I installed my stove about a month ago and have had a fire almost every night after work and reloaded most mornings before work. I cleaned it tonight for the first time and got about a 1/4 of a cup of dry flakes. It looked almost like black sugar. I cleaned it from the bottom up using a coffee can for a soot catcher. It fit perfect around the 6in pipe. Cut a hole in the bottom of the can and put a pvc pipe adapter in the hole to put the rod through and keep the soot from falling out. It took about 10 minutes from start to finish.