BL drying time?

Results have been all over the place regarding BL on this site. I've had good luck after one year split and stacked in the sun, then I've had to wait 2 yrs for some.

I've found it on the ground, no bark, and it was already <18%. No experience with live-cut trees, though. I do have a couple of live storm-damaged ones in the BL stack that have two summers' drying on them. I'm hoping they will be ready this winter.

I think all dense woods i.e. sugar maple, black locust, black birch, beech, oak, hedge, and hickory all benefit from a minimum of 2 years.

I say probably not, unless you split some very thin, stack it in sun and wind so that you can test it out this winter....

Richie said:

I think all dense woods i.e. sugar maple, black locust, black birch, beech, oak, hedge, and hickory all benefit from a minimum of 2 years.

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+1.
Even if it's 'fine' this winter, by next year it'd be spectacular.

I don't have decades of burning experience, but one of the first scrounges I ever brought home was a large quantity of black locust, acquired in late 2012 and early 2013. My avatar is a pic of that haul. That wood was not worth burning this past winter. I expect it will be fine by this fall. So, I'd say at least 2 summers, if not 2 full years.

Give it 2+ years if you can. It will be very much worth it.

was it dead standing or live? in my experience.... once the bark starts to fall off, it's ready to go. I have cut down, bucked, split and stacked dead locust that would light with a single wooden match laid on it.... within 2 days of being cut down.

cut down live(and healthy)... yeah, give it a couple years...

I burn a lot of BL. Logs that are down for years show no rot but still really do well with 2 year seasoning. Green is three years for me. Locust burns so much better with some other kind of hardwood mixed with it.

Bret Chase said:

I have cut down, bucked, split and stacked dead locust that would light with a single wooden match laid on it.... within 2 days of being cut down.

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Was your splitter leaking gas on it?

Woody Stover said:

Was your splitter leaking gas on it?

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lol, no... these trees were dead for over a decade.... no bark on them what so ever...

When you put locust in your woodstove and it's not seasoned enough, you'll know it. It puts the fire out or smokes the whole area up. Experienced BL burner.

Paulywalnut said:

When you put locust in your woodstove and it's not seasoned enough, you'll know it. It puts the fire out or smokes the whole area up. Experienced BL burner.

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yup

If it was dead maybe if it was cut or blown down live no, but you say recently felled so dead maybe this yr. If alive no 3 yrs sorry I burn tons of it.

I don't get the whole BL is hard to light thing. If I want I can burn straight loads with no problems at all. My stash is well seasoned however.

Richie said:

I don't get the whole BL is hard to light thing. If I want I can burn straight loads with no problems at all. My stash is well seasoned however.

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That's why. Try some 1 year stuff for the fun of it.

I've done fine on 10 months seasoning. I even burned BL that I placed next to the stove for 2 days after it was split within 2 weeks. Both were excellent.

3 years? No. I mean no offense to anyone here who disagrees, but I think we get a little elitist about our burning. I do have BL seasoning for next year (2015-16), but I'll dip into it without thinking twice if I run out this year.

I have burned one year BL and it sucks. Constantly fiddling with the air and stalling the cat. It is so trouble free after two years.

Pennsyltucky Chris said:

I've done fine on 10 months seasoning. I even burned BL that I placed next to the stove for 2 days after it was split within 2 weeks. Both were excellent.

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Richie said:

I have burned one year BL and it sucks. Constantly fiddling with the air and stalling the cat. It is so trouble free after two years.

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What stove do you have PC? I hear comments that are all over the board regarding wood moisture, and cat vs. non-cat. Seems the general consensus is that non-cats handle wet wood better, but some who have both say they had less trouble with damp stuff in their cat stove...