Owb to much coal

[Arctiva]

So I've been having a coal issue, I'm burning ash and silver maple mix of wood both cut and stacked last winter. I'm getting coal over 10" tall and to the point I cant add more than 1 stack of wood. Problem is the coals dont give off enough heat to keep the water temp up. If I let them burn down my water temp drops to 100 range from 170. So I've been adding in some poplar that fell last summer and seemed to balance out the coal issue yeah I get more fine ash but it is what it is.

So question is do I leave that poplar in log form and cut and spilt next fall or do I split and stack it and get it dry? Log wont dry it as much With the mix and full box Ive been seeing 12+ hour between loads, which I'm happy with. My gut tells me if I dry it out itll burn to fast and I'll have the coal and ash problem.

Thoughts?

[petefrom bearswamp]

My "better" wood makes more coals, so I just let it burn down some before adding more wood.
My owb is set from 170 to 180.
Put too much in last evening and was 191 this morning with a large pile of coals.
Now burning them down as I type this.

[wiam]

I have an older Central Classic.  I burn hardwood at night to get longer burn time and standing dead pine during the day. Keeps the hardwood coals burned down. 

[thecfarm]

The few times I do burn good hardwood I dig at the coals each time I fill it. 
Most times, years, I burn pine, no coals to bother with.

[gspren]

What OWB do you have? There's a difference between the forced draft and natural and the conventional and gasser. Mines a forced draft, conventional and if I just stir the ashes without adding when I'm going to be around I can get the coals burnt down pretty good.

Added; Keeping the stove too full can also cause that, try to get it burnt down and then don't put too much extra in.

[Arctiva]

It's a woodmaster 434, older unit forced draft with a fan.

Last night 5pm  I threw maybe 6 or 8 pieces in big bed of coals went out at 430 am normal time and water temp at 130 and still a pile of coals glowing and not 1 peice of wood left. 

Put 10 pieces in 430 am get home 4pm 2 small pieces of poplar still burning, big pile of glowing coals and water at 165 and fan running.

Frustrated so I cleaned out all the coals and start over I guess. 

[Wood Shed]

I stir the coals and pull them to the door/blower everyday, then remove all coals at least once every week.  I only burn hard wood mostly well seasoned EAB killed ash.

[DDW_OR]

my setup - CB 750 edge. Way too BIG for my current heat load.
so... I load and start the fire, then let it burn out, use the stored heat for several days. then restart the process.
this system produces a higher burn temperature, and less creosote

I have a 1/4 inch mesh screen i place over a 55 gallon barrel.
then scoop the dead ash/coals onto the screen
then return the cleaned coals to the CB

the cleaned ash i use in the garden.


 
plastic 55 gallon stackable barrel
propane torch to start the fire

[Rebarb]

Been burning seasoned Ash for several years and yes , coals are abundant. 

I simply rake the whole pile to back of boiling and then rake the big coals forward and add small pieces to burn down the coal bed.
Shovel out the fine coal dust once per week into metal trash can.

CB 5036.

[SwampDonkey]

Does it have an ash grate? If it's like a furnace in a house, if you pull them coals over that grate, they burn quicker than back of the stove. Quicker is hotter. Keep the fine powder cleaned out so it's not a hard pancake insulation. ;D