logs charred toward back of stove question

[Jolly Roger]

Hello,

I have a Qaud 3100, burning oak, maple, stacked and seasoned 2 years. Second year with this stove.

My prob is when it's not terribly cold out...let's say 40-50...at the end of a burn cycle, the logs at the bottom of my pile tend to be charred heavily at the back of the stove, but not to ash like wood at the front of the stove...if i don't intervene towards the end of the cycle and relocate these logs near the front and hot coals, they just go cold cold in a solid state.

I usually run my secondary air 80% closed....am I not leaving it open enough on warmer days? It seems on colder days, I don't have this prob.

THX

JR

 

[savageactor7]

Hi JR, shoulder season is a tough time burn good wood slowly...try smaller splits burning hotter.Or you might get better results with seasoned poplar or willow. We're fortunate to have some prime punky wood to burn the past week. What makes this dreck wood so prime you ask? At certain times of the years, usually shoulder season, we can burn it slower to take the chill out without it smoldering.

 

[Jolly Roger]

Thanks Pyro. I will try smaller splits...I did throw a decent sized split in there this AM. Good advice!

JR

 

[EatenByLimestone]

You can also up the air at the end.

I'm burning the odd chunks and shorts now. They don't fit nice and tight like splits so they have plenty of air around them helping them burn.

Now is the time to get the weird wood out of the way so you can burn the nice stuff when it's 5 degrees out.

Matt

 

[LLigetfa]

Burn smaller hotter fires closer to the front when it's not too cold. Don't clean out all the ashes but rather, shove the ashes to the back of the stove. Better to have a hotter burn with some lost efficiency than smoldering wood that dirties up the chimney.