What Is In Your Stove Right Now?

[Dieselhead]

Starting off tonight 72 in/24 out. Full load of red oak in. Single digits forecast tonight. Once the load is settled in I’ll set the fan on low. Stay warm all!

 

[burning VC]

in the nw N.C. foothills....

It was dark, quiet, cold. No crackling fire, no roaring flames. With average daily temps hovering around 39F, it would be perfect Grandpa Bear weather.
Didn't smell him, no signs in the home of life at all.
The new heat pump hummed quietly, and the entire home felt cold, empty....soul-less.

Every time i went by Grandpa Bear, not a sign of life...
It made no sense.
Grandpa Bear and me grew up together. Winter of 1975, i still remember when Dad and Mom brought him home. At first upset at the loss of the fireplace, I soon learned to love the Solar levels of radiant heat he brought to my life.

Somehow, it became my task to feed him....both the daily style, and also getting the food stored up all year. Now that he is 50 years old, i worry about him, only try to give him the best hardwood.

And now, Im kinda lost not knowing how to go without him.
I checked outside, and there is 3 cord stacked for the winter....branches and limbs to start...
Everything a Grandpa Bear needs to be happy, and yet....it's dark and quiet.

I checked inside.

Nothing. No resistance to prying the maw. It looks pretty bleak at the moment.

I think maybe he caught Smoke Dragon Flue.☹️

I walked away, and stared outside a window into the dark midnight hour.

From the darkness, a white wolf like form emerged and trotted to a spot near the Bear's normal location.

the coywolf(or BIG coyote, wolf-Dog?) sat and stared into the darkness for about 45 minutes as if to warn evil...


Dreamed all night about what did it all mean? Grandpa Bear silent?

What evil was the White Wolf warning off?

this morning at 8am
(firefighters inside with hoses!)

Right next door, a CHIMNEY FIRE was fully involved,
and it burned to the ground.

I've seen his chimney smoking like a dirty chimney will do.
That coywolf was staring right at THAT home for almost an hour....

I'm not super-stitious, Im only a little stitious.

But there is nothing in my stove right now, @all night moe and me both...

maybe we a little colder, but not as cold as this would be....


and that's the last 24hours down in the trees, above a waterfall almost riverside....

 

[MRD1985]

Which drolet is that? I have the escape 1800 and I'm trying to get my n/s loads to last longer. I packed it tight and it's already down to embers 4.5 hours later. When I load e/w I can get the burn to be nice and gentle.

1800i. Mine burns much better NS

 

[MRD1985]

after this morning I had a couple of different loads of all cut offs, then I spent a few hours burning down coals. Had quite a few. Threw in 2 splits of pine to try to help, ultimately being successful. Stove is pretty full tonight. Mostly oak and hickory with 1 split of cherry. A few cut offs too. 71 inside, 24 out with real feel of 14.

 

[NickW]

8 degrees with a real feel of -11. Looks like we're staying above 0 the next couple of nights. Firing up the coals for a load of cherry & black ash on the bottom and hickory, sugar maple and white ash on top. Maybe the cherry should go on top? 😉🤣

 

[MRD1985]

Starting off tonight 72 in/24 out. Full load of red oak in. Single digits forecast tonight. Once the load is settled in I’ll set the fan on low. Stay warm all!

View attachment 343179

View attachment 343180

Nicely stuffed!!

 

[all night moe]

I thought long and hard. Then I made a decision. The dragon is feasting.

I reassembled the stovepipe to the chimney. I bought 2 bags of kiln dried wood for an appetizer. All soft maple before the main coarse of overnight, red oak limb wood. Taken dead and barkless last season. Cut and split last August, it rings louder than bowling pins.

Even though she's feeding hungerly, the dragons on a diet. With a 40 plus inch long belly, only the front is digesting. Close to her mouth. The belly's exhaust exits down low, after the bypass is closed. No flames are allowed near the stovepipe.

With diligent care, I have not much worry. I've already run that liner for 4 seasons as is. Scaffolding from the masonry work up top, is still up and will remain for the winter's duration. I'll give an enema with a monthly brushing. Only have 4 to go before the dragon's back to slumber.

@burning VC 30* colder than you tonight made my decision. With nightly forecasts remaining in the single digits for some time to come, it wasn't a hard decision to make. I will keep a close watchful eye on the dragon's health. Feed from a menu of dry food, and score 2 cord of kiln dried, dragon's delight.

Edit/add-on: The dragon's diet includes, no dining without supervision.

 

[russell1047]

1800i. Mine burns much better NS

When you burn n/s do you get turbulent flames with the air intake completely shut? I can't seem to get my n/s loads to chill out like my e/w loads. It burns just fine e/w I'm just hoping to get a longer burn out of the larger n/s orientation but it burns up just as quick which gets the house too hot. I don't have a damper on mine and I'm thinking that's the issue. The pictures are about 6-7 hours. I closed the intake almost immediately after packing it.

 

[bigealta]

I'd try bigger split sizes, if those are not available than try packing what you have tighter to lessen the air gaps between splits.

You could also try e/w on bottom row with n/s as the top rows.

 

[all night moe]

With a temp of -5* and a real feel of -8* I'm glad I woke the dragon from it's slumber.
@3am the ole girl got a big snack of more red oak limb wood. Again all were bone dry. She held us through the night along with the aid of 3 LP space heaters all running on low.

Well fellas, I'm going to be doing what I can to stay busy. It'll help this season cruise along to spring. Are we there yet?

 

[MRD1985]

When you burn n/s do you get turbulent flames with the air intake completely shut? I can't seem to get my n/s loads to chill out like my e/w loads. It burns just fine e/w I'm just hoping to get a longer burn out of the larger n/s orientation but it burns up just as quick which gets the house too hot. I don't have a damper on mine and I'm thinking that's the issue. The pictures are about 6-7 hours. I closed the intake almost immediately after packing it.

I loaded at 930 last night and still have a STT of 250-300 degrees at 7. TONS of hot coals. I use bigger splits. Most of the flames I get come from secondaries when the air all the way shut. It does get hot quick, but I can stall or slow it down most times if it’s getting too hot. But I typically run 700-725STT with temps this cold .

I typically need the heat quick so it taking off faster and getting heat quicker is a plus for me. I can get more fuel in NS loaded. My EW times were much less with as much as I could get in there, and were much slower to take off. I use 16” splits. I can relight off a 12 hour bed of coals, sometimes longer

 

[Burnin Since 1991]

8 feels like 1 / 65 inside oak and maple on last nights coals. Coming up to temps.

Bright and Sunny today. High of 24.

 

[all night moe]

Time to feed again with a morning coffee snack of crispy norway maple. Outside temps have risen 1 deg.

 

[MRD1985]

13 feels like 5 this morning. Last nights hickory and oak was HOT. Held 700-725STT for almost 2 hours with the blower on max. House was 67 when I woke up in main rooms, 65 in bedrooms. My wife bumped the heat to 67 in our room at 5 so the boiler ran for about an hour and 15 minutes, otherwise would have made it without any backup heat which I am happy with. Would have been 63 in our room when we woke up with no backup. I probably need to load at 11 in these temps to keep the bedrooms above 65.

This morning, more oak and a split of ash with some cut offs. Another hot one. Took off quick before I could finish loading!

 

[Dieselhead]

Nicely stuffed!!

It did well, house at 70 with fan on low. 11 out. Enough wood left for the morning. May throw a couple spruce on later.

 

[shortys7777]

low of 9 last night. burning strictly maple right now and man it's perfect. Loaded up last night. Threw 3 splits on at 2am when I took a pee, and loaded it up this morning before I took off. House never got below 66.

 

[russell1047]

I'd try bigger split sizes, if those are not available than try packing what you have tighter to lessen the air gaps between splits.

You could also try e/w on bottom row with n/s as the top rows.

Damn that's a good idea doing the bottom e/w.

 

[shortys7777]

13 feels like 5 this morning. Last nights hickory and oak was HOT. Held 700-725STT for almost 2 hours with the blower on max. House was 67 when I woke up and main rooms, 65 in bedrooms. My wife bumped the heat to 67 in our room at 5 so the boiler ran for about an hour and 15 minutes, otherwise would have made it without any backup heat which I am happy with. Would have been 63 in our room when we woke up with no backup.

This morning, more oak and a split of ash with some cut offs. Another hot one. Took off quick before I could finish loading!

63 is perfect sleeping!

 

[MRD1985]

63 is perfect sleeping!

I agree. Thermostat is on the wall near the bedroom exit, our heads are right next to a cold wall/windows. Makes it feel colder than it is when the wall right behind your head when you sleep is 51 degrees

 

[Burnin Since 1991]

too bad we don't have the guy drinking coffee emoji

 

[Murray01]

too bad we don't have the guy drinking coffee emoji

☕️ Closest I could find

 

[NickW]

Damn that's a good idea doing the bottom e/w.

I do the opposite in the Stratford 2. N/s on the bottom, e/w on the top. Can't wait to have all the 16" cycled out of my supply. Should be by the end of the month.

Had good coals & charcoal this morning from 3 chunks of premiums on top of the cherry and black ash 10 hours after loading. Blower kicked off as I was firing them up and the thermostat for the furnace was down to it's setting of 66, but I never heard it kick in. Load of pine and aspen got ripping quickly to give a quick blast of heat.

I have to comment that I am disappointed in the performance of the black ash. I am a huge fan of white ash. White ash doesn't coal as long as oak or locust or sugar maple, but it lights and burns so well and coals decently. Black ash isn't much better than aspen for coaling, a little better but not a lot. I moved some of the bigger splits of black ash inside as the inside stacks depleted and they do a little better, but the cherry is better than the black ash for coaling.

 

[all night moe]

I have to comment that I am disappointed in the performance of the black ash. I am a huge fan of white ash. White ash

I can concur. The least, it is plentiful and better than soft maple. That and it's still ash. Seasons quick and plenty of standing dead. The white ash doesn't seem to be affected by the bore beetles. I don't use black for overnight loads or long burns. Sometimes I do mix a bit in.
It's also great for shoulder seasons.

 

[NickW]

Here the black was first to go, then they moved on to the white. SE WI where we used to live has virtually no live ash left. Here in the Northwoods the black ash is as all dead but there's still some live white ash yet, but probably not for long...

 

[all night moe]

Just tossed more norway maple in with a couple pieces of white oak for the dragon to huff on.
Temps are in the high single digits still. Not going outside to do anything yet.
2nd cup of joe on my morning menu now...... BRB.