I have when they get excessive. I use a fryolater basket. It does let soot into the room so I need to be careful.
I'll leave any charcoal if it's worth the time, and I leave a little ash to cover up the plate where I dump the ash into the pan. Just trying to keep any air from entering from that area and add some "insulation" I guess? Brick is showing otherwise, it's just allows maximum time before needing to empty again. Does anyone keep their ash bucket full in the winter to treat ice? I do and if I don't need it, I just go dump it when it's time to clean out again and fill it back up. Edit to add, I also have a dog and I don't use it where she is. I use it mainly at the end to middle of driveway since I am lazy and don't clean the entire driveway. (and it's not necessary imo) So the packed down stuff does get dicey at times.
I use something like this to store ash in. Usually dump it once in the spring. Then I don't have to worry about catching the woods on fire if I empty a warm stove. www.amazon.com/31-Gallon-Galvanized-Steel-Trash-Pre-Galvanized/dp/B07RXGDS9V/ref=asc_df_B07RXGDS9V?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80058309938566&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=104241&hvtargid=pla-4583657844476684&psc=1
I like to rake the coals out when I can especially when I have a hot stove and don’t want to completely restart the fire, but need to get some ash out. Unfortunately I don’t have a very good ash rake and can’t find one. Spirch where did you get your “ash rake”?
Interesting.... You're burning Coles! Where would one obtain these "Coles" and how many BTU should one expect. I would kinda think they would just put the fire out with all the "juices".
Years ago, I devised this hood to clamp on to the stove, and the setup has a hole on the other side to allow the 2” shop vac hose to plug into the back… works pretty gooder at managing fines that want to take flight when depositing ashes into the steel bucket (tight fitting lid just out of frame). I use a “fine dust” yellow bag in the shop vac, but I really only use this setup when the stove is dead cold. I’ve had that shovel since the start (circa 2012) but just recently took it to the drill press for a little Swiss cheese treatment, and it works just as good for scooping ash as it does sifting with a couple of jolts to separate ash from larger coals.
My cooled ashes go to my SIL and mixed in with compost for her garden. I she's had enough, then like I do with my excess compost, using a long handled shovel, it gets broadcast around the yard.
As others have said when the ashes get to much I just shovel out about half of the and keep burning but then again one my stove is lit we burn constantly till the season ends
All the ash and charcoal fall down into the secondary burn chamber on my boiler, and nothing survives in there (maybe a big nail or screw, but that's about it). I can burn a cord of wood and end up with about maybe 2 gallons of fine powdery ash.
Ash goes into ash bucket. When bucket fills up, I let it sit a week, and then dump into a trash bag and it goes into the trash for pickup. I don't sift or filter, when the burn chamber fills up everything goes.
I made a rake. I rake the coals forward and push the ashes back like many others. Usually at morning restart. When I am cleaning the ashes from the stove when they build up, I push them to the back of the cold stove and give them a good spray with the Wif's ironing mister. A couple of spritzes during the process kills the fly ash! I spray the top of the ash in the bucket also before whisking it to the garage.
I leave big chunks in the stove, but I'm not spending any time or effort to sort my ashes for what might give me 2 minutes of heat. It all gets sprinkled on the mossy parts of my lawn.
I actually sift out the coals from the ash and build a valley in the middle of the stove (mountain of ash on either side), pile the good coals in the middle and re-start my next fire by laying the next batch of wood across the valley of coals. Also, if you encounter a warm or mild day after a cold night where you don't want to reload, simply pull those ashes over your hot coals by several inches and they'll hold almost a full 24hrs or more to start your next fire. I think an ash sifter shovel is a must-have at the stove or fireplace, makes re-starts and re-fires a breeze.
There is satisfaction to be gained from starting a new fire from leftover coals. Something to do with continuity of life, birth from the ashes, the phoenix and all that philosophical stuff!
Yesterday I put a big split of cherry on some hot coals and it instantly burst into flame. I sort out hot coals with my bare hands. jk I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to get in a Nashville jab. Yes I sort/save coals with shovel finesse or a gloved hand.
