smoke after firing

[Uncle Tucker]

I was wondering, those of you who have wood fired evaporators, right after you load wood in the arch do you get black smoke until the new wood has cot.

I have my timer set for 4 minutes and after I load wood, there is black smoke for about 1 minute. I crisscross the wood for good airflow and I don’t stuff the firebox. All my wood is the size of a base all bat and plenty dry. Is this normal? I thought that black smoke is bad (inefficient).

[PerryW]

That's exactly what my evaporator does when burning softwood. Black smoke for a minute or two after stoking the fire.

Sounds like everything is fine.

[Whitcombs Sugar House]

I have 2.5 x 8 I get no smoke what so ever I have 14' of stack

[KenWP]

What type of wood is it. I use cedar and spruce and hemlock and once in a while you get some smoke but not a lot. Get your self a stack thermometer and watch the gauge on it and as long as its staying the same your okay.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I use all well seasoned hardwood and mainly locust and after I fire, I get a little smoke out the stack for 30 seconds to a minute but I think this normal with stirring up firebox and the ignition of the new wood.