Beech Question

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Mackj

Mackj

Member
Nov 25, 2012
46
Polk Pennsylvania
Hi, I have been offered a lot of beech wood. Have never burned it before. I usually burn oak, maple and ash. A friend told me it is good to burn the first year after that it goes punky. Of course I came here to learn the truth. I can keep it covered on pallets. I don't post much but have learned a ton from everybody on this site! Thanks
 
Beech is one of the top shelf species. Very high btu's and low moisture content. Wish I had a lot.
Sounds like your describing birch.
 
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Very nice firewood
 
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Yes beech has the bark like elephant skin. If that's what you have get as much as you can. It seasons pretty well in a year, but I have kept it three and four years and it's just great burning firewood. Once it's seasoned it won't turn punky.
I might ke it covered to keep it dry though.
 
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I don't burn a ton of beech but I do burn some and have never had it go punky sitting in the woodshed for a couple years or so. I have pretty good air flow through the shed as I leave good space between the ranks, but I've never heard anyone where I live complain about beech going punky in the shed.

I like beech when I'm burning it but not so much when I'm splitting it, but you didn't ask about that and will learn about it soon enough.
 
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Can it get punky? Yes but burn that stuff up first, beech dries out fairly quickly and has a higher btu rating on it......
Get all you can......
 
Beech doesnt grow in swampy areas so if you are thinking of saying yes to a source that you have to work for, lol, I would definitely go for it!! It wont rot over the summer if theres a couple cords laying on the ground somewhere. They arent yard trees and its getting hot and buggy out. I think they will be fine from now till fall. If I had beech on the ground somewhere I would sweat to get it split but Im not fond of underbrush. My beech are on high slopey areas. As for firewood, its premium grade!!! If the stuff you are getting has already been sitting a while, Id go look at it. It can hollow out in the center.
 
I have a few beech trees here, and while I'd like to turn them into BTU's I have plenty of dying ash and cherry here so I'll let the living be. I would like to try some some day as I hear its primo stuff
 
Thanks for all the responses,
Went and checked it out today. Great score. The guy kept a lot of the branch wood for his firepit. So I get the trunk and all the big stuff. No problem, and I can drive my truck right to it! I am guessing about 1 and a half cord there. I have been fortunate this year. After burning a lot more wood than expected last winter I have been coming across wood left and right! Took down a really big oak this spring for a friend, about 3 cords from that. I live on 15 acres with lots of ash(dying) hard maple and cherry. Only a few oak and don't want to cut them. I was very pleased we burned about 200 dolars worth of propane last winter. I love burning wood and my wife loves the heat. I have learned most of my wood burning skills from this site!
 
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You'll really enjoy Beech-I get it on occasion here in PA., but not on a regular basis but it is around.

I remember about 16 years ago I spotted a downed Beech tree in a wooded area, found out who I had to ask permission from to get it, they said yes, basically because it was NOT easy at all to get to it and bring it out; if I recall correctly I counted that it took me 75 steps from the wood to the truck and back again, it was in such a rocky, hilly bad terrain area that you couldn't get up next to it but I did it and enjoyed it as fuelwood. That was many years and many aches and pains ago-don't know if I'd do that now, but probably would.....:eek: ;lol
 
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Beech is excellent. As good as oak however the splitting is a nightmare even with hydraulics. Never had one of those easy to split beeches.
 
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