So, I'm at home rocking my Lopi Republic 1750 for the past 3 weeks. I feel I've got a good handle on it, learning how to consistently start a good fire and all that. All my wood is provided by him - its ash, seasoned about 3 months. He's rocking ash seasoned about 5 months.
Nevertheless, I watched him start it up. He was distracted and laid down about 5-6 pieces of crumpled newspaper and some randomly pyramid-style kindling on top. Minimal serious wood in there.
Door shut, air control open. The entire time.
In less than 10 minutes, he had ROARING secondaries. They were air-washing his glass like there's no tomorrow. His stove top temp gauge (who knows how accurate) was reading 700-725 within 15 minutes, and based upon the fact that he had secondaries blasting the glass for almost 10 of those minutes, I kinda believe it. That being said, their thermostatically controlled fan didn't kick on till the fire was over 700 according to the stove top temp gauge, so I don't know how accurate it is.
Nonetheless, what the....he literally had an absolutely roaring fire within less than 10 minutes, with a shut door, no bypass damper adjustment like my Lopi, and not exactly a firebox stocked with super-sweet kindling precisely placed.
This morning, I decided to try the same thing. Crumpled newspaper, laid the kindling on top of that. Choice pieces, placed carefully. Took about 30 minutes to hit 550, my secondaries were weak until 25 minutes in.
Am I doing something wrong? Is he just the absolute best at starting fires? Is the Jotul Kennebec the rock-star of precision air control?
Joe
P.s. He gave me the kindling I was using and it was from the same pile.
Nevertheless, I watched him start it up. He was distracted and laid down about 5-6 pieces of crumpled newspaper and some randomly pyramid-style kindling on top. Minimal serious wood in there.
Door shut, air control open. The entire time.
In less than 10 minutes, he had ROARING secondaries. They were air-washing his glass like there's no tomorrow. His stove top temp gauge (who knows how accurate) was reading 700-725 within 15 minutes, and based upon the fact that he had secondaries blasting the glass for almost 10 of those minutes, I kinda believe it. That being said, their thermostatically controlled fan didn't kick on till the fire was over 700 according to the stove top temp gauge, so I don't know how accurate it is.
Nonetheless, what the....he literally had an absolutely roaring fire within less than 10 minutes, with a shut door, no bypass damper adjustment like my Lopi, and not exactly a firebox stocked with super-sweet kindling precisely placed.
This morning, I decided to try the same thing. Crumpled newspaper, laid the kindling on top of that. Choice pieces, placed carefully. Took about 30 minutes to hit 550, my secondaries were weak until 25 minutes in.
Am I doing something wrong? Is he just the absolute best at starting fires? Is the Jotul Kennebec the rock-star of precision air control?
Joe
P.s. He gave me the kindling I was using and it was from the same pile.