Pyranhagama 16

7 chordsThe winter firing was a step into a new realm.  The elusive chocolate flashing emerged as a predominant kiln effect this time around.  Copper fuming was a complete surprise and a new direction of exploration for sure. A large Oribe green glaze...stacked up high in the front of the chamber provided volatilized copper to a number of pieces to the rear...gold and copper sheens developed on the raw surfaces of porcelaneous stonewares and porcelains. the changes made this time around include:
Stacking the front two rows with extra room above the pots...shelves in line re: stack height...allows better combustion and ash migration to the center/rear.
We fired with green wood included in each stoke all the way up to the last couple hours of the firing.
We used large split chord wood 5-7" split diameter.  2-3 heaping wheel barrows per stoke...every 20-30 minutes. 
Louise ran the overnight before the final day and stoked lightly with dry thinner wood to get cone 10 to start going over...this was a good prelude to a intense finish.
We loosened up the back a bit...still a little tight...but the back pressure throughout the firing created a beautiful color palette. 
The long and extreme stoke cycles were key here...so much depth in the surfaces...the green wood really brightened the colors throughout the kiln.  
Although there a number of dry pots around the tail...the kiln effects by far outweighed the losses...metallic asteroid blues with crystals and fumed glosses...oranges to chocolates...I'm so thankful and humbled by the beauty that can be attained through this process.  Cannot wait to fire again in June.
This firing was kinda slipped in as we had the majority of the wood split and there was half a kiln worth of pottery bisqued and ready...we had an over abundance of pieces that I held on to, from June, for the following firing.
Aside from the aforementioned changes, the firebox was modified...no pieces on the floor except to the very back wall.
Shut down procedure...approaching the finale'...I shut down the air in front and fed small sticks in to raise the temp( at center) to 2250...shut down included 3-4 full wheel barrows.. enough to fill the firebox to the top...the stoke door was blocked with wood.  Exit flue dampers were then closed and all air inlets were stuffed with kaowool.  Green was mixed in to the final stoke.
7 chords total, mixed hard wood and 1.5 of green oak.
This process never stops teaching and rewarding ;)