Hi,
Looks like you might not get an answer here -- you might try posting the same question on the forum at www.homesteadingToday.com -- lots of wood burners there that I'm sure will have some good advice.

Gary

Thats a tough one. Some stoves have separate controls for the damper, plus another air flow control. On our stove you can adjust the damper to have the wood burn at a rate you desire. Obviously too low, and you are building creosote, so I'd probably err on the side of just leaving it open. Will burn quicker, but if that's the only option....

Maybe you can figure out who makes the stove, find them on the internet and email them? Or call the local woodstove retailers, some real experts.

Ours won't last the night, either. I'm used to getting up, throwing on a big sweatjacket and starting the fire up again. Still not nearly as bad as the pioneers had it. (Thats just to keep us in the right frame of mind)