Seasoned Wood: Time c/s/s vs MC

The USDA Forest Products Laboratory has researched this topic extensively. Data for outside storage of wood in Pittsburgh, PA can be found in Table 2, page 7, of Forest Products Laboratory, Research Note 0268:
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplrn/fplrn268.pdf

Several of their publications on this topic may be found at:
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/search/sea...ormation=no&pubyearstart=1919&pubyearend=2012

I am not a wood scientist, so I may have missed a better or more relevant publication on this topic. Wish you good burning and hope you continue to enjoy it.

delp said:

Is there a difference in optimal burning qualities between wood that is at a good MC, i.e. >20% and wood that is also at good MC but "aged," or c/s/s, for a bunch of years?

Basically, this is my first year burning and I have no acreage, or a large enough yard, for stacking wood years ahead of use. I can stack about 2 cords in my patio, which is just about what I have for next year (12/13). Most of this is already at a pretty good MC -high teens to mid-twenties.

My question is, is wood that is stacked for 3, 4, 5+ years better than wood that's stacked for 1-2 years and has MC of less than 20%?

I'm thinking specifically of our esteemed forum member, Backwoods Savage/Dennis, and his famously many-moons seasoned wood. Is his, and others like him who can stack years ahead, "better" because it is seasoned for a long, long time?

This is all about figuring out a strategy for myself, and hopefully others too, who can't do what seems like the thing to do.

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Hi, there. Nope, no difference functionally. The only reason to stack wood for several years is to bring the MC down. "Aging" per se adds nothing. I'm burning wood cut this summer but dried to about 20 in the kiln in a nearby lumberyard. Burns a beaut. Great stuff.

I have a couple acres of nice windy, sunny land, but it's all sloped and uneven enough that I've pretty much given up on getting wood green and stacking several years' worth out to dry naturally. So I know your problem. Bottom line is if the wood's dry, it's dry, and it doesn't matter how it got that way (as long as it isn't stuff that was standing dead for a long time and is basically rotted through, that is).

One other caveat is that lightweight woods tend to dry out a lot faster, and a porch stacked full of poplar or red maple dried to 20 percent isn't going to give you the same good results in the stove as a porch full of rock maple or beech (or oak) in really cold weather. So wherever you're getting your supply of dry wood from, you might want to keep an eye on what species it is.

The drier wood will burn better than old wood. Older wood don't mean drier wood. Moisture content is more "how it's stored" & weather.
Desert conditions will have drier wood than the Pacific Northwest.
I season my birch 2 years. It's outside thru the summer then in a shed for a 1-1/2 yrs & burned the 3rd year.
BWSav has about the same weather, humidity you have. He seasoned oak at least 3 years & other wood 2 years.
But in reality he seasoned it all longer because he's way ahead but that don't mean it's drier or better burning wood.
Wood will only get as dry as your weather allows.
0% moisture wood will absorb water from the air & get to a balance around 10 -15%.
Green wood will dry to around 10 - 15% over time & depends on air circulation, sun & the humidity in your area.
Some wood dries faster than other. Smaller spits dry faster than large splits.
You can help (speed up) drying by stacking green wood in single rows, in the sun & wind & a top cover just above the wood to keep rain & snow off of it.

delp said:

Is there a difference in optimal burning qualities between wood that is at a good MC, i.e. >20% and wood that is also at good MC but "aged," or c/s/s, for a bunch of years?

Basically, this is my first year burning and I have no acreage, or a large enough yard, for stacking wood years ahead of use. I can stack about 2 cords in my patio, which is just about what I have for next year (12/13). Most of this is already at a pretty good MC -high teens to mid-twenties.

My question is, is wood that is stacked for 3, 4, 5+ years better than wood that's stacked for 1-2 years and has MC of less than 20%?

I'm thinking specifically of our esteemed forum member, Backwoods Savage/Dennis, and his famously many-moons seasoned wood. Is his, and others like him who can stack years ahead, "better" because it is seasoned for a long, long time?

This is all about figuring out a strategy for myself, and hopefully others too, who can't do what seems like the thing to do.

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Thank you. Not that long ago we ran out of some 7 year old wood and dug into our pile of wood that had been in the stack only 1 1/2 years. That wood was dead when we cut it so started out quite dry. It was mostly white ash. We noticed the difference immediately! There was certainly a big difference in the way that wood burned. Even today, we are burning wood that we cut in the winter of 2008-2009. It still has a ways to go to match that 6-7 or 8 year old wood. Yes, it burns okay and we get no creosote but we still prefer the older wood.

I will flatly state that any time we've burned wood in less than 2 years in the stack we have not been happy with it.....with one exception. That is soft maple. We could cut that this winter and burn it next fall and it would be great.

Can you burn wood sooner? Of course you can if you wish or are forced. Just realize that it is not the ideal. Also, if you do not have the time, stay away from wood like oak or hickory, etc. That wood needs more than a year to dry enough to burn properly.

Good luck.

Delp, just curiously, where are you getting your wood from?

(And boy, do I agree with you, as do many here, that a nice stack of firewood is an esthetically beautiful thing, whether out in the open, on a porch or patio, or even in the living room.)

delp said:

Alas, all I'll be able to do is put aside a small amount and do a test in 5 or more years.

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Unless you have room for 5 years of wood, you are just setting yourself up to be dissatisfied with what you do have room for. Cost vs benefit has to be considered here. Dennis is arguably a fine firewood connoisseur and I far prefer burning my 3 year stock over my 2 year stock. But, for me, the big gain was going from 1 to 2 years, not 2 to 3. Not that I will ever have less than 3 on hand though because it does burn better...

delp said:

That's pretty hardcore, SandW. All I can do is what I can do....then again, if winters continue to be as mild as this one, I may not have any issues at all.

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Same here, Delp. The one thing I'd suggest is that you get yourself a good maul and split some of those larger pieces down a bit further, which will speed up the drying process. Whoever sold you that nice dry wood this year, hang onto them. It's pretty rare to get actually seasoned wood from dealers or Craigslist posters, no matter how they advertiise it.

And come to think of it, since you're new to this, how do you know what the MC is? Do you have a moisture meter? If so, are you measuring the inside of a piece you just split open? If so and it's truly that dry, treat that supplier like gold and line him up now for future years.

delp said:

True all that, gyrfalcon!

Indeed, I've got a moisture meter and do resplit with a Fiskar splitting axe and read MC off of the fresh face.

As soon as I knew that lining the chimney with a ss liner was a go, I got double lucky and found a fellow who was moving and had a face cord he was selling for $50. I didn't have a moisture meter then, but that wood was gray and cracked and made the right ping sound -that's the bulk of what I've burned this year. I've continued to buy and stack resplit and check MC, and stock up for next year.

Like you said, I have had pretty good luck, so I'm keeping track of who's selling me what and keeping phone numbers.

Safe burning and happy warmth to you.

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Sounds like you are all set and really good to go. Congratulations. I wish my first couple years had been like that!

Well done. I didn't even find it until I realized I was in trouble...

I generally figure that anything after a year or two is good to go . . . better to have two years of seasoning, but I have had decent luck with just a year's worth.

The main benefit for me in having so much wood on hand isn't so much the seasoning aspect -- although I will say that it seems as though the two year old wood burns slightly better than the one year old wood and the three year old wood I am burning now is wicked good -- rather the biggest benefit in stockpiling the wood is in case something happens to me that makes it so I cannot process my firewood one year . . . guess this is my own personal hedge fund if you would.

I believe wood seasons in 2 years. (for my area & wood "birch") Now I have spruce that is dry after 1 summer stacked out in the elements then sits there for a few years.
I notice it produces heat about the same, but has a "mellow, even" burn with less hot coals left behind & I rake less hot coals.
Maybe the older wood needs a new category. We have "seasoned", we have "dry". We might need to add "Aged" (4 years CSS in the open elements)
Some of my wood is "Aged", which to me is over 3 years CSS. Kinda like aged Rum & Whiskey, all is good, but the 12 + year old aged stuff is "Smooooothe"
Same with BWSav,::: "Aged & Smoooothe" :lol:

Well I'll agree about the aged part but my wife might argue about the smooth part! :lol:

Backwoods Savage said:

Well I'll agree about the aged part but my wife might argue about the smooth part! :lol:

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Are you saying you can be "bristly" at times?
That comes with "age" too. LOL :lol:
All good, aged whiskey has a little bite at first, then the smoothness comes thru

PS: 4 year "aged" birch, the bark gets loose, & burns great. I don't know it it put out more heat, but it sure gets up to temp fast.

"Season" then "age" , new wood preparation technique

Dave, when are you going to take your winter vacation?

Don't know yet,
I was supposed to go this week, (4th) but daughter getting ready to move in their new house is 1-1/2 weeks, 2 more grand kids with us, house remods & other repairs.
But I sure feel I need one. Maybe So California, next month if I can squeeze in the time. Never knew retirement life was so busy you don't have time for vacations.
Some sun & golf , would be nice.

firefighterjake said:

I generally figure that anything after a year or two is good to go . . . better to have two years of seasoning, but I have had decent luck with just a year's worth.

The main benefit for me in having so much wood on hand isn't so much the seasoning aspect -- although I will say that it seems as though the two year old wood burns slightly better than the one year old wood and the three year old wood I am burning now is wicked good -- rather the biggest benefit in stockpiling the wood is in case something happens to me that makes it so I cannot process my firewood one year . . . guess this is my own personal hedge fund if you would.

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Yep, been there and done that. Wouldn't wish it on anyone here, least of all my friend Jake or Dennis, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to burn this winter, let alone c/s/s. But I knew I had enough ahead that I would be ok, and that was a good feeling.

Backwoods Savage said:

Well I'll agree about the aged part but my wife might argue about the smooth part! :lol:

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I think we all feel your pain there, Sav.....lol....