Cookin' With Coal

Buck47 · Post by **Buck47** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 7:56 am

Sunny Boy wrote:John,
A coal fire will run longer between tendings and give more even temps. However, if your going to use coal. I'd swap out those cast firebox liners and line it with refractory material. The iron liners are usually meant for use with wood only. They may crack/warp using them with coal. Plus, the better insulating qualities of refractory will make the coal burn better.

Good Morning Paul:

The stock pot for brown stock must be kept at a slow boil for a steady 24 hours. And just as important is the ability to have one side of the bottom exposed to the heat the other side cooler. I do this now by placing the pot on two burners and having only one burner turned on the other burner is off. If you where to look inside the pot you would see bubbles on just the front side of the pot. This arrangement induces a convection, rolling (top to bottom) circulation pattern inside the pot itself. Heating the entire bottom of the pot results in a cloudy stock. A richer, deeper flavored stock is produced by this method as more flavor is extracted from the roasted bones.

Consequently, a consistent, steady, high degree of temp control over a 24 hour period of time is important. Coal is the fuel I need to use. I don't want to tend a wood fire all night, curled up sleeping on the cement floor like a malnourished apprentice in a French kitchen.

Can standard fire brick be cut, fit and mortared inside the fire box or will I need to use something more formable like Ramming Cement ?

Regards: john

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 8:15 am

I suppose you could cut and fit firebricks. Keeping them in place may be a problem because during shaking, the ash wants to build up behind and force them away from the firebox walls. Without retainers the bricks may shift around over time. The other problem is if you can get bricks that are thin enough to not interfere with rotating the grate bars, but still supported by the lower ledge ?

The ramming refractory is the most common method used when restoring range fireboxes. It's easier to form and if the iron is relatively clean, it sticks - no retainers needed. And you can get the surface smooth which helps ash shake down and reduces clinker scale build up on the refractory, (or bricks) that will help cause coal bridging.

Also important is that you can form radiused corners to reduce ash build up. That tends to happen in sharp corners of rectangular fireboxes.

A one inch thick layer of ramset is easy to make using a rolling pin. Then just cut the pieces to shape with a butter knife. Pound in place with a rubber mallet and smooth the surface with wet fingers.

The other alternative is cast firebricks. If you can find the molds for that range. Wilson (screen name "wilsons wood stoves") has many antique firebrick molds. He may have a set that would work with your range's size firebox

Paul

Photog200 · Post by **Photog200** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 8:21 am

Sunny Boy wrote:No, the reservoir can be left dry. The solder in the joints melt at much higher temps than you could get that end of the range up to even if you were burning wood.

Either open the damper doors leading to it to help extract heat like a base heater, or, you can close the damper doors, thus reducing the heat radiating area while sending more heat to raise the temps in the oven.

In warm weather, shutting the reservoir dampers makes that end of the range act like a heat shield, thus keeping the stove area cooler while sending more heat to the chimney so you can idle the range back more and still maintain draft without having an overly heated working near the range.

I've never used the water reservoir in my range for heating water. But, I'd never buy a range without one because it gives greater control over heat extraction in winter, plus heat radiating reduction in warmer weather without having to reduce the draft like closing the primaries would do.

Paul

Thanks Paul, I did not want to give John misinformation about the water reservoir. I am attaching a link to a video from Lehman's Hardware where I got my information from about keeping water in the reservoir.

Randy

Buck47 · Post by **Buck47** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 8:40 am

Randy, The "Heartland Sweathart" stove in the video @ 4:00 min is a copy of the stove I have. The water resivour is an exact copy.

The people I purchased the stove from had the water tank mounted on the stove for the past 10 years all the while burning wood and heating there sitting room.

After breakfast I'm going out, pull off that water resivour - fill it with water and see if it leeks.

Good thing is ... I may have a suplier for new parts.

Thanks guys

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 8:41 am

The cook top is one continuous hot surface, but with a very great range of different temps. Depending on how hot you run the range that can be from extremely hot,..... say in the 700-800 F range over the firebox, to in the low 200 F range over the coolest round cover. Usually the back right round cover just before the flue gases get to the stove's pipe collar.

And if you use the space over the water reservoir, that can be in the low 100 F range while that left end is running in the 700-800 temps.

We fine tune boiling temps by only needing to slightly shift pots from directly above the firebox - either off to the right, or partially off the left back corner. Like you mention, then we get bubbles only coming up on one side of a pot to give a rolling boil when we want that mixing affect, or if it's so hot as to be at risk of boiling over the pot sides. I do that often when I boil pasta.

And, the type of round cover has an affect to further help fine tune cooking temps.

The "ring cover" - the one with concentric parts - can be used in several ways. With all it's parts, the gaps in the rings make it slightly less efficient at transferring heat as a solid one-piece cover. But, by taking out one, or two, of the middle rings it will transfer slightly more heat than a one piece can. So, we always have the ring cover in the left front hole. If the left rear cover is a bit too hot for what we're cooking, the ring cover seems to make it just about what we want.

And the ring cover lets us quickly look in at the fire without risk of too much cold air rushing in, or exhaust out,

by only having to lift the small inner ring.

Paul

Buck47 · Post by **Buck47** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 8:49 am

Paul:

That is an amazing amount of control & selection of cooking temp. No wonder you guys enjoy these stoves as much as you do.

I should be able to do exactly what I need when making sauces.

Thanks so much. Now on to checking for leaks in the water resivour. ( but first breakfast then feed the horses)

Regards: john

BTW: After all these years I'm finaly going to have a hot drop down inset for wok stir fry cooking.

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 8:51 am

If the water tank is not the type sealed all around it's top edge, because there is lower draft pressure surrounding the tank when it sits in it's well, it can push steam into the well area that will cause rust.

Some water tanks (like mine) just have soldered side and bottom seams. The cast iron top lip that the tank hangs in the well from is only riveted to the tank sides. There's slight gaps between lip and tank that steam/moisture can get through. That's why Emory said to beware of ranges with water reservoirs because the tank well end of the range can suffer from rust jacking.

If your range's water tank isn't sealed off completely from it's well, I'd recommend you either seal it so that it's vapor proof, or don't put water in it.

Paul

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 8:58 am

We leave a cookie cooling rack over the water reservoir end. Great for keeping dishes warm while serving food.

And that rack is perfect from warming/drying gloves and hats. Plus, underneath that tank end dries and warms boots and shoes without over heating the leather.

Only problem is the cats love that spot too ! Guess who won ?

Paul

Photog200 · Post by **Photog200** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 9:51 am

John,
I used the ramming refractory cement in my fire box and as Paul already said, it is easy to work with and I have had no problems with mine for the three years I have used it.

Randy

Photog200 · Post by **Photog200** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 10:10 am

This morning while the stove was cooler from low burn over night, I gave her a long overdo cleaning and polishing. Some of it was still too hot to do but it sure does look better now. I discovered something that cleans cooking grease off the nickel plating quite well, those disinfecting wipes. (Cheap Berkley & Jenson brand from BJ's) It must be the alcohol base that breaks the grease down. Still takes some elbow grease to get it off but it cleaned up nicely.

Paul, I really like that Meeco stove polish! After rubbing it in, went over it with a clean rag and hardly any of the black came off the stove. That would never happen with Rutland stove polish! Once the polish was finished, I sprayed Pam® cooking spray on a rag and went over the whole stove. It cleaned up quite well...thanks for the tip about that.

Randy

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 10:15 am

John,

The one real downside to using the ram in place type refractory lining is if you ever have to remove the grate bars or frame. On some of the earlier ranges, like mine, they can only come out the top of the firebox. That means having to bust that refractory out unless it's molded into place with a releasing film backer, like waxed paper.

And, that's the reason I've patched and kept the original firebricks in my range.

However, there's a way to If I were to line the firebox with ramset, I'd tape waxed paper to the firebox walls. Then I'd mold in one side at a time, with waxed paper separating each side at mitered corner joints so that each side piece can be lifted up and out separately. If the ramset starts to lean in at the top masking tape it to the firebox walls.

You can leave the waxed paper and tape in place. It will just burn away with the first few fires.

Paul

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 10:19 am

Photog200 wrote:This morning while the stove was cooler from low burn over night, I gave her a long overdo cleaning and polishing. Some of it was still too hot to do but it sure does look better now. I discovered something that cleans cooking grease off the nickel plating quite well, those disinfecting wipes. (Cheap Berkley & Jenson brand from BJ's) It must be the alcohol base that breaks the grease down. Still takes some elbow grease to get it off but it cleaned up nicely.

Paul, I really like that Meeco stove polish! After rubbing it in, went over it with a clean rag and hardly any of the black came off the stove. That would never happen with Rutland stove polish! Once the polish was finished, I sprayed Pam® cooking spray on a rag and went over the whole stove. It cleaned up quite well...thanks for the tip about that.

Randy

Looks great Randy !!!!

Yeah, that Meeco is good. Lasts as long as any I've tried and less mess to get it to a nice polish. Cleans up with water easily, yet doesn't seem to promote rust as some of the water based ones do.

And, I especially like that it doesn't smoke near as much when the stove heats back up, as the other stove polishes I've tried.

Paul

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 10:22 am

Randy,
I just noticed your "power-outage" stove fan.

How is it working out ? Do you find that it's worth the money ?

Paul

Photog200 · Post by **Photog200** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 10:34 am

Sunny Boy wrote:Randy,
I just noticed your "power-outage" stove fan.

How is it working out ? Do you find that it's worth the money ?

Paul

It does not move a huge amount of air at a time but you can feel more heat hitting your face when you stand there than without it. I was not expecting it to move a lot of air so I am not at all disappointed in it. Now when I leave the garage, I turn the lights and the ceiling fan off. It moves enough air that I am happy with it and do not need the ceiling fan anymore. Save even more on the electric bill.

Randy

Photog200 · Post by **Photog200** » Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 10:36 am

Sunny Boy wrote:
Photog200 wrote:This morning while the stove was cooler from low burn over night, I gave her a long overdo cleaning and polishing. Some of it was still too hot to do but it sure does look better now. I discovered something that cleans cooking grease off the nickel plating quite well, those disinfecting wipes. (Cheap Berkley & Jenson brand from BJ's) It must be the alcohol base that breaks the grease down. Still takes some elbow grease to get it off but it cleaned up nicely.

Paul, I really like that Meeco stove polish! After rubbing it in, went over it with a clean rag and hardly any of the black came off the stove. That would never happen with Rutland stove polish! Once the polish was finished, I sprayed Pam® cooking spray on a rag and went over the whole stove. It cleaned up quite well...thanks for the tip about that.

Randy
Looks great Randy !!!!

Yeah, that Meeco is good. Lasts as long as any I've tried and less mess to get it to a nice polish. Cleans up with water easily, yet doesn't seem to promote rust as some of the water based ones do.

And, I especially like that it doesn't smoke near as much when the stove heats back up, as the other stove polishes I've tried.

Paul

I would agree about the smell, the only odor I am smelling now is the Pam cooking off.

Randy

Cookin' With Coal

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