New owner of a Manchester 8362 - need help for effective burns

[WhatDayJob]

We just finished the hearth pad install from my previous posts and had the new stove installed the next day. So far I'm loving it—it warms both wings of the house, my office is finally livable, and it looks great. It's also an order of magnitude more efficient than our old VC Defiant Encore.

There's a definite learning curve with the new stove and its temps. I worry that I'm doing it wrong, since the cat temp jumps to the high end of the active range pretty quick, and will often pass into the 'too hot' range, even with the air control lever almost completely closed.

I'm burning lodgepole pine, since that's what we have available. Straight double-walled pipe, about 20' worth.

Any and all advice on getting effective burns and how/where to check temps is appreciated. I haven't pulled the trigger on a probe thermometer yet, but I've got an IR temp gun, and my old analog griddle temp gauge from the old stove. It's currently stuck on the back of the stove where the low-clearance heat shield would go, and it's reading about 400°F.

Other details:
Outside temp is about 19°F right now.
Cat fully engaged, primary air flow lever is just off the righthand stop.
IR temp measured above the side-load door handle is about 490°.

 

[begreen]

A new cat is going to be hyperactive for a week or two. It should settle down over time. Lodgepole pine is pretty volatile so the fire may be a bit lively with thinner splits. Try to burn thick splits to slow down the fire. Don't be afraid to close the air control all the way if need be. There will still be some airwash air and secondary air feeding the fire. Once the cat is active and the bypass is closed, try turning down the air sooner. As long as there is flame and the cat stays active the fire should be ok with the air closing down sooner.

 

[WhatDayJob]

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a shot with the next reload.