A Progress Hybrid Full Load

that's a huge game changer, thanks for adding that detail...I'm loading once, kindling, then a half load, only did a full load once...I'll have top wait for the cold and load her up a few times before I can really comment on burn times.

 

Just to follow up, I checked this morning (roughly 12 hrs)...

Last night we did a cold start kindling fire, then half to 3/4 of a load. This morning I could, if I wanted, easily restart from coals (half a dozen lumps half the size of my fist). I expect tonight I’ll be back to a cold, dead start.

 

ok. when you are running just over 300 stove top are you shut down on both dampers? you have no smoke at that point? did you let the temp go up then settle at ~300? I get smoke until I'm over 350ish.

 

The other night it was smokeless, but the stovepipe damper was wide open. But these aren’t “normal” conditions - most of the time it will be 30 to 40 degrees cooler outside, which greatly affects the draft in the chimney.

On a cold start I rely on the flue probe thermometer. The stovetop one reacts quite slowly, and lags behind on startup. I like to let the flue to 350 to 400 before closing the bypass. So like you thought, it was higher and then settled back.