Save the wood for when it gets cold enough to load it up and let it roar. The short "take the chill off" fires are responsible for most creosote build up.
The chiminey is cold, so a short fire causes condensation, which the creosote sticks to. After a few weeks of small short fires, there gets to be conciderable build-up.
When the cold weather hits, and the fire gets bigger and hotter, THEN, the creosote gets enough heat to burn !!!