Taming the bitty beast

After making a few mistakes, having a few puffbacks, and a few raging hot fires, I think I might have the hang of burning this coal from Valier's in the DS1500.

The critical things I have found with this coal in this stove, is to make SMALL adjustments to the air, and the new coal *must* be banked. I tried to freshen the fire several times in the past by just throwing 10-15 lbs right on top of an established coal bed. This is a recipe for huge puffbacks and excessive stove/stack temps.

Attached is a quick video I shot this morning. This is about 45 minutes after loading the stove. Any commentary from other bitty burners is appreciated!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSM5qYZDU14

Good video LD. Glad it's working out for you. Looks like a wood fire with all those yellow flames! You will have to clean your chimney like wood after burning bit I imagine? Be interesting to see how the old Warm Morning 400 works in comparison.

Looks good to me. In action and results you are 'stoker-feeding' your stove..
by that I mean a smaller amount of coal, it is allowed the heat and burn off it's volitiles at a controled rate, and once it has burned off,
you then add some more, in a controled rate and manner, allowing the gradual heating and burn-off.

I wonder what the first guy, who had experience burning only anthracite thought when he lite off some Bit coal?? That the coal was possessed? ??

The smaller, more frequent batches of fresh coal seem to have tamed your burning experience.

Greg L

Yeah LSfarm, I was that guy lol.. Sacred the bigeezous outta me hahaha. I thought the black vans would show up shortly after the looming mushroom cloud appeared lol.. Maybe I will attempted the bit again armed with this technique ... Thanks man!

I've got the day off tomorrow... I'm going to hitch up the utility trailer to the 'ole Prius and try some different bit... Trying to decide where to go. I called a few places today, including several in OH and KY, but I don't think I want to drive quite that far.

I'm thinking about these two....

Country Coal, Somerset PA - Low vol bit, ROM $85/ton, washed nut $110/ton
Ritchie Coal, Frostburg MD - ROM $70/ton, must buy 1/2 ton increments

Any other good places I might consider? I have been scanning thru the sticky thread at the top of this for ideas, these were some of the closer ones I found.

Just left Cobra Mining, Barton Md

Im glad to see you didnt give up. Now you can enjoy the low cost of bit.