Somewhere around half of my wood supply ends up being Doug fir and/or western hemlock. The rest is a combo of red alder, big leaf maple, a little white birch, and now cherry. Softwoods always require more air in my stove. With 100% hardwoods, I can cruise with 6 rungs of my air control beyond the ash lip. With 100% softwoods, it's only 4 rungs. A mixed load takes some finesse. This load of wood last night demonstrates this well. 2 fir chunks on the right with cherry on the left. I had the air knob pulled out to the 5th rung.
Eastern white pine needs just a little less air in my stove vs red maple or oak. I really don't like mixing pine with maple or oak as the oak or maple will smolder and smoke at white pine settings and there's just too much flame from the pine at oak or maple settings. I don't mind burning the pine, just have to reload the stove often. In warmer weather that's a +.
I noticed this myself a few years back after switching from running poplar only to pine and various other types of wood. Some woods must just give up the goods a little easier depending on their grain or cell structure.
