How do you burn your wood

[ktm250rider]

How do you load your OWB? Do you take the time to pile the wood nicely in a pyramid or just throw the stuff in there and let it land where it does.
Not sure if I have enough time on mine, but it seems that neatly placed pieces (almost like stacking for drying) in the box burns more efficiently and provides better recovery from coals.

 

[yooperman]

I'll pile mine toward the front (I figure the cieling of the CB firebox might pick up more of the heat before going up the stack) 2' pieces in a 4' box. The pile is fairly neat. Odd pieces and 4' slab I put in any way they fit.

 

[stipton]

When I burned wood exclusively last season, I would fill every nook and cranny of the box as full as possible. A mixture of 50lb rounds to indoor sized split pieces, whatever will fill it to the max. It always seemed to burn up no matter how it was stacked.
I did experiment when I first bought it with only smaller split pieces, arranged to have space for air circulation. Seems like it burned up quicker than non split wood. Your results will most definately vary.

 

[hanko]

I ususally throw mine in the stove and light it. I get the best results that way

 

[Blazin]

I stack mine up in the front also, All my wood is usually cut at 24". Seems to be the fire is better off up in the front instead of in the rear going out the flue....From what I've experienced.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

I put enough in to make it at least 12 hrs, which usually isnt cramming every square inch unless its very windy or cold.

I dont pyramid the wood because if there is too much of a gap between the coals and the wood it wont burn. Just lay them length wise with a small air gap between the logs and it will burn great

 

[charkan]

Seems like mine burns longer when Istack the wood in.I usually throw odd shaped pieces in the back behind my other wood.

 

[ktm250rider]

I dont pyramid the wood because if there is too much of a gap between the coals and the wood it wont burn.

Hmm, perhaps thats the problem I was having.

 

[ericjeeper]

I load mine from east to west

Meaning the stove from front to back is north to south.(not really). My firebox is 48 inches deep by 30 inch diameter round. So I can get more wood in it when it gets really cold. I can get very long burns when the outside temps are not real cold.
What sucks the life out of my system is, The warms days we have, My house is pretty well insulated.So it will not call for heat, then when it does. MY Slab will really pull hard for the first 24-48 hours bringing the slab back up to temps.Once the cold sets in I burn less wood maintaining the house temps.
When it is cold I burn roughly a wheel barrel and half mounded up pretty good per day(24hours)

 

[stonykill]

I just put the wood in and don't think about it.

 

[rx7145]

Well I'm still buring up the pallets that I was going to burn before the first of the year. Don't see that happing. Anyway If I'm looking for max burn time I take a long time and stack each peice so they fit togeather as much as posible starting in the back. Longest peices go in first then the short peices go on top and the little "scraps" go right in front by the door.

If I don't need a long burn time I just throw them in any old way.

The nice thing about pallets is you can fill 80-90% of the fire box with little air gaps. I might be able to get a longer burn time with pallets than real wood

 

[rx7145]

Here is a picture if anyone wanted to see. Was taken today about 2pm.

 

[hockeypuck]

ash removal

Hmm, perhaps thats the problem I was having.

the hardest thing I had to learn to do was remove the ashes on a regular basis. Last year I found myself pulling too many red hot coals out and dumping them. What a waste. Now I let the wood burn down as much as possible and pull the red hot coals twords the front in a heap and then pile on the new wood. Now that I have year under my belt and now how much wood to put in and not overfill it. I think over filling causes inefficiency. Now when I come back to refill I am left with a pile of white ash (in the front by the air inlet) instead of black or red coals. Before I rack new hot coals forward, I remove the white/gray ash with a shovel. I do this every other day.

 

[beerman6]

I hate cleaning mine out,seems like I burn twice as much for a week after I do that.I just cleaned mine out for the 1st time this season.