Kiln Log

Cone Pack

<11	<10	<9	<8
>6	>5	>2	>1
	<01	<04	<06

Hours into Firing	Notes
Prep	Candle over night with propane. All main firebox air holes closed except for space for propane nozzle. Active damper 1/2 open, passive dampers open.
Start	05:45AM Warm night high 30's. Propane still on kiln pyro at 150 degrees (F). Light fire in two outside firebox air intakes. Kiln immediately draws well. Fire takes off ...
1/2	Pyro at 400. Start to use unsplit 2x4 construction lumber. Building coal base on floor
1-1/2	Pyro at 800. First chamber stoke hole has great flame path visible. Flame up to and over first chamber bag wall.
2-1/2	Pyro at 900. Nice bed of coals. Good draw. Hand into second chamber (2FT) peep is still quite cool. First chamber top back wall (1BT) dull red. Second chamber front top peep (2FT) sucking, 2BT heat coming out. Slow down wood/stoking. Second chamber back wall starts to steam.
3-3/4	Start side stoke main firebox while still stoking front air intake ports.
4-1/4	Pyro at 1300. Close down main firebox front air intakes to 4 bricks open. Now just stoking into grate/side stoke hole main firebox.
5-3/4	Pyro at 1500. Continue to stoke only main firebox side stoke holes.
6-3/4	Pyro at 1800. Begin to stoke first chamber. Alternate main firebox and first chamber.
7	1BT=06 down. 1FT=04 down. After stoke flame visible into top of second chamber. Start to more aggressively stoke first chamber. Top significantly hotter than bottom/floor. Lots of discussion on what to do to even our the heat/flame. Decision is to close passive damper to one brick, open positive damper from 1/2 open to 2/3 open. Hopefully this will drive/suck the flame path down across the floor.
7-1/2	Close passive damper all the way and open dampers all the way. Flame was still too fast at top and too lazy at bottom.
8	1FB=04 down, 1FT=01 soft, 1BB=06 down, 1BT=01 soft. Someone (guest) stokes into first chamber back, bottom peep destroying cone pack and one pot! Start to stoke only the front/door side of first chamber firebox.
8-1/2	1FB= 04 down 01 standing, 1FT= 1, 2 down. Back to stoking both sides of first chamber.
9	Start to alternate stoke second chamber. Rhythm is main - first - second - repeat.
9-1/2	Stop stoking first chamber. Stoke main firebox and second chamber. 1FT=5 standing, 1FB= 01 down. Major heat imbalance. Still trying to draw more flame/heat across bottom/floor of first chamber.
10	2BT=06 down, 2FT=06 down. Bottoms are still cooler. 1FT+1BT= 5 still standing. 1FB= 2 softening.
11	Push in active dampers to 1/2 open. 2BB= 04 soft, 2BT= 04 soft.
11-1/2	1FT=5+6 standing, 1FB= 2 softening, 1BT=5+6 standing, 1BB= gone. 2FT=06 down, 2FB= 06 down, 2BT= 04 softening, 2BB= 04 softening.
12-1/2	1FT= 6 down 8 soft, 1FB= 6 standing, 1BT= 6 down 8 soft. 2FT=5+6 standing, 2FB= 2 soft, 2BT= 5,6 standing, 2BB= 1 soft. Orange flame about 4' out of the stack on a stoke. Lighten up on main firebox just stoke now to keep air pre-heated. Start to drive first chamber to completion and get more aggressive on second chamber. Main-first-second-first-second - repeat.
13-1/2	1FT= 9 down, 1FB= 9 stand, 1BT=9 down 10 soft. 2FT=5 stand, 2FB= 5 stand, 2BT=5 stand, 2BB= 5 stand Decide to keep going til first chamber top 10 is at 3 o'clock then ease off on first chamber and concentrate on second.
14	1FT=11 @ 3 o'clock, 1FB= 10 @ 3 o'clock, 1BT= 10 @ 3 o'clock All second chamber cones/peeps still have cone 5 standing. No movement here. Close down main firebox front air intakes so just two bricks opening.
14-1/2	Top of second chamber is too clean. Push in positive damper by 2"
15	2FT= 10 down, 2FB= 10 down. 2BT= 10 down, 2BB= 11 down. Decide to shut down the kiln. Use slip to seal all the stoke, air, and peep holes. Weather most of day was mid 40's, high humidity, occasional rain, no wind.
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