curber said:
My stove sure likes the 24/7 burning better than the start up burn.
That's the truth. Really needs the deep coals to run smooth. I think like BroBart said, Skeez, especially tough if using block fuel - if you also had some branch-wood or scrap hardwood or something similar, you could get a quicker coal bed. But once you have the coals, you'll be good to go. When it gets down near zero out, it should crank.
My stove also prefers to be stuffed pretty full to keep the AB engaged and burning smoke-free. If I have a fire with just a split or two, even with a coal bed, the thing will crap out sometimes. That makes it tough this time of the year - easy to overheat the house.
When starting up, you will see the stove getting real hot, but that doesn't mean the AB is ready to engage. Hard to go by stove top temp alone - when starting up, mine will easily go over 700F if I don't shut the air back a good bit, and I still won't have the sufficient coal bed.
I also have a thermometer on the back/side like jdonna said (and thanks for that hint jdonna - it is a great help). I would watch the top - don't worry about going over 700F for a few minutes, it will drop quickly once the bypass is closed - but get a second thermometer for the burn chamber. That one will tell you if you are burning smoke.