Old Man winter really showed up, 3 degrees last night and windchills like -10. I am glad as I can get back to the woods and haul out some wood I have been cutting for next year as now the ground is good and froze. My Drolet Myriad is really working good. I think mainly as I know how to operate it well now. Last night I moved all the hot coals over to one side and loaded North/South and alot of my wood was not sitting on any hot coals. Except for the wood over on the side I raked the hot coals too. I really loaded the stove full. Then I put in two fire starters along with the already hot coals on the one side , to heat the stove back up really fast so I could get the input air shut back down quickly. This allowed me not to burn up alot of my main wood load waiting for the heat to get back up in the stove for secondary flames to ignite up in the top of the stove. Had the thing purring like a kitten. Made for good heat all night long on a really cold windy night. I saw that it was going to be a cold front moving in so I went ahead yesterday morning and cleaned out the stove and left some good coals for the next load . Then I was ready for a max load of wood that night as I had good space in the stove and not a bunch of ashes built up. I also went out to the garage and hand picked some nice splits of hickory of good sizes so as to fit well in the stove to get maximum wood in last night.
I've seen this method mentioned before (was it you?), and think I may try it. Does it keep part of the load from offgassing too quickly?
When you load, I also have a Drolet Myraid. Still trying to get a grip on this thing 1st full winter with it- How much coals are in stove before reload as you done? What is the stack temp or stove top/sides when you start to turn it down? Do you open the door as the book says to get it up to temp and what temp? What temp do you start to close the air down? Any other tips would be ok too. I like it and it gets hot like today with all soft maple - loaded with soft maple got it up to 400 on stack-closed door- had about 1/4 inch crack- wait about 15 min and push air in about 1/4 then again and again till air is about closed total time about 1 hour. Checked with ir gun as was doing this and on the last push in top and sides all was over 750 so I cut air back more then it was around 575-625.
Absolutely- and delays getting lit even. I'll rake coals forward toward the dog house and throw in a 4"-5" round in the back. Lights last, off gases last, plenty of hot coals the next morning.
