The Art and Science of Maintaining a Bertha Stove

As I sit here next to my trusty Bertha stove, I'm reminded of the importance of maintaining this vital piece of equipment. My wife Shannon and I have had our fair share of adventures with this stove, from camping trips to family gatherings, and it's been with us through thick and thin. One of the first things you notice about a Bertha is its robust design, with good casket handles that make it easy to lift and transport.

But what really sets a Bertha apart is its ability to draw heat from any air current, making it the perfect stove for outdoor cooking. My Bertha has two vents in her, which provide just enough airflow to keep the flames going, even when winds are blowing fiercely. This clever design allows me to cook with confidence, knowing that my meal will be warm and hearty, no matter what the weather brings.

Over the years, I've had the pleasure of watching my Bertha transform into a beautiful piece of art, as Shannon lovingly refers to it. She's dubbed her "Bertha makeover" after giving it a thorough cleaning and maintenance session. With a little elbow grease and some hot coals, this stove has been restored to its former glory, and now it looks almost new again.

One of the best things about my Bertha is its versatility. It's perfect for cooking up a storm on camping trips, but it also makes a great addition to our home kitchen. I've even used it in the backyard, where it serves as a cozy spot for family gatherings and BBQs. And let me tell you, there's nothing quite like the smell of food cooked over an open flame.

Of course, no discussion of Berthas would be complete without mentioning their iconic status among cowboys and outdoor enthusiasts. My Bertha has seen its fair share of action, from long days on the range to chilly nights spent around the campfire. It's been a welcome sight for many a weary cowboy, who's come to rely on this trusty stove as a haven from the elements.

But what really sets my Bertha apart is the love and care that Shannon has shown it over the years. She's always making sure it's well-maintained and in good condition, and it shows in the way she looks and performs. It's more than just a hunk of iron – it's a part of our family.

As I prepare to take my Bertha on its next adventure, I'm filled with excitement and anticipation. Whether we're camping out or cooking up a storm at home, this stove is always by our side. And as Shannon would say, "Bertha's worth her weight in gold." With its ability to cook, warm, and bring people together, it's no wonder that my Bertha has become an integral part of our lives.

One thing I've learned over the years is the importance of not taking Berthas for granted. They're not just appliances – they're trusted companions on many outdoor adventures. And with a little maintenance and TLC, they can last for many years to come.

I also want to give a shout-out to my other trusty companion, Bertha's mini-me, which I affectionately call the "mini-Bertha". This little stove has been a game-changer for us when we're on-the-go or need a reliable cooking solution. Its collapsible design makes it easy to transport and set up, and it still packs plenty of punch when it comes to cooking.

In conclusion, maintaining a Bertha is an art form that requires patience, dedication, and a willingness to get your hands dirty. But the reward is well worth the effort – a warm, delicious meal cooked over an open flame, surrounded by loved ones, and with a stove that's truly become part of the family.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enyou know I know you folks out there have always wanted to meet everybody involved in this old wagon business that I got and I have a very special lady one that means a lot to me and I think y'all should meet her not the horse no no it's my reliable old girl of 24 years Martha 385 pounds of burning love here has no bottom enter as you can see she does have a top the top comes out for one reason for me to make it ladder to load but also the top of that old stove when these plates come out you throw a real loner and reel up a lot of good beef sort of interchangeable that's the word they fit but the eyes go in a certain place you can see they've all got a hook in them where you can take them out they'll fit a 10 12 16 inch Duchin spoke top stove pipe won't go here directly Bertha's got one temperature over here he'll for hot back here in this night time the color the warming tray I'll shoot for as long as you will now one thing you should know about over it's 44 degrees out here today and I love her but comes you lie fourth when it's 117 this old gal will burn the hair off your legs I promise you don't ask me ask my sweet wife Shannon welcome to Martha and all her glory see how far I am going here to here that's about 45 degree weather this is 20 degrees this is 108 I promise you you need a long handle on this Porter we've got enough stew old here to think about a hundred people are a little over so Bertha is doing her job she will reach temperatures unknown to NASA I promise you how hot does she get ain't got a clue but too hot but you can see on purpose probably about oh you left the lid down about three foot a little over about 40 inches three eyes inter comes out this plate here on the front as you can see it's got little room here under that sort of event try to keep a little of that heat off of you got these good casket handles on here so when I die Shannon's going to use it as a casket for me I promise you come on round this way you can see that over has got two vents in her here that's all she's got to draw and she draws plenty where most everything on here is eighth inch except when you get through out here at the top of this and this is quarter-inch plate comes all around right under the flue of this pipe that there is about a 12 inch piece of channel iron that's welded up here to where it's not a direct draft up through here it has to come in from both sides slows that fire consumption down a little you can see the warm inside hitches with these two arms runs back up here hooks in a piece of ankle arm it makes for a lot of extra room I promise you stovepipe hey for outside in mother nature's kitchen so we've got to have much just enough to keep it off my face we're under the fly the wagon it's got about nine and a half ten foot that sticks up a very versatile pitching tool she is she'll do anything to any modern stove in the house will except there's one other thing she'll burn a hole in your floor if you give her a chance I wouldn't take her in the house she's not house crew Dunkel jump on she'll do something birth alone Bertha won't jump on and she sure won't jump off if I could teach her to load I'd be a millionaire we're fixing to give her something she always wants that's a good cleaning and not all bad you know Bertha she has been with me a long time she's been rained on held on blowdown kicked on cussed own even had a dog peel her one time he can make that mistake again snow dome she changes colors a lot throughout a year riding on the back of that trailer and getting dumped off in places we're fixing to give her something every good woman needs a facial at least once a year and Bertha's ready for her as I promise you take it on grinder to it first just to get the top course off because she's going to take a whole lot more love than that some of this has been on there a long time I promise you then I'm going to start with a little heat after we get the first layer off get her a good and hot then we'll take that grinder back to it that stuff will come off a whole lot easier make it a whole lot easier to clean but also a little easier for that old penetrate then we get ready to seize her but you can see the difference here you get her hot do a little elbow grease with some good used cooking off she looks a whole lot better than she did I promise you she'll appreciate you know there's some times on ranches that we don't get to take old birthday in because she's a little harder to transport when you're having to move camp every other day or once a week or something like that so we've got a little old collapsible stove that's a mini Bertha that we take that it's just four pieces that pin together and then it's just got pieces that run across bars that make a great and it's got a wire grate that goes on one end to that to me it's still a whole lot better than bending over a hole in the ground with everything trying to blow in the gravy and eggs that I'm cooking but it does a job it does a good job I think Oh Randall for letting us use it well as you can see brother do look somewhat better it's called a Bertha makeover she got her makeup on now she said and go back on the trailer she like no dog her she ain't like SH and she won't load when I tell her to get in but she weighed 385 pound with the top out and gotten about a minute how do you load it Armstrong when I can't load it I'll do something else I'll take up knitting home away from home Martha's ready to hit the road again now guarantee yo Bertha's worth her weight in gold she has saved me many a heartache I promise also she caught near as much country on fires an old opening pepper wood when the winds blowing about 40 miles an hour she's a welcome place for cowboys that come in on a cold day a place to warm not only just to cook but to warm your heart she holds many a coffee pot there's warm many of fellers belly she's washed many a dish she's more than just a hunk iron she's part of me and Shannon's life you know I'm really blessed to have two women in my life that I love the first one being Shannon the other than being old worthless youyou know I know you folks out there have always wanted to meet everybody involved in this old wagon business that I got and I have a very special lady one that means a lot to me and I think y'all should meet her not the horse no no it's my reliable old girl of 24 years Martha 385 pounds of burning love here has no bottom enter as you can see she does have a top the top comes out for one reason for me to make it ladder to load but also the top of that old stove when these plates come out you throw a real loner and reel up a lot of good beef sort of interchangeable that's the word they fit but the eyes go in a certain place you can see they've all got a hook in them where you can take them out they'll fit a 10 12 16 inch Duchin spoke top stove pipe won't go here directly Bertha's got one temperature over here he'll for hot back here in this night time the color the warming tray I'll shoot for as long as you will now one thing you should know about over it's 44 degrees out here today and I love her but comes you lie fourth when it's 117 this old gal will burn the hair off your legs I promise you don't ask me ask my sweet wife Shannon welcome to Martha and all her glory see how far I am going here to here that's about 45 degree weather this is 20 degrees this is 108 I promise you you need a long handle on this Porter we've got enough stew old here to think about a hundred people are a little over so Bertha is doing her job she will reach temperatures unknown to NASA I promise you how hot does she get ain't got a clue but too hot but you can see on purpose probably about oh you left the lid down about three foot a little over about 40 inches three eyes inter comes out this plate here on the front as you can see it's got little room here under that sort of event try to keep a little of that heat off of you got these good casket handles on here so when I die Shannon's going to use it as a casket for me I promise you come on round this way you can see that over has got two vents in her here that's all she's got to draw and she draws plenty where most everything on here is eighth inch except when you get through out here at the top of this and this is quarter-inch plate comes all around right under the flue of this pipe that there is about a 12 inch piece of channel iron that's welded up here to where it's not a direct draft up through here it has to come in from both sides slows that fire consumption down a little you can see the warm inside hitches with these two arms runs back up here hooks in a piece of ankle arm it makes for a lot of extra room I promise you stovepipe hey for outside in mother nature's kitchen so we've got to have much just enough to keep it off my face we're under the fly the wagon it's got about nine and a half ten foot that sticks up a very versatile pitching tool she is she'll do anything to any modern stove in the house will except there's one other thing she'll burn a hole in your floor if you give her a chance I wouldn't take her in the house she's not house crew Dunkel jump on she'll do something birth alone Bertha won't jump on and she sure won't jump off if I could teach her to load I'd be a millionaire we're fixing to give her something she always wants that's a good cleaning and not all bad you know Bertha she has been with me a long time she's been rained on held on blowdown kicked on cussed own even had a dog peel her one time he can make that mistake again snow dome she changes colors a lot throughout a year riding on the back of that trailer and getting dumped off in places we're fixing to give her something every good woman needs a facial at least once a year and Bertha's ready for her as I promise you take it on grinder to it first just to get the top course off because she's going to take a whole lot more love than that some of this has been on there a long time I promise you then I'm going to start with a little heat after we get the first layer off get her a good and hot then we'll take that grinder back to it that stuff will come off a whole lot easier make it a whole lot easier to clean but also a little easier for that old penetrate then we get ready to seize her but you can see the difference here you get her hot do a little elbow grease with some good used cooking off she looks a whole lot better than she did I promise you she'll appreciate you know there's some times on ranches that we don't get to take old birthday in because she's a little harder to transport when you're having to move camp every other day or once a week or something like that so we've got a little old collapsible stove that's a mini Bertha that we take that it's just four pieces that pin together and then it's just got pieces that run across bars that make a great and it's got a wire grate that goes on one end to that to me it's still a whole lot better than bending over a hole in the ground with everything trying to blow in the gravy and eggs that I'm cooking but it does a job it does a good job I think Oh Randall for letting us use it well as you can see brother do look somewhat better it's called a Bertha makeover she got her makeup on now she said and go back on the trailer she like no dog her she ain't like SH and she won't load when I tell her to get in but she weighed 385 pound with the top out and gotten about a minute how do you load it Armstrong when I can't load it I'll do something else I'll take up knitting home away from home Martha's ready to hit the road again now guarantee yo Bertha's worth her weight in gold she has saved me many a heartache I promise also she caught near as much country on fires an old opening pepper wood when the winds blowing about 40 miles an hour she's a welcome place for cowboys that come in on a cold day a place to warm not only just to cook but to warm your heart she holds many a coffee pot there's warm many of fellers belly she's washed many a dish she's more than just a hunk iron she's part of me and Shannon's life you know I'm really blessed to have two women in my life that I love the first one being Shannon the other than being old worthless you\n"