I really think it is "chugging". Happened 2x to me. Both immediately upon closing door as completed a reload into a hot bed of coals, top down fire, newsprint on top. This was in the early days with the PH before I knew the fire would light off so quickly and easily from coals. Both instances I lit the newspaper. Second time, had a larger load of wood so had the door open longer. Don't recall outside weather conditions, so really cannot comment as to whether that contributed to things. Both times stopped immediately upon closing draft, so I didn't worry too much. Second event, though, really scared me while occurring. Entire stovepipe/chimney assembly shook like Billy-be-damned (I'm certain any creosote that may have been there was shaken loose)and the rumbling sounded like a freight train. My theory: Took long enough reloading so the bottom layer of wood was charring nicely, putting out lots of volatile gasses before I lit the newsprint. I have an interior chimney, really good draft in the worst scenario. Had the door open a relatively long time to load, so lots of time for unrestricted air to work on that newly loaded wood. Lighting that newsprint was all that was needed to spark the gasses in there, instant ignition of the whole shebang and maybe that is where the expression shebang came from...The main event occurred as I was closing the door. Once the main event had occurred, most of the excess air had been used up...wasn't being supplied freely anymore, although for a few seconds the flue was wide open. So burn rate was already slowing down, and presumably less volatile gasses already being produced. Instant I closed the damper completely, everything stopped. = no more excess air, no more excess burning, no more excess gasses, everythibg the way it should be. I have not used newsprint since at the top of the stove, and have used no starter of any sort (newsprint/white birch bark) unless starting from a cold start. Have not had any repetition of this scary event since, and the stove starts just ine. I do think I may talk with Woodstock about cautioning people about the possiility of this type of event, and how to avoid it, because it is frightening, and I never had it in all my years of burning with the Fireview. This is just such a well designed efficient stove that when we feed it too rich a fuel combination it explodes into flame. Takes very little to get this beauty going, which noone would believe who hadn't seen it. I'm spoiled now. So used to its ease of start that I can't imagine going back to a lesser stove....
Has anyone had this event occur other than at the beginning of a burn/flue wide open? Anyone still having it occur taking precautions about introducing flame prior to damping down the stove in a scenario of a hot bed of coals?