Sailin, a couple (extended) notes:
1. There are two goals when running your stove (other than straight heat, obviously): to run it hot enough to not create creosote buildup in the liner and to get the longest, most efficient burn times possible.
To do this, you want to get the stove as hot as possible as quickly as possible to create a strong draft and to get heat up the chimney to prevent creosote deposits.
To get the longest, most efficient burns, you need to create the right conditions for secondary burn. I've linked to one of the simplest and most complete explanations of that below (though it's a tad busy with ads). Essentially, you want to turn the air control down as much as possible to maintain the right heat and air flow for the gases to burn themselves rather than escape up the chimney. That's the Aurora-Borealis-looking stuff at the top of the photo I posted earlier in the thread.
You can't do either of these without good air control, so definitely get that gasket replaced.
https://fireplaceuniverse.com/second...rn-wood-stove/
2. I've attached some photos of my moisture gauge readings taken yesterday. All of the pieces tested were cut and split 4 years ago. 20% is the max to burn efficiently, and I prefer between 10-15%. Even though all of those pieces are 4-years-old, only two are really ready to burn (and they burned perfectly!).
Birch, pine, etc. definitely dry more quickly than oak, maple, etc., but the fact remains that age doesn't always mean dryness.
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