Is this creosote?

[jackiel]

I saw this pool of blackish tar on the stove pad underneath the clean out section of the stove pipe last summer. This happened when the outside temperature got above 94 degrees.
I’m getting a pellet stove pipe cleaning brush this week to brush the pipe out.
I cleaned the stove regularly when I used it last winter. Stove is a Harman XXV and only using Somerset Pellet Fuel pellets.
What should I be doing to avoid this happening?

 

[johneh]

If you run your stove on low all the time you will get creosote
Run the stove on high now and again to burn out (bad choice of words)
dry up the creosote and it will flake off the pipe easier to clean (brush)

 

[jackiel]

Thanks. I did run the stove on low most of the time. I will get some pellets this week and run the stove on high.