2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread PART 3 (Everything BK)

[Highbeam]

If you never touch the thermostat at all, you will have an (irregular) oscillator- that's what the thermostat does.

I turn the dial to where I want it and walk away. The thermostat will work out the rest.

I agree that if you adjust it every 30 seconds, using 'do I see flames?' as a yardstick, you will get random results. However, if you make the biggest adjustment you can and walk away, it does not hurt anything- the thermostat will open or close air to get to the new temperature, which is what it would also have done if you hadn't adjusted it.

I agree. I go from the wide open warm up setting right to my known/desired cruise setting in one adjustment and then walk away. If I had problems with huffing or puffing by doing this then I might consider a more gradual adjustment scheme but I don’t so big thermostat setting adjustments work great for me.

 

[webby3650]

I agree. I go from the wide open warm up setting right to my known/desired cruise setting in one adjustment and then walk away. If I had problems with huffing or puffing by doing this then I might consider a more gradual adjustment scheme but I don’t so big thermostat setting adjustments work great for me.

Same here. No real need for a fancy adjustment routine.

 

[Diabel]

Let me get this straight.

In the bypass mode, bring the cat temp to active, close the bypass set the dial to desired heat output, walk away.
No need for incrementally reducing the dial on the thermostat (like VC).

 

[webby3650]

Let me get this straight.

In the bypass mode, bring the cat temp to active, close the bypass set the dial to desired heat output, walk away.
No need for incrementally reducing the dial on the thermostat (like VC).

I will reduce it from full to half, then to low if needed over about 30 minutes, If I'm home. On a normal work day, full blast for a little bit, then straight to my desired setting. Never had any problems.

 

[jetsam]

Let me get this straight.

In the bypass mode, bring the cat temp to active, close the bypass set the dial to desired heat output, walk away.
No need for incrementally reducing the dial on the thermostat (like VC).

Yep, once or twice a year when I'm starting a fire.

Most of the time it's bypass, chuck some wood in, unbypass, set thermostat according to the weather forecast, done. Takes me about a minute most of the year.

On the fringes of shoulder season (early fall and late spring) it takes a little longer because the stove has been running very low, so I will turn up the thermostat and let the cat warm up a little before cranking it back down.

With the super long burn times and a little practice, you are very rarely in the position of having to start a fire.

 

[webby3650]

I have the "green" version. I use mine nearly daily no matter the season. Ceramic Kamados are the BK's of outdoor cookers!

Especially if they are oval! And American made!

 

[Ashful]

I agree. I go from the wide open warm up setting right to my known/desired cruise setting in one adjustment and then walk away. If I had problems with huffing or puffing by doing this then I might consider a more gradual adjustment scheme but I don’t so big thermostat setting adjustments work great for me.

Agreed. I slam mine directly from wide open throttle to 12 hour burn mode twice a day, and the other from wide open to 24 hour burn mode once per day. No issues, I’ve already pre-marked those settings on my dials, and I rarely deviate from them.

But that has nothing to do with the question being asked, or answered by kf6hap, as I read it. When finding your desired burn setting, and deciding you want one a bit higher or lower than you’ve been burning, you must give sufficient time after an adjustment to determine its effect. That is what was being discussed, as I read it.

 

[jetsam]

Agreed. I slam mine directly from wide open throttle to 12 hour burn mode twice a day, and the other from wide open to 24 hour burn mode once per day. No issues, I’ve already pre-marked those settings on my dials, and I rarely deviate from them.

But that has nothing to do with the question being asked, or answered by kf6hap, as I read it. When finding your desired burn setting, and deciding you want one a bit higher or lower than you’ve been burning, you must give sufficient time after an adjustment to determine its effect. That is what was being discussed, as I read it.

Oh yeah, I'd give that 8 or 12 hours, not 1.

 

[spudman99]

But that has nothing to do with the question being asked, or answered by kf6hap, as I read it. When finding your desired burn setting, and deciding you want one a bit higher or lower than you’ve been burning, you must give sufficient time after an adjustment to determine its effect. That is what was being discussed, as I read it.

Thank you for your informative replies. My original question was based on my interpretation of "In the beginning..." by #kf6hap, thinking that was at the initial purchase and start up -- not operational issues. The replies however did open up an worthwhile string of how others run their daily operation.

 

[kennyp2339]

April 30th 2017 - Last fire of the year for me, the stove did well, and is currently burning itself out.

 

[prezes13]

I am sorry to bring the news to You Kenny but it's 2018 lol. I stopped burning for a month now.

 

[rdust]

I’d like to say I’m done but will still need some chill chasers.

 

[Ashful]

I am sorry to bring the news to You Kenny but it's 2018 lol. I stopped burning for a month now.

Well, there goes the ruse. Prezes let the cat out of the bag.

Go back to your corner, Kenny.

 

[kennyp2339]

 

[jetsam]

I'm done burning for at least a week according to the forecast! Whenever the stove finally goes out, I'll sweep and see how much crud I built up this year. It was a big year- went through a lot of wood.

 

[Ashful]

I’m going to do one more hot fire in stove no.2, to ensure the bricks aren’t glued to the steel at summer clean out time, again.

Stove on.1 will be burning into June, if history is any indication.

 

[kennyp2339]

Went through exactly 4 cords acording to my woodshed, seemed like a long season, started in November and went through right to the end of April

 

[Ashful]

I’ll have to walk down to the wood lot and tally my usage this year. I missed the entire month of March, as it was too soggy outside to get to my wood lot, and I’ve been too lazy for most of April. Usage was probably only 6 - 7 cords, but I’m burning two stoves.

 

[AlbergSteve]

Yep, once or twice a year when I'm starting a fire.

Most of the time it's bypass, chuck some wood in, unbypass, set thermostat according to the weather forecast, done. Takes me about a minute most of the year.

On the fringes of shoulder season (early fall and late spring) it takes a little longer because the stove has been running very low, so I will turn up the thermostat and let the cat warm up a little before cranking it back down.

With the super long burn times and a little practice, you are very rarely in the position of having to start a fire.

So, funny story from last night. We've been burning for five months now and I'm firmly in the camp of load it, char it, set it and forget it. I've only had about four cold starts thus far, and they were intentional. So last night I filled the stove with some nice dry doug fir, closed the door and walked away. About a half hour later, while I was busy in the kitchen, my wife calls from the stove room, "should I turn this down?". Sure, I reply. This morning I get up to a nicely charred FULL load of wood in the stove! She set the tstat to 2 o'clock and I guess with the milder temps there just wasn't enough draught to keep things going. So even after five months of burning with the BK, there are still a few things to learn.

 

[jetsam]

So, funny story from last night. We've been burning for five months now and I'm firmly in the camp of load it, char it, set it and forget it. I've only had about four cold starts thus far, and they were intentional. So last night I filled the stove with some nice dry doug fir, closed the door and walked away. About a half hour later, while I was busy in the kitchen, my wife calls from the stove room, "should I turn this down?". Sure, I reply. This morning I get up to a nicely charred FULL load of wood in the stove! She set the tstat to 2 o'clock and I guess with the milder temps there just wasn't enough draught to keep things going. So even after five months of burning with the BK, there are still a few things to learn.
View attachment 226325

I couldn't do that if I wanted to! Everyone's install is different, though, and we have different stoves.

 

[allan5oh]

Well we got a 24+ hour burn at 12 oclock on the thermostat. The click happens around 12:30. It kept going the following afternoon even though it was warm outside (about 22c 75f). I think we are on the high end of the draft spec or even above spec.

Its funny you guys are describing reloading quite a bit different from the manual. open thermostat, wait 2 minutes, bypass, wait 2 minutes, slowly open door, load, close door wait 2 minutes, close bypass wait 2 minutes, lower thermostat in half an hour and further adjustments in increments

I'm sure I got a detail wrong but it does seem that charring the load is the most important aspect. Some loads might take minutes others 30+ minutes. I guess this is where experience comes in.

Someone with a strong draft should be able to walk away sooner. We have some pieces of Elm that are really "hairy" looking and they almost explode in contact with coals.

Another Q. The manual describes reloading an active and inactive cat (either one might be intentional). But it does not describe the maximum temp the cat can be for a reload. Since room temp air can shock the cat, is there a rule of thumb for this? Anything more than just barely in active zone is a bad idea? I guess a lot depends on how much fuel is left. I made the mistake of loading too early and the fire was taking off before I could finish loading. That mixed with too much draft makes for smoke spillage and warm hands.

 

[allan5oh]

So, funny story from last night. We've been burning for five months now and I'm firmly in the camp of load it, char it, set it and forget it. I've only had about four cold starts thus far, and they were intentional. So last night I filled the stove with some nice dry doug fir, closed the door and walked away. About a half hour later, while I was busy in the kitchen, my wife calls from the stove room, "should I turn this down?". Sure, I reply. This morning I get up to a nicely charred FULL load of wood in the stove! She set the tstat to 2 o'clock and I guess with the milder temps there just wasn't enough draught to keep things going. So even after five months of burning with the BK, there are still a few things to learn.
View attachment 226325

See that's a great example of variation in stoves, install, wood, draft etc. Seems like this one is pumping out the btus at 2 oclock. The cat is glowing and has the thermometer pegged.

 

[AlbergSteve]

See that's a great example of variation in stoves, install, wood, draft etc. Seems like this one is pumping out the btus at 2 oclock. The cat is glowing and has the thermometer pegged.

I think the other problem was that I should have checked the burn to see if it was charred properly - I didn't. But two days earlier with similar outside temps we got over 20 hours on a mixed load and tstat set for 2 o'clock. Go figure.

 

[lsucet]

Well we got a 24+ hour burn at 12 oclock on the thermostat. The click happens around 12:30. It kept going the following afternoon even though it was warm outside (about 22c 75f). I think we are on the high end of the draft spec or even above spec.

Its funny you guys are describing reloading quite a bit different from the manual. open thermostat, wait 2 minutes, bypass, wait 2 minutes, slowly open door, load, close door wait 2 minutes, close bypass wait 2 minutes, lower thermostat in half an hour and further adjustments in increments

I'm sure I got a detail wrong but it does seem that charring the load is the most important aspect. Some loads might take minutes others 30+ minutes. I guess this is where experience comes in.

Someone with a strong draft should be able to walk away sooner. We have some pieces of Elm that are really "hairy" looking and they almost explode in contact with coals.

Another Q. The manual describes reloading an active and inactive cat (either one might be intentional). But it does not describe the maximum temp the cat can be for a reload. Since room temp air can shock the cat, is there a rule of thumb for this? Anything more than just barely in active zone is a bad idea? I guess a lot depends on how much fuel is left. I made the mistake of loading too early and the fire was taking off before I could finish loading. That mixed with too much draft makes for smoke spillage and warm hands.

Regardless if active or inactive open the bypass, if it is too hot wait more than two minutes to open the door. Give a chance to the combustor to get out of the picture. But if you have too much wood left, Just run it on high for awhile cause if you open the air everything will get in flame. you need to create a schedule, for example, if you load before go to bed, be sure of checking earlier to see how much wood you have left etc. Experience and outside temp will give you that. Sometimes if I know that next day will be a little warm, I don't bother with fill it up to the grill cause I will be running it low from the last reload. That still give me the 24 hrs schedule that I like.

 

[jetsam]

There is no maximum cat temp for reloading. The cat is bypassed anyway, so it doesn't care.

I reload on my schedule, not the stove's.

I did start out following the manual with the waiting and the incremental adjustments and all but I've kind of stopped. Now that I have a steel cat, I don't even wait to open the door...

I'm sure there's reasons that all that stuff is in there. I do understand why the door opening waiting period is in the manual; less sure about the gradual thermostat adjustment in steps.