Disappointed by hickory

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Just wanted to resurrect this old thread to comment on that same Hickory two years later, total c/s/s time 3+ years. Now at 14-18% on a fresh split, the hickory is still very slow to start burning on a reload, with lots of smoke as it come up to temperature, but then it lets rip and can't be stopped, a huge volume of secondary flame, and more heat that I could ever use in early December. My insert is already oversized, so I've realized that only one split of hickory goes in each load, way at the back where it releases those gases slowly.
Obviously a great BTU wood, but very hard to control, and it really did take 3 years to season well. No, none of you can have any, but I'm glad I don't have too many hickory trees on my property.

TE
 
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Aw shucks , and here i had the rig all set to make a trip East and help you out combined with stopping in at my sons to meet my new Grandsons. Boy what a let down.:)
 
I also will mix hickory in with other woods since it puts off so much heat and takes more time to char and off-gas than other woods, like Cherry, Ash and Maple. By mixing hickory with hard maple, I can get a nearly 2 hour off-gas burn, and 3 hours of >500 degree stovetop temperatures, something not possible with hard maple alone.
 
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Yep, it can be hard to start, like BL or some other dense woods. I, too, will mix it. I'll put a couple splits in the back and let 'em cook for a while as faster stuff in the front burns.
 
I have found on an EPA stove that on the first load of logs you should really not turn the air down for a long time. Until you get a really good bed of coals. The tendancy is to turn the air down too quick. The saying goes, wait until all the wood is charred (black) before turning down. I bet if start with the cherry on the first load, and then put the hickory in on the second load, you will have a whole different scenario. But then again, wait until it is black, before you turn it down.
I found out on the epa stoves first load goes on cherry red coals ! After that you can play that charred game
 
I have reached the point in my shed where I am now into some bitternut hickory. Lately I am placing two pieces of hickory in the stove with five pieces of oak (quantities vary, dependent upon split/round size) -- that's almost the only wood species I have in the shed for this winter. I have some ironwood I have purposely saved for below zero weather, and will load up the stove with the ironwood and hickory at that time. It's gonna be great!

My stove communicated to me that ironwood and hickory for him is equivalent to prime rib and walleye for me. At first I didn't know what to think about this, but hey: Who am I to argue with a King?
 
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2 pieces of advice: age it longer, and split the splits and use a moisture meter.

my hickory is the tits.
Mine is too, but until we get into single digits outside, there is no way I could fill a stove with it and sit in the same room. Splitting it more would only make the problem worse. Oak, on the other hand, is just as good on the cold days, but can be controlled in a moderate burn much more easily for the rest of the season.

TE
 
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