Hi, Well its lightgrey i think. Not white or dark black smoke but somewhere in between. It seem to travel quite far, like 5-10 meters or something like that.
2018/19 VC Owners Thread
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RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
What is interesting:
I knocked of the shield with the first split I dropped in (about 5-6” hard maple log). For the first hr. I had the primary at 50% open, flue was sitting at 350, gd at 500 and cat at 450. Now primary 100% open, over two hrs in this unorthodox burn the flue is at 400, gd at 600 and cat at 600!!
The front of the stove throwing tons of heat.....not used to it. It is always the back (cat side) that throws out heat.
Just an observation.
I knocked of the shield with the first split I dropped in (about 5-6” hard maple log). For the first hr. I had the primary at 50% open, flue was sitting at 350, gd at 500 and cat at 450. Now primary 100% open, over two hrs in this unorthodox burn the flue is at 400, gd at 600 and cat at 600!!
The front of the stove throwing tons of heat.....not used to it. It is always the back (cat side) that throws out heat.
Just an observation.
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RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
That’s crazy. I didn’t think the hood had a whole lot of purpose other than to protect the cat from direct flame
So I've been playing with my stove for many weeks trying to get it to operate as it should, it's a defiant flex burn model 1975 purchased new in 2016.
Before today, if I did a full overnight load I was getting cat temps in the 1600 range every night and I'd come down in the middle of a night to high cat temps and a blow torch sound in the back of the stove. If I tried to open the bypass and cool down the cat it'd be okay, till I closed and bypass again which would cause the cat to go even crazier. I had been loading the stove at night on a full hot bed of coals, closing the damper a couple mins later after the wood had caught.
Today, instead of just closing the damper after a couple mins I let the box get pretty hot with bypass open, 500 to 600. I then shut the bypass and left the air wide open till that cat hit 1300 to 1400. Only then did I begin to close the air which would slowly reduce cat temps. This would lead the stove to finally cruise with cat temps around 1100 to 1200 the rest of the load.
All I can think is with this stove, even if the cat lights immediately after closing the bypass with a full load it will eventually be smoking so much that it's just fuelling the cat and not burning much in the box itself. My griddle temps are now much higher and cat temps kept at bay a little better
Just wanted to share for others that may be struggling with this stove. This is my 3rd winter with it and I still am learning. I grew up with an old VC vigilant and expected similar performance with the new defiant but there's been a steep learning curve for sure.
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Before today, if I did a full overnight load I was getting cat temps in the 1600 range every night and I'd come down in the middle of a night to high cat temps and a blow torch sound in the back of the stove. If I tried to open the bypass and cool down the cat it'd be okay, till I closed and bypass again which would cause the cat to go even crazier. I had been loading the stove at night on a full hot bed of coals, closing the damper a couple mins later after the wood had caught.
Today, instead of just closing the damper after a couple mins I let the box get pretty hot with bypass open, 500 to 600. I then shut the bypass and left the air wide open till that cat hit 1300 to 1400. Only then did I begin to close the air which would slowly reduce cat temps. This would lead the stove to finally cruise with cat temps around 1100 to 1200 the rest of the load.
All I can think is with this stove, even if the cat lights immediately after closing the bypass with a full load it will eventually be smoking so much that it's just fuelling the cat and not burning much in the box itself. My griddle temps are now much higher and cat temps kept at bay a little better
Just wanted to share for others that may be struggling with this stove. This is my 3rd winter with it and I still am learning. I grew up with an old VC vigilant and expected similar performance with the new defiant but there's been a steep learning curve for sure.
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How’s it going all. Been a week or 2. Hope all is well.
Seems lately I’m jumping up to 1600-1700 before the CAT calms down.
I’ve been making sure the logs are nice n hot. Open flue and air for the first 10 minutes after stuffing.
But then my cat keeps hanging around 1500-1700 before finally calming down.
Gotta be my fuel.
Seems lately I’m jumping up to 1600-1700 before the CAT calms down.
I’ve been making sure the logs are nice n hot. Open flue and air for the first 10 minutes after stuffing.
But then my cat keeps hanging around 1500-1700 before finally calming down.
Gotta be my fuel.
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Reckless
Feeling the Heat
How hot is that cat when you start turning down the air?
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I'm having the same issue...
Thought I had it figured out but my method has started to fail.
Seems for the first hour or so the wood just off gasses too much and I can't calm down the roaring cat till the wood starts gassing less. Almost seems best during this off gassing period to leave the air highest it goes but who knows...
Anyone know how to get the wood to off gas slower?
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RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
I wait for the cat to start its downward trend before I start to air it down
I started cooking the wood longer (leaving air n damper wide open) before engaging cat. Seems to help. I think the oak is a little greener than I thought.
I’m almost done with this batch of oak. On to the next batch soon but I do not look forward to getting the new fuel “dialed in” again.
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RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
So I went back to a completely shut secondary for now. It’s -9 out with a windchill somewhere around -30 so the cat was trying to compete with the sun for high temps. 3hrs in a reload cat 1085, pipe 450, GT 625.
Got my knew Intrepid Flexburn a few days ago. First inspection reveals this is not a downdraft cat. It's pretty much all an updraft stove from where the primary pulls in from the coal bed area. Ash pan is now underneath like the Encore giving more room vertically for more wood. This apparently gives it a few more hours burn time. Will see. When I get it in service I'll update this post.
The cat is kinda placed on its side. Exhaust passes through cat then horizontally then on up through the flue in the porcelain combuster. One cover for the cat. Very simple draft flow through the combuster. So far with the design I'm impressed. The draft flow for the cat as shown by VC for the Encore and Defiant does not apply to the new Intrepid.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
Randy, wont get the pics up for a few days, have some family issues to work through now, but sure I'll put the cat in and with the cover off should give you a good bit of how they have set up the primary air draft for these. My Encore is still hooked up till I can get it sold and out of here so it may be a while till I get it operational after the brake in fires and such. I do want to want to thank all that helped me figure out the Encore though, was just too much stove for the room it was in after I had it figured out. But I did get it figured out.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
No worries buddy. Handle your business and when it is convenient for you I would love to see some pics of the intrepid setup. Happy burning.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
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No, I have not. I did scrounge a set up from my workshop to bring to the lake. I just have to figure out how to fasten the probe at the correct vertical drop.
RandyBoBandy
Minister of Fire
I’m very curious to see actual real time temps reported for the BK’s. I’ve tried to stay up to date on the BK thread but that has proven to be impossible. You guys talk about way to much chit and I haven’t come across anyone reporting actual temps.
I will report soon. I am heading down to one hr south of Cuba next week. Then I will be in your state skiing end of Feb. so will not be able to rig the gizmo till March. One thing I will tell you (and I want to @beholler to hear) I like the Princess, but if you dial the encore right (as we have done) with assistance from great guys here, the VC is as good in heat output. Reloads are surly more frequent, VC will eat slightly more wood but I am ok with that.
You could try spraying half of each split with a mister spray bottle, and letting it soak in a couple days before you need to put the wood in..
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