First year burning a wood stove. I was given a Jotul f400 and put it in my living room. Connected it to a 20' of solid stainless steel chimney liner inside of an old masonry chimney that I then insulated with pour in insulation. Chimney was previously used for an oil burner.
Anyway, I bought four cords of wood from a farmer down the road that has huge piles of split wood around his property. He came with recommendations from locals and I got four cords dumped in my driveway with a handshake for 190 a cord delivered. Now armed with a moisture meter and troubled by a fire that steams I now know that this stuff isn't exactly dry. Some of it is okay but this stuff sat in a giant pile for maybe a year uncovered and didn't really dry out that great. He tells me it was processed last November. I can tell which are dry or not because the wet splits weigh a ton compared to the dry ones. If I had to guess less than a third of it easily is dry enough.
I need advice. Luckily it's been very warm here so far while I figure this out. Should I split it thin and burn it like kindling all winter? Should I buy a cord of dry wood or biomass bricks or duraflame logs to mix in? Should I bring two weeks worth at a time inside and try to cook it next to the stove? Maybe a combination of splitting it into say 2-3 inch pieces and stacking it next to the stove to cook it? Should I stack a bunch under a tarp in the garage with a fan and a dehumidifier?
What works and what doesn't?
Thanks guys.
Pics for interest: http://imgur.com/a/IL3NR
Anyway, I bought four cords of wood from a farmer down the road that has huge piles of split wood around his property. He came with recommendations from locals and I got four cords dumped in my driveway with a handshake for 190 a cord delivered. Now armed with a moisture meter and troubled by a fire that steams I now know that this stuff isn't exactly dry. Some of it is okay but this stuff sat in a giant pile for maybe a year uncovered and didn't really dry out that great. He tells me it was processed last November. I can tell which are dry or not because the wet splits weigh a ton compared to the dry ones. If I had to guess less than a third of it easily is dry enough.
I need advice. Luckily it's been very warm here so far while I figure this out. Should I split it thin and burn it like kindling all winter? Should I buy a cord of dry wood or biomass bricks or duraflame logs to mix in? Should I bring two weeks worth at a time inside and try to cook it next to the stove? Maybe a combination of splitting it into say 2-3 inch pieces and stacking it next to the stove to cook it? Should I stack a bunch under a tarp in the garage with a fan and a dehumidifier?
What works and what doesn't?
Thanks guys.
Pics for interest: http://imgur.com/a/IL3NR
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