Moisture Metered my oak

Unprocessed logs take forever to dry.

It is so important to stay 2 to 3 years ahead on wood. This is my first year having a woodstove since 1992. I have about 10 cords cut, split, and stacked and thankfully have a neighbor who is not here this winter and has a stall full of wood in his barn that he said that I could use. All I have to do is replace what I use at the end of the season. It is amazing the difference in burning wood between 12% and 15% moisture versus 25% to 30% moisture. I will probably have an interesting year this coming year but I will at least have wood that is 1 1/2 years cut, split, and stacked.

TimJ said:

I put up alot of white oak. Two stacks are a year and a half old. They are single rows and loosely stacked. They are in a field getting the proper wind and some sun. They were processed from the big rounds left from some tops cut some years ago. These measured at 17%
Other rows are 10 months old. These measured 18 to 19%
Some rows are 8 months old and measured 20%
Newest rows are 6 months old and measured 24%

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Appears the Oak is drying pretty quickly! I've found most of the Oak that's been dead standing for several years to be around the upper 20s when first split, those tops were probably similar moisture? That sounds like a good, breezy spot, and that the single rows are helping. What size did you split to?
I've got some White that's been stacked double-row and top-covered for two summers. It was pretty fresh from a blow-down and split medium-large, 6-7" on the longest side. We get a decent amount of wind here but it's stacked in the woods so when the leaves come in, less breeze. I'll re-split a few this spring to see how they are doing, but I'm thinking this stuff has gotta be good to go by the end of this summer....
I've also got some Red Oak I cut fresh last year. Like your Maple, I only quartered it down to where I could lift it. It'll be interesting to see where it's starting from when I split and stack it this spring.
I've also been burning quite a bit of dead standing Red Maple. Instead of burning BL and Oak when it's cold, I'm going to try some of the soft Maple and see if it's less of a problem with excessive coaling, or if I can at least burn the coals down faster to make room for the re-load.

toddnic said:

It is amazing the difference in burning wood between 12% and 15% moisture versus 25% to 30% moisture. I will probably have an interesting year this coming year but I will at least have wood that is 1 1/2 years cut, split, and stacked.

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I've even found a lot of difference between 16 and 20% MC.
Anything but Oak should be pretty good for you in 1.5 years, if it's stacked in some good wind and many rows next to each other. Especially if it has two summers....

CenterTree said:

^^^ Wow, what a GREAT neighbor!! ^^^^

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An incredible neighbor!!

toddnic said:

It is so important to stay 2 to 3 years ahead on wood. This is my first year having a woodstove since 1992. I have about 10 cords cut, split, and stacked and thankfully have a neighbor who is not here this winter and has a stall full of wood in his barn that he said that I could use. All I have to do is replace what I use at the end of the season. It is amazing the difference in burning wood between 12% and 15% moisture versus 25% to 30% moisture. I will probably have an interesting year this coming year but I will at least have wood that is 1 1/2 years cut, split, and stacked.

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Clean glass is nice to have as well. I let my brother bring in and toss some wood on the fire. He put some silver maple I split a month ago that was upper 20s on the MM. For the first time since I started burning a few years ago I had to use a razor blade to ungunk the glass. Normally a wet paper towel to clear the haze is sufficient.

Red maple cures relatively quickly. We've been burning red maple I cut green and split just last spring. Split it small and cross stack it out in the open, it'll be good to use in 6 to 8 months.

Red oak, I can't get to dry sooner than two years to save my soul. Good sunlight and air exposure, it still takes a couple years on the stacks.

I've got a few cords of red oak stacked,all of it in the 1.5 to 2.5 yr range....non of it ready.

TimJ said:

I put up alot of white oak. Two stacks are a year and a half old. They are single rows and loosely stacked. They are in a field getting the proper wind and some sun. They were processed from the big rounds left from some tops cut some years ago. These measured at 17%
Other rows are 10 months old. These measured 18 to 19%
Some rows are 8 months old and measured 20%
Newest rows are 6 months old and measured 24%

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I dunno... I have a bunch of oak CSS's 14 months, stacked in double rows, and when re-split my moisture meter shows it at 19 - 21%. However, my stove says it's too wet, as I have trouble getting cat light-off when I burn it. I can't speak for your moisture meter, but I believe mine does not give an accurate read on oak, or perhaps oak needs to be below the 19 - 21% I'm measuring. All I can say for sure, based on my experience, is that 14 months on oak in my stack conditions is not enough. Then again... I had been told that, going in.

Joful said:

I dunno... I have a bunch of oak CSS's 14 months, stacked in double rows, and when re-split my moisture meter shows it at 19 - 21%. However, my stove says it's too wet, as I have trouble getting cat light-off when I burn it. I can't speak for your moisture meter, but I believe mine does not give an accurate read on oak, or perhaps oak needs to be below the 19 - 21% I'm measuring. All I can say for sure, based on my experience, is that 14 months on oak in my stack conditions is not enough. Then again... I had been told that, going in.

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There is a species adjustment needed because most M.M's are calibrated for Douglas Fur and there is also a temp adjustment needed to get correct readings. I'm not sure if the attached chart is usable for laa M.M."s of if it's brand specific, but here it is never the less. And some of the corrections are surprising to say the least!

Joful said:

I dunno... I have a bunch of oak CSS's 14 months, stacked in double rows, and when re-split my moisture meter shows it at 19 - 21%. However, my stove says it's too wet, as I have trouble getting cat light-off when I burn it. I can't speak for your moisture meter, but I believe mine does not give an accurate read on oak, or perhaps oak needs to be below the 19 - 21% I'm measuring. All I can say for sure, based on my experience, is that 14 months on oak in my stack conditions is not enough. Then again... I had been told that, going in.

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The oak, Red mostly that I split always takes the longest. Fresh green red oak starts out real high 38-40. I guess it holds moisture
the longest of all woods. Good flooring though.

I have A LOT of red oak. Even 5 year old stacks read 18%. Hope I live long enough to burn this stuff.

Trktrd said:

I have A LOT of red oak. Even 5 year old stacks read 18%. Hope I live long enough to burn this stuff.

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I'd be burning it at 18%. Depending upon your area, you might not be able to get the moisture content much lower.

You're probably right. This is a very wet and humid area. In the near future I plan on building a BIG wood shed and keeping the next years fuel in it over the summer, completely out of the elements. Our 100 degree plus summers around here should dry it out enough for a good winters supply.

Equilibrium Moisture Content of seasoned firewood in Little Rock is 13.9% in December. That would be wood stored outdoors, but under a roof or other cover. Throughout the year, you expect it to fluctuate from 12.8% to 13.9%, once fully seasoned. This does vary a little from one wood species to another, but I do not have that particular table in front of me.

Joful said:

Equilibrium Moisture Content of seasoned firewood in Little Rock is 13.9% in December. That would be wood stored outdoors, but under a roof or other cover. Throughout the year, you expect it to fluctuate from 12.8% to 13.9%, once fully seasoned. This does vary a little from one wood species to another, but I do not have that particular table in front of me.

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Joful, where did you find the Equilibrium Moisture Content table? I sure would like to have that information. Thanks!

On my phone now, but I linked it in an earlier thread, which you'll find if you search on EMC with me as poster. I can find it tonight, if you have no luck.

I bought ba moisture meter from harbor freight just to see how my wood was doing. I don't think it is right. I have oak that has been down for 3yrs css since march with direct sun and lots of wind still reading in the 30's Apple been down 2 yes reading upper 20's Does this seem right or is my mm way off.