Shoulder season burning?

[BlackGreyhounds]

As you all know, this is my first season burn for heat. Now that the temps are dropping, we've been doing some burns. My PE T5 has been burning great with nice big loads over night, with no smoke, hot coals and a clean glass in the morning. However, this morning I tried to make a small and hot fire, just to take a little chill off. The stove was cold as we did not burn over night. I made a small top-down fire with three 2-3" splits of nice dry cherry N-S, and a pile of dry cherry and red maple kindling and paper. I never was able to get much of a secondary burn and the chimney was giving off a light white smoke at best, but as the fire burned down to coals I was getting too much smoke and the glass got sooty. I had the air wide open to keep it as hot as possible. Any thoughts? Do I just need to add a little more fuel to get the firebox temp up? Is there a preferred stacking method for small fires? Please do not reply with anything about cats. That is irrelevant.
This was the chimney during the coal stage with the air wide open.

 

[kennyp2339]

Yup, the fire box never got hot enough to create that rolling affect and reburn the smoke, more fuel is needed.
Also keep in mind that when the air is opened all the way the fire box looses more heat through the flue, it takes some practice but usually if you get an established fire going then start banking down the air, it will cause the critical temps to rise and you can get secondary reburn going on a smaller load

 

[Dix]

However, this morning I tried to make a small and hot fire, just to take a little chill off. The stove was cold as we did not burn over night.

Your chimney was also cold.

How cold were the outside temps?

 

[BlackGreyhounds]

Thanks. That makes sense. I was thinking more air = more combustion = more heat = hotter firebox.

Outside temp was low 50s

 

[Dix]

Low 50's will give you a draft problem. You have to get the hot air to rise out of the chimney,

It's hard to do with that outside kinda temps . I'm fighting It right now. 50F outside, dropping to to 35F here tonight.

The brain says "yes, do it", and Mother Nature says no"

 

[BlackGreyhounds]

I built a traditional paper and kindling on the bottom fire with a couple more splits. Got a fine draft right away good secondaries in less than 5 minutes. That's more like it

 

[Dix]

Outside temps are dropping, makes it easier !!

 

[begreen]

Cats like warm hearths.

 

[Dix]

Cats like warm hearths.

Silly BG

 

[begreen]

 

[Smoked]

3rd fire of the short season here. all have been with outside temps in the low 50s at near 100% humidity so draft has been not so great and and have a very uncommon sooty flame view Looking forward to some real fall NW flow weather instead of miserable damp NE flow wedges.

 

[BlackGreyhounds]

Cats like warm hearths.

My T5 is actually a hybrid "cat" stove.

 

[Dix]

My T5 is actually a hybrid "cat" stove.

View attachment 163490

LMAO !!

 

[firefighterjake]

My T5 is actually a hybrid "cat" stove.

View attachment 163490

Like ... looks like I'm on "like" restriction again.

 

[Dix]

Like ... looks like I'm on "like" restriction again.

Happens to me too, Jake