how many coals you leave?

[jack_90125]

seems if I only leave a few coals on the bottom of my stove it kicks out more heat compared to having 3 in or so of coals.
how much do you guys leave on the bottom before refilling.
thanks

 

[CrappieKeith]

8-10 inches

 

[jerryw66]

8-10 inches

You must have a big firebox. In my Oslo, I will leave as little as possible, the colder the weather the sooner I reload, so the coals are deaper, and the cycle is faster, ashes build up worse then too. In warmer weather, the coals are almost gone before I reload, much less ash to deal with then.

 

[wdchuck]

8-10 inches

We ain't talking crappies or stretched hardwood.



Since coal size varies, we leave what might be measured as an amount you could hold, mounded, in two hands. Sooooo three to four cups worth? Basically, enough to insure a quick start of the new wood for the next fire.

 

[captndavie]

Just a few coals and your stove puts out more heat than if it had 3"+ of coals? Doesn't sound right to me. If I get mine rolling and have it about 3 or 4 inches deep with coals it is so hot you can hardly grab the handle with out using a glove. And then you don't stand very close to the open door. Makes for a challenge getting wood in it to. You just about need one of those suits they wear when melting steel. It gets hot! So I can't imagine how a stove would put out more heat with fewer coals than it does with a lot of coals.

 

[CrappieKeith]

We ain't talking crappies or stretched hardwood.



Since coal size varies, we leave what might be measured as an amount you could hold, mounded, in two hands. Sooooo three to four cups worth? Basically, enough to insure a quick start of the new wood for the next fire.

Now that's funny right there...yup I got a furnace not a stove and I like my house warm so when I get down to a bed of coals and it's 15 below out I can feel my house chill down to a frigid 68-70 degrees. That's when it's time to fill which is in the am when I wake or in the evening before I retire.True,at dinner I hit it with 2 pieces ....I like a warmer house.

 

[jerryw66]

I think i agree with captaindave, 3-4" of good hot coals and my stove is putting out near max heat, just stir and add more wood every 2-4 hrs. That's my heat recipe for real cold weather.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

When the coals are deep, I try not to reload till I burn them down. I've never shoveled hot coals out to make room for more wood. I just turn the air up to max and stir.

Ian

 

[wdchuck]

With a furnace, coals equal a cold house

With a stove, coals equal a warm house.

apples and orangutanes.

 

[CTYank]

When the coals are deep, I try not to reload till I burn them down. I've never shoveled hot coals out to make room for more wood. I just turn the air up to max and stir.

Ian

Yup. I really like a grate with ash drawer below, that you can shake (okay, rotate) from outside.

So, you can shake out the ash (with some small coals) and crack the door for a bit to help burn the coals in the drawer and the firebox.

Then you toss in a few splits for instant light-off.

Throw away coals? Never. Worked too hard for them.

 

[lopro]

Since coal size varies, we leave what might be measured as an amount you could hold, mounded, in two hands.

Ouch!...sounds painful

 

[WoodchuckVT]

Up North

When the coals are deep, I try not to reload till I burn them down. I've never shoveled hot coals out to make room for more wood. I just turn the air up to max and stir.

Ian

Up in the northern tip of the country, the only time you use kindling wood, is to start the first fire. After that, you fill it when you can, and you don't measure the coals!!{3 below 0, as I write!}
Stay Warm! VT. Woodchuck

 

[clinchscavalry]

I take out ash when it dumps on the floor as I put more wood in. I try to leave as many of the coals if possible 'cause they are still generating heat.

 

[woodbooga]

In my stove, cast 70 years before there was such a thing as EPA, excess coals means I'm burning too dense a wood for external temps. Remember burning red oak in april and having too much. Remedy=tossin on pine sticks with bottem damper wide.

This time of year, coals = god long sustained heat and/or quick refires

 

[jack_90125]

coals are strange.
but I get an all nighter out of the wood to bring it back up to speed. so guess all is not lost.

 

[sb47]

My stove burns from front to back so i simply rake the coals forward to the front and add the wood behind them. It gives the coals more air so they burn up completely and draws the heat over the new wood and gets things going in no time. If I let them build up evenly and the deeper they are they don't burn up as well and it puts out less heat.

 

[chadihman]