Getting to Ashes

[velvetfoot]

Since it's a little warmer today, I thought I see if I could get the coals down to ashes so I could empty them and not lose any potential energy from the coals. It's been, like, all day and there're still some small hot coals in there. I stir them up periodically and the air lever is open. It's getting a little cool in the house? Anyone with insight on how to expedite the process?

 

[fossil]

Primary air open wide, and crack the door open...that's about all you can do, so far as I know. Rick

 

[wood burning cop]

others on here seem to move everything to one side of the stove and then sift the coals out and put them to the clean side and then scoop out the ashes. some have made homemade tools and others use a store bought one for this.

 

[Snotrocket]

Start scooping them out.

You're going to freeze before every coal in that stove is gone.

Make sure they're in a steel pail and let them sit for a couple of days before you go dumping them anywhere.

 

[fossil]

Yup, lots of folks have ways to separate the coals from the ashes so that they can remove the ashes, but leave the coals in the stove. Rick

 

[velvetfoot]

I think all those methods assume that they're going to scoop out the small hot coals that pass through a sieve, or whatever. I'm almost down to total fluffy ash at this point. Interesting how much the volume decreased. I (and the stove) don't mind if there is no ash layger in there, and that's what I'm going to do in a little while. PS: The wife has been mostly out of the house today, so I'm not getting any negative feedback.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Why mess around? Just slide the hot coals to the side and scoop out the ashes. Be done with it and get another fire going.

 

[velvetfoot]

Because they're not all ashes, it was fairly warm out, and I had the opportunity. They were quite fluffy.

 

[Chettt]

Another way to get "your money's worth" out of every coal is to shovel them out right into the charcoal grill and cook with them.

 

[HotCoals]

Sometimes I use a few cups of pellets to help burn the coals down and raise the stove temp at the same time.
Other times I just move some of the coals and ash to each side and load her up...I have a big magic box though..your results may vary..lol.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Since it's a little warmer today, I thought I see if I could get the coals down to ashes so I could empty them and not lose any potential energy from the coals. It's been, like, all day and there're still some small hot coals in there. I stir them up periodically and the air lever is open. It's getting a little cool in the house? Anyone with insight on how to expedite the process?

Open door, insert shovel, scope out ashes. Repeat until level of ash is at an acceptable level. If some coals get shoveled, so be it.

 

[Heaterhunter]

I'm in the process of this right now. I rake the coals around with primary and secondary open as well as the front doors wide open put the screen on and feel the heat. With all that air to the coals I can soak a substantial amount of heat out of them for about 3 or 4 rakings which takes 1-2 hours then whatever is left coals/ash goes into the steel ash bucket.