For anyone interested here's the firing log for the anagama firing last week

Anagama Firing with Shozo Michikawa at Higham Hall

19th - 22nd July 2010

9.30am Monday. Light fire in ash pit, smokey,

1 10.30am flames being drawn up into kiln, place some wood into

fire box but continue stoking in ash pit.

2 11.30 some smoke from chimney, strong flames in fire mouth, cease

stoking in ash pit. Mix of pine and hardwood

3 12.30pm 490°C Pyrometer now working! Rake out ashes, reduce mouth

of ash pit to increase draft.

4 13.30pm 600℃ Raining

8 17.30 880℃ Still raining

9 18.30 970℃ Breeze blowing directly into the fire box

10 19.3 960°C Everyone present for the first reduction - lots of wood into the

kiln and then close the door over the fire mouth to decrease

oxygen in the kiln. Lots of smoke and dark red horns of flame

from the spy holes over the ware chamber.

11 20.30 990℃ Bit of a party going

13 22.30 1000°C Darkness falls, stoking mostly pine, some hardwood

23.55 1020℃

15 00.30 1005℃ Drop in temp after big stoke

16 1.30am 1040℃ Tuesday, first chimney flame visible.

17 2.30am 1050℃ Much quieter now

18 3.30 1065℃

19 4.30 1080℃

20 5.30 1090℃

22 7.30 1100℃

24 9.30 1120℃

30 15.30 1130℃

33 18.30 1120℃ Sushi interlude

34 19.30 1140℃

38 23.30 1140℃ Pizza. Stoking little and often

39 00.30 1160℃ Wednesday

41 02.30 1160℃ Deep roaring in body of kiln, good chimney flame

42 03.30 1160℃ Running low on wood, heavy stoking to maximize reduction

04.00 Last massive stoke

04.15 Final stoke, one piece of wood each, close dampers fully, clam

up ash pit.

43 04.30 End of firing, daylight.