cleaning up the ashes, are you doing this too?

I always split the ashes and keep the "good" (i think) stuff for the next fire, are you doing that too?

 

I'm not separating it out like that at all. When the ash in my firebox starts getting excessive, I just start shoveling indiscriminately. Normally I don't have too much charcoal leftover, but certain species definitely leaves more of that than others. It's my understanding that the light fluffy ash is what helps insulate and protect the fire bricks, so I make sure to leave an inch or so of that behind.

 

I used to...not worth the time/trouble, so I quit. The Kuuma furnace has an ash pan/grate, so that catches the "big" stuff...good enough

 

I'll do it in-between fires. That way any unburned coals get burned by the next fire.

 

I move the ashes around when I begin my reload or relight. I remove the ashes and keep the charcoal. Wish I had a small rake with the teeth parallel with the handle.

 

Have any old garden rakes laying around?
Cut the handle and braces off, cut in half (or whatever) and weld a handle on it...I made a couple just like that, just with the rake head perpendicular to the handle... like normal

 

My England's has an ash pan. If it's small enough to fall into it, it gets put in the garden (ie biochar) to enrich that soil.

 

I have a rake I made, just shove all the ashes back and then rake the coals forward. Also when I need to remove ashes I rake over the top and push the coals back and shovel some ssh.
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There is an old thread with ash rakes

 

Sure, I do that to some degree. The light fluffy ash gets dumped down into the ash pan and I’ll keep the charcoal to attemp a more complete burn on them.

 

What y'all using for a coal rake ??

 

I just shovel it out when it gets full usually don't have much charcoal left.

 

Yes, we separate the ashes from the charcoal/coals. Our fireplace tool set had broom, poker and shovel...broom had gotten in bad shape, so handle was cut off and a scoop was made with 2 layers of small expansion metal. Start on 1 side and get charcoal out, shovel fine ash into bucket, then move over and do another section, putting charcoal/coals back in empty spot...

 

As with others, having a cast iron grate with an ash tray, there's no need to rake/separate ashes. I just push the coals around with a fireplace tool.

 

Usually in the spring I'll save some of the bigger chunks of charcoal from the stove (not the furnace) to be used for grilling season kickoff. That stuff lights easily but doesn't last too long.

 

Yes. I do the same thing.

 

Grate shaker sends it all to the pan.

 

I do, but only the leave any bigger charcoal pieces.

 

When I get home from work the fire has usually burned down and there is just coals and ash left. I push the coals to the back and scoop most of the ash out into a metal bucket that has a tight fitting lid. Rinse and repeat. Unless we go away for a weekend and the stove is cold then I completely clean it out before ignition.

 

My Lopi is similar. I love having an ash pan.