Ohio Kat, I understand your frustration.
There are a few things you could try.
I have been experimenting with loading one layer of wood. Meaning large pieces set in next to each other, and not trying to stack anything on top to pack it full so to say. I have found in the past when I do fill her to the gills, that the wood on top burns down faster due to the secondaries cooking it from the top down. The ash from the top layer covers the bottom splits and seems to insulate the lower layer from completely burning down, leaving coals.
I have also been mixing the load more. I had more oak than anything in the past, and oak is a major coaling wood. You may want to try mixing some softer wood splits in with the hardwood splits. The soft woods leave less coal, but usually more ash.
I have some issue of the house temperature swings while waiting for the coals to burn down. I attribute this to a more colder than normal year this year. Anything above 20 and she does fine, but over night in the teens & single digits, it gets harder to maintain temps in the house. Mine will swing from 69 or 70 down t0 62 at times. I have become used to it this year and 62 does not feel as cold as it did early ion the season.
Your going from an old beast that accepted and took LOTS of air to aid in combustion and burn the load hot & fast, but also took much more wood to heat with, and now using a stove that needs much less air and burns much less wood, but that less air and slower burn comes with the cost of coals at times. Mainly in colder than normal temps.
At times that I have lots of coals left, I pull them all forward along the front even up onto the boost manifold, all the way across the front, as high as I can get it, then leave the air wide open, and it will hold 300+ degrees for a few hours until the coals are burnt down. I have also raked the coals into the center from front to back, and laid large splits on both sides & on top to form a tunnel to burn the coals down, mixed success with that though.
Best I have found is the pulling all forward along the front, or loading it up with pine to burn hot & fast, while burning the coals down at the same time. Pine leaves nothing for coals almost and not too bad on ash for me.
The Black Walnut I been burning leaves a very fine white ash, but lots of it. Having some insulating issues with it, but burning what I have.
Keep experimenting and you will find what works for you. Hard woods will create lots of coals & quick. Mix some soft stuff in with it to even it out.
Good luck.
Hogz
There are a few things you could try.
I have been experimenting with loading one layer of wood. Meaning large pieces set in next to each other, and not trying to stack anything on top to pack it full so to say. I have found in the past when I do fill her to the gills, that the wood on top burns down faster due to the secondaries cooking it from the top down. The ash from the top layer covers the bottom splits and seems to insulate the lower layer from completely burning down, leaving coals.
I have also been mixing the load more. I had more oak than anything in the past, and oak is a major coaling wood. You may want to try mixing some softer wood splits in with the hardwood splits. The soft woods leave less coal, but usually more ash.
I have some issue of the house temperature swings while waiting for the coals to burn down. I attribute this to a more colder than normal year this year. Anything above 20 and she does fine, but over night in the teens & single digits, it gets harder to maintain temps in the house. Mine will swing from 69 or 70 down t0 62 at times. I have become used to it this year and 62 does not feel as cold as it did early ion the season.
Your going from an old beast that accepted and took LOTS of air to aid in combustion and burn the load hot & fast, but also took much more wood to heat with, and now using a stove that needs much less air and burns much less wood, but that less air and slower burn comes with the cost of coals at times. Mainly in colder than normal temps.
At times that I have lots of coals left, I pull them all forward along the front even up onto the boost manifold, all the way across the front, as high as I can get it, then leave the air wide open, and it will hold 300+ degrees for a few hours until the coals are burnt down. I have also raked the coals into the center from front to back, and laid large splits on both sides & on top to form a tunnel to burn the coals down, mixed success with that though.
Best I have found is the pulling all forward along the front, or loading it up with pine to burn hot & fast, while burning the coals down at the same time. Pine leaves nothing for coals almost and not too bad on ash for me.
The Black Walnut I been burning leaves a very fine white ash, but lots of it. Having some insulating issues with it, but burning what I have.
Keep experimenting and you will find what works for you. Hard woods will create lots of coals & quick. Mix some soft stuff in with it to even it out.
Good luck.
Hogz