What Is In Your Stove Right Now?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
34, going down to 27 overnight. Windy. Last night's 9 pm load was done at 3 pm, so I cruised on a branch, a short split, and two more branches to keep it warm and keep some coals for easy and efficient relight at night while using the minisplit during the day.

Reloaded again at 9 pm with maple for overnight.
Split some sassafras splits into 1-2" splits and put them within radiative distance of the stove as they were still a bit too wet. Hope to be able to use them in a few days for the "keeping it warm" process during the day.
 
Low of 33 by morning, I'm burning whatever is next in line,, which happens to be elm, elm and elm. I didn't realize I had so much elm, but the Dutch Elm Disease leaves it's signature behind.
 
What can I say; the angled air tubes at the top sides in the BK firebox make it hard to play proper stove tetris. Or maybe it's that I have to empty out some ashes soon. Nevertheless, it's full of maple again. Will burn a little higher tonight b/c it'll be 24 F. Tomorrow still warm enough for the minisplit during the day.

I found the (1-2" dia) trunk of the christmas tree of last year in my stack today. Nice and dry. That'll keep some coals glowing tomorrow during the day for an easy restart with a real load in the evening.
 
What can I say; the angled air tubes at the top sides in the BK firebox make it hard to play proper stove tetris. Or maybe it's that I have to empty out some ashes soon. Nevertheless, it's full of maple again. Will burn a little higher tonight b/c it'll be 24 F. Tomorrow still warm enough for the minisplit during the day.

I found the (1-2" dia) trunk of the christmas tree of last year in my stack today. Nice and dry. That'll keep some coals glowing tomorrow during the day for an easy restart with a real load in the evening.

I’ll 2nd this, the Tetris gets a smidge difficult on the top
 
Loaded the stove up around 8:30 last night, a mix of red oak and ash, temps dropped to 16 this morning with a light, but stiff wind coming off the swamp, house held at 70deg f which is really nice, I have to leave for work soon and might load 3 or 4 more splits to carry the house to dinner time, suppose to get to 32 deg today.
 
More Sassafras and a mystery split of something super dense and white, one of the remaining splits from the previous owners campfire pile. Stove Likes dry, dry we are getting longer more consistent heat out of our Sassafras than our Red Oak. Thought 19-23% Oak would be okay...guess again. Mid to upper 20s here.
 
What's cooking? It's Ash baby!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20210108_203227232.jpg
    IMG_20210108_203227232.jpg
    105.3 KB · Views: 88
We had temps in the teens last night so I kept the stoves loaded with ash. We had upper 30's today so I let the stoves die out so I could clean them out quickly. Then ash and walnut to heat the place up nicely tonight.
 
Heading into the mid teens tonight, I put a slab of Oak, a round of Osage, a round of Honey Locust, 2 splits of Ash & small split of Mulberry in the stove. I got the stove up to temp, kissed mama, told mama & the girls I loved them then ran out of the house like my hair was on fire. The two oldest girls & three of the grand daughters (twins @ 6months & the other one is 5 months ) showed up @ 7:00pm. None of them sleep thru the night & 2 of them are cutting teeth. :eek:<>!!! Luckily my rig is sitting at home tonight, I will be using diesel to stay warm tonight.
 
Heading into the mid teens tonight, I put a slab of Oak, a round of Osage, a round of Honey Locust, 2 splits of Ash & small split of Mulberry in the stove. I got the stove up to temp, kissed mama, told mama & the girls I loved them then ran out of the house like my hair was on fire. The two oldest girls & three of the grand daughters (twins @ 6months & the other one is 5 months ) showed up @ 7:00pm. None of them sleep thru the night & 2 of them are cutting teeth. :eek:<>!!! Luckily my rig is sitting at home tonight, I will be using diesel to stay warm tonight.
That is a full house/load.
 
We had 16.3 this morning with another load of cherry going in the wood stove. It looks like most of this week is nice until Sunday night when things get colder, it's time to bring in some better hardwood.

I'm pretty sure we have some yellow birch and some sugar maple stacked, two face cord but I'll check that today.
 
It's been hovering just above the freezing point today with rain, and ice, and snow. We decided it was a good time to heat with some of our gnarly but small oak, so this tote of wood is in the stove right now.

E09AD6DC-CF30-44EC-9EE0-1124C8C6620B.jpeg

All except the largest piece on the right, which will probably form part of our overnight. I think he might be missing his friends, though.

E627A0BF-EF2B-4271-848E-058E0A9B5F6B.jpeg

@Caw
 
I always have just enough shoulder season wood to last me the fall and spring. This year with the temps (most days so far) hovering around freezing mark during the day i use shoulder season wood during the day and harder stuff for the overnight. Just took inventory of wood and it looks like i will be out of softwood in a weeks time. And this week they are calling for few degrees above freezing. Colder weather coming the last week of Jan. Not that i miss it.
 
I'm almost out of.my maple, the sassafras is mostly still too wet (I split it smaller now and have been drying it next to the stove).
I brought a wheelbarrow if some cedar, oak, and cherry into the basement to warm up so I can split it tomorrow and measure it's mc. I hope it's good enough, because in a week it'll be 10 or so at night and I am almost out of wood _g:oops:

So my stove is dark, cold and lonely...

This was the first year with a big effort collecting wood, and I got ahead a lot. But that doesn't help me this winter ..
 
I'm almost out of.my maple, the sassafras is mostly still too wet (I split it smaller now and have been drying it next to the stove).
I brought a wheelbarrow if some cedar, oak, and cherry into the basement to warm up so I can split it tomorrow and measure it's mc. I hope it's good enough, because in a week it'll be 10 or so at night and I am almost out of wood _g:oops:

So my stove is dark, cold and lonely...

This was the first year with a big effort collecting wood, and I got ahead a lot. But that doesn't help me this winter ..
It takes several years to get ahead. We have all been there.