It isn't too cold yet so it is mostly one fire a day. I'm getting no-match relights. Yes, I'm pushing everything to the back in a big pile and turning down to the lowest setting and I'm sifting for coals and using kindling. But still, I got an evening relight from a fire started the morning of the day before. Cold stove but plenty of coals to get things started again. I don't recall getting this duration of viable coals out of my oak. Perhaps it is the ash. Seems to make more ash than what I recall getting from my oak and the live coals are the ones well buried in the ash.
Been a long time since I had Elm to burn but I do remember it was a great heating wood and coaled up very well.
I love to burn elm but when it comes to making a long burning fire, I'll take oak. But a fire with a mixture of oak and elm is super!
It certainly does make a lot of ash. I think that must be the key to the coals lasting as long as they do. It is about perfect for this time of year. A good hot burn to make the evening pleasant and then just enough to keep the stove warm and easy to light the next night. If I had it putting out a lot of year the entire time, I’d be roasted out.
I have no experience with Elm but have burned a moderate amount of Oak. If Elm leaves more ash than Oak then it's not for me. I hate the ashing out job! Our Oak here in western WA (don't know the variety) leaves gobs of fluffy white ash that goes everywhere. The normal mix of Doug Fir and Madrone that I burn is relatively ash free. This year I have been adding a lot of Locust to the mix and just cleaned ashes for the second time this morning. That is for two months of burning. Normally, this would be my first ash out. I guess the Locust has more ash but nowhere like the Oak I have burned!
