Kindling Consumption and Startup Procedure

[Quirke]

I understand the rationale behind using dry wood and needing to get these catalytic stoves up to operating temperature before closing the bypass and putting the catalyst to work.

The manual's startup instructions of just using kindling before slowly adding small logs sounds like it will require a lot of kindling and time to restart a cold stove.

In my secondary burn Jotul I found that startup was fastest and easiest with the top-down method, but after some practice with controlling airflow via side door, ashtray, and damper it would start quickly with a full load of normal split pieces and a few big pieces of birch bark.

I know that the King 40 has optimized airflow for operation with the catalyst, but its large firebox seems like it would favour the top-down method, rather than constantly feeding a small kindling fire.

Is there an issue with using top-down that I'm missing? I could see big pieces holding excess moisture that slows down startup, but I'll be burning 2+ year seasoned wood with <15% moisture.

I'm trying to gauge how much kindling I should prepare. The long slow burn times should reduce the number of cold starts I'll need to do, but if a lot is needed each time I want to be prepared. I only used a few buckets worth before relying solely on birch bark so I don't even have much of a reference.

Thank you for your input.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I consider birch bark as kindling. Kindling is the fastest way to get a stove up to temperature. So, if you stuffed the box full of dry kindling and set it on fire, it’d get hot fast. Most people figure out what works for them through experience. We all have different time lines as to what’s an acceptable amount of time to get warm. Gather as much as you can. If you find it’s too much, stuff it in voids between splits or save it for future years.