Lots of soot on glass from burning newly split ash

I'd show your firewood guy your dirty glass and offer him half price for his unseasoned wood, stock up for next year.

i'd blame it on not being seasoned

Stevebass4 said:

i'd blame it on not being seasoned

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Absolutely....you'll get people that will swear that they burn Ash green and it burns just fine but I disagree. I even remember reading a post where a guy said they cut it down, split it and use it right away! Ash has a lower moisture content than most woods but nothing beats letting it season and you'll have a good experience. Your firewood dealer subscribes to the theory that you can burn Ash green-you are seeing the results of that theory for yourself.

I see sooting from three things . . .

1. Wood split or round falls up against the glass, blocking air wash system.

2. Air control is closed too much or too early leading to a smoldering fire.

3. Wood is unseasoned.

Or it could be a combination of these things . . . if I had to guess though . . . short of checking with a cheap moisture meter . . . I would guess the ash is unseasoned.

I would say that wood is not seasoned. Ash will burn when green, but it will have a very low heat output and it will haze your glass and the interior of the stove with soot.

1. Wood not seasoned
2. Wood not dry
3. Wood has too much moisture in it.
Pick one

mfglickman said:

So I can expect decent heat and less soot from seasoned ash? Just trying to decide whether to invest in some of this for future or Pass on it.

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yes of course - same hold true for all firewood

mfglickman said:

So I can expect decent heat and less soot from seasoned ash? Just trying to decide whether to invest in some of this for future or Pass on it.

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Seasoned (dry) Ash is great wood both Green and White, drys quickly and gives off good heat.

mfglickman said:

So I can expect decent heat and less soot from seasoned ash? Just trying to decide whether to invest in some of this for future or Pass on it.

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White Ash burns well, close to Red Oak in BTU. I like it and always have some on hand.

I whacked a 18-20" white ash round in half the other day, out of curiosity. It checked 26% with my HF meter. Long dead, no bark for years, fifteen feet or more up the trunk, bucked up about three weeks ago. I would burn it if I had to, but it will be much better in a year, or five.

mfglickman said:

So I can expect decent heat and less soot from seasoned ash? Just trying to decide whether to invest in some of this for future or Pass on it.

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There is no doubt your supplier truly believes his wood is ready to burn. He is old school and there probably is not much sense in trying to reason with him except to state that your glass got black with that wood but not from your other wood which leads you to believe the wood truly is not ready to burn.

Yes, you can burn it if you like but.... If I were in that predicament then I'd go ahead and purchase from him but the wood would be for next year's burning. If you stack it out in the wind to dry, there is not much doubt that you should be able to burn it next year. If it were me, I'd wait 2 years but perhaps that is just me because I want my wood dry. Not close to dry or almost, I want it dry. When you burn dry ash, it is a wonderful firewood.

??? I don't see any issue here

Seller said is was just split. Nobody should expect any newly split wood to burn very well, even the legendary ash tree.

The problem is a misunderstanding about ash tree reputation. Everyone has heard that ash will burn, even when freshly cut. That is true, but not the entire story. Will recently living ash stay aflame? Yes! However, it will NOT put out good heat, it will hiss a lot, and it will smoke.

A few years ago, I tested burning white ash at various stages of seasoning. I burned it in an outdoor fire pit so I could see and hear everything. It stayed aflame at all stages, but wasn't acceptable until at least 6 months of seasoning. One year c/s/s was where I'd like to see it.

If it's all ash and seller has a great price, I'd buy it and let it season for next year.

mfglickman said:

So I can expect decent heat and less soot from seasoned ash? Just trying to decide whether to invest in some of this for future or Pass on it.

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If someone told me I could only burn one species of wood in my stove, but I had the choice . . . I would go with white ash. It is a dream to process as it splits easily -- legend has it that Dennis only needs to give his bucked up ash a dirty look and it splits itself.

It seasons quickly, ignites well, has a decent burn time and coals up well . . .

get some. it will be great for next year.
Good for him to drop some by. Tell him what your conclusions are.
He will get the idea that you call the shots on when the wood is good.

If you're buying for next year, it doesn't matter what the vendor says. You know better. If it's a good price, grab it now. I'd go so far as to buy two years worth if you have to room to store it.

Mary, your dogs.... I'm guessing Newfies?