have a use for the kindling. Although I shouldn't characterize cooking sausages with coals as a waste.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Removing coals from a stove is wasteful except for using in a hibachi. You need to learn how to burn those coals down and use the heat they give. When we get a lot of coals, which we do in the cold, cold weather, we simply open the draft as far as it will go just before the burn is down to all coals. It works. Some will say put a split on the coals and open the draft. Others will tell you to put kindling on the coals. Just try and see what works best for you but don't waste good heat as that is the same as opening your wallet and throwing a few dollars out the window.

 

[PDXpyro]

Removing coals from a stove is wasteful except for using in a hibachi. You need to learn how to burn those coals down and use the heat they give. When we get a lot of coals, which we do in the cold, cold weather, we simply open the draft as far as it will go just before the burn is down to all coals. It works. Some will say put a split on the coals and open the draft. Others will tell you to put kindling on the coals. Just try and see what works best for you but don't waste good heat as that is the same as opening your wallet and throwing a few dollars out the window.

I hear what you're saying, but often when we need a quick bump in house temps in the morning, it isn't quite worthwhile to try to wring the last few btu's out of those residual coals, since clearing out space for fresh wood gives more immediate heat. Just another reason to have *more* than enough wood on hand in order to afford a slight inefficiency in overall output.

I'll redouble my sausage-grilling efforts in order to compensate.

 

[PDXpyro]

I should add that I never shovel all of the coals out in the morning, of course: just enough to make space for a full load of new splits.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Pull the coals up front, throw in a thin split of pine, or a little bark, open the air- you will get a temperature bump (no problem!), and the extra draft will burn out some coals.

Shoveling them out is a waste of BTU's, and adds a potential danger or 2 that you don't need. I've never had to shovel out live coals.

 

[adrpga498]

Hibachi on a wood deck? not so sure I like that move.. Please tell me you never leave it unattended.

 

[peakbagger]

One definite downside to my boiler is its bottom grate design. Never any coals so I am having to relight whenever I need to charge the storage. I have a good draft in the chimney so its doesn't take much to fire it back off just some newspaper under the grate and some cardboard and about 5 or 6 sticks of cedar siding and its roaring.

 

[PDXpyro]

Hibachi on a wood deck? not so sure I like that move.. Please tell me you never leave it unattended.

I always set the hibachi on a good-sized piece of sheet metal for safety when it's on the deck.