Question about wood stove discoloration

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Does it stink when you fire it up in the fall?

I most often do nothing with my stoves in spring, I’m too busy outdoors. This year I swept my pipes and cleaned out the stoves in September, just in time to light up again, although I usually do that task a bit earlier in the summer. I haven’t seen any penalty for operating this way, yet. We keep our house air conditioned, so it is pretty dry indoors.

I’ve always suspected I’m a good candidate to have my pipe plugged at the top with hornet nest in the fall, if I sweep the pipe too early in the spring. Those eff’ers are constantly building nests in every corner of this property.