Alaskan Kodiak

Hey everyone, anyone out there have any experience with an alaskan kodiak? having a bitch of a time getting it running!

check out my tips a few minutes ago- maybe there's something in it that will help
dd412

is this the kodiak stoker or the hand fed stove?

I've got a Kodiak, post your questions or send me a private message. I've been running mine for two years. Its a nice stove.

I have an old hand fired Kodiak, runs great. If you have a hand fired pm me if you want.

I think it defeats the purpose of the thread if everybody PM's everybody else, although on the surface it might not seem like a significant question, I too just installed a Kodiak and am having difficulty with the learning curve. I grew up on wood and kind of expected coal to be similar, but it is quite different.
A couple of lesson's I've learned very quickly after having to re-start 4 times in the same week when I began to use it a couple of weeks ago.
In this case patients is not a virtue, it is a requirement

1) Don't wait untill the coal is almost all burned before adding new coal
2) Pea coal is easier to start than nut but no where near as hot or lasts as long
3) Don't shake it down just because you think you should
4) Fill and let it cach before shaking
5) Empty your ash pan before shaking down (the ash will be cooler)
6) If you are not getting that nice snap, crackle, pop after adding fresh coal, poke some breathing holes in the coal bed (going rigth through the shaker grate)
7) Don't cover all the red coals with fresh coal, cover a part, let it catch cover some more etc

Please add to this list as I could also use some more advice

I cover my barometric dampner with aluminum foil when I open up the ash removal door. Helps with a stronger draft when reloading fresh coal.

Thank you everyone who replied, you are God-like! The stove has been running consistantly for 2 days. I started my burn with Kimmel pea coal, (from what I gather, Kimmel is a package house) Has anybody used their coal before? I just picked up a few bags of nut coal, hopefully it will burn a lot longer! I was having two problems with the pea coal. First: a 50lb bag would last for only 4-5hrs after taking a good 3 hours to fully ignite, Second: my ash is very lumpy, I was told it should be a nice smooth ash, and it's possible the coal wasn't mined deep enough!
My stove is hand-fed/ gravity feed, can you realistically add 120 lbs of coal to this thing?

Thanks again guys!

Hello mzig1. My Kodiak is an older model, no hopper. I start my fire with a clean stove, ash door open. I use oak or maple to get a good wood fire going. When I have a couple of inches of wood coals, I start adding nut size coal. I use Blaschaks and I have good results. When I have 2 inches or so I close the feed door. Wait about 10 or 15 minutes, add 2 more inches, ash door still open. After another 10 to 15 minutes you should have a good hot fire going. Then iI load it to the top of the fire brick and close the feed door and the ash door. I forgot to mention I cover my barometric dampner wit aluminum foil till I have established a good fire. Now I set my below the fire air inlet spinners to 1/2 turn open. And I am set for the next 12 hours. I shake down and reload every 12 hours. I am able to get close to 80 lbs of coal into my stove on initial start up. Add about 40 lbs after every 12 hour shake down. This stove is keeping my 1000sqft house at about 75 while its 20 outside now.. Ray in Ma has some excellent advice as well. You will get the hang of it. This forum has helped me a lot. jpd

Hello Again

I have used both Blackshack and Kimmells. Both are good and I don't know enough to tell you if there is any difference.

I do find the pea burns easier, but not as hot as the nut. If you poke around some of the other threads you'll find the explanation but the Nut is easier to put out by adding too much new coal or shaking too hard.

There are other threads talking about raking and banking you should check out too.

I really like the Kodiak, when it's running it throws a lot of heat now I just have to move it out of the basement to where we need it.

I just recently installed an Alaska Kodiak. I too went through some frustration the first couple times lighting it.

I discovered/learned some of the very things that Ray from MA. and jpd989 have mentioned above. You really need a good base fire of hardwood, or charcoal, which also worked well for me. Others have posted this in "how to light a hand fired" subject lines. I think the main thing is that you have to have enough volume of heat to: 1. Establish a good draft, or enhance what is already there. 2. Heat up the substantial mass of the stove itself, so it doesn't heat sink all the kindling heat away from the coal. 3. I find that if I try to cover the entire grate with kindling wood and /or charcoal briquets , so no air bypasses around the fire, then I can successfully get chestnut coal to light by adding first small handfuls, then gradually an inch or two at a time until the blue ladies are in full costume all across the stage. Of course, the ash door is open this entire time. It has taken me a couple hours from match strike, to having the firebox filled up and covered with blue ladies.

Let me add, that I haven't had to start a fire since it has gotten really cold the past few days. My previous "lightings" were done at 40 degrees or above. It was in the low 50's the first time fired her up, which meant the draft wasn't as good.
It's really been burning great since the colder weather arrived, and the natural draft increased. when it was above 40, the barometric damper rarely cracked open, but now it's open probably 1/3 of its travel all the time.
Overall, I'm happy with the Alaska Kodiak.

Mike

Hey MZIG1

It's been a couple days, how's it going with your Kodiak?

I was having a similar problem thinking I was throwing a lot if lumps out with the ash.
I think I was playing with it too much because all weekend I just shook once or twice added about 15lbs of nut at a time until I got the fire to the top of the bricks got it good and red and shut the grates most of the way down.
Haven't put it out since Friday.

I ordered the blower for it and it didn't come with an instruction sheet to install it, but I figured how to get it to work. It blows hot air out the front of that cover like crazy! My whole basement is about 80 Wife even hooked up a clothesline and dried clothes all weekend.

Ray