Small things matter

[Bugtownboy]

Fair enough - have to report back on the taste test

[Joeboy]

BTB, first ever planned RE cake with windfall apples? Bloody brilliant! Appley with a texture akin to Dutch apple pancakes and steamed pudding. I flipped it over and cooked on the stove for another 5 mins on the steamed pudding side. A sprinkle of icing sugar and I've had 3 slices already, yes indeed!

Did it rise? A wee bit.

[Bugtownboy]

BTB, first ever planned RE cake with windfall apples? Bloody brilliant! Appley with a texture akin to Dutch apple pancakes and steamed pudding. I flipped it over and cooked on the stove for another 5 mins on the steamed pudding side. A sprinkle of icing sugar and I've had 3 slices already, yes indeed!

Did it rise? A wee bit.

Well done - at the end of the day, doesn’t matter if it don’t look the best as long as it tastes good.

Free cooking to boot

[Joeboy]

I have also been pleasantly surprised at the control on the stove. Over last Winter we were running it pretty hard and it was great. This time of year its a different outcome we are looking for and with a min airflow and low fuel feed its doing exactly what we want. I'm pretty amazed at the outcome.

[Bugtownboy]

Find with ours, there’s a sweet spot - low air, low flame but a lot of heat. Can depend on the hardwood, obviously needs properly seasoned wood.

[Bugtownboy]

Just remembered, best bit of kit we use is a Chestnut roasting pan. Foraged chestnuts, little treat in the autumn evening, lovely

[Joeboy]

Find with ours, there’s a sweet spot - low air, low flame but a lot of heat. Can depend on the hardwood, obviously needs properly seasoned wood.

There are quite a fair few variables to getting it right so the burn is hot, clean and efficient. After all the work to get woodpiles stocked I am loathe to waste any of it! I have quite a mix of soft and Harwood. No doubt on the hardwoods being better, hotter and longer burn. I try and mix it up. My new game is no firelighter starting. No idea why, I just enjoy the challenge/fun of it.

[Stinsy]

Find with ours, there’s a sweet spot - low air, low flame but a lot of heat. Can depend on the hardwood, obviously needs properly seasoned wood.

There are quite a fair few variables to getting it right so the burn is hot, clean and efficient. After all the work to get woodpiles stocked I am loathe to waste any of it! I have quite a mix of soft and Harwood. No doubt on the hardwoods being better, hotter and longer burn. I try and mix it up. My new game is no firelighter starting. No idea why, I just enjoy the challenge/fun of it.

Feathersticks, knife and firesteel if you want to do it properly! So no matches/lighter…

[Mr Gus]

Billhook, used with utmost caution on hardwoods till it is ultra thin, sliced on a decent hardwood block at a level you find comfortable & SOLID concentration, hit, stick the blade, tap & split.

I do "way too thin" just habit & helps the lighting with a scraping of a lighter block

Is how we have always had a roaring 1 match fire, lit from the base, cross hatch # lay out.

This one.. has lovely balance imho.S&J billhook

[Joeboy]

Two very different replies there. How to make fire seems to be quite a bloke thing! I collect all the splinters from splitting process and go with that or split down with my hand axe. Bill hook, impressive!