I have a little over three cords split and stacked. About 80% oak and 20% hickory. About 3/4 cord is oak that has been split and stacked for over a year. It was from a standing dead. I realized that even standing dead can take two years or more C/S/S before it is ready to burn but, with our hot Texas summers with plenty of hot/dry wind I have had water oak oozing water out of cuts turn to perfect 18% WC firewood in less than nine months. So, the wood in question is ashen gray throughout with plenty of checking on the ends. Nice solid pieces. I figured it was going to be a treasure this winter.
Wrong! I started getting creosote build ups almost immediately and with it, the smell of creosote that comes with a 700 degree cruise in my old Vermont Castings Reliant wood stove. I wondered what the heck was going on, so I took a few pieces and split them again, stuck my Moisture Meter to the fresh cuts and was getting 28%-30% MC across my sample pieces!! And the fresh cut faces look like almost newly cut red oak. Not sure how they look so dark gray on the outside, with checking, and so fresh and wet on the inside.
In hindsight, I guess the pieces are a little heavy for their size. They'll burn all right, especially when mixed with some good, small very dry pieces. And I guess I could just keep the air open all night to keep it hotter and burning better.
I thought my scrounging days were over but I guess I'll have to tramp the woods for down and dead and try to get through the winter without turning the heaters on.
Dang it!
Wrong! I started getting creosote build ups almost immediately and with it, the smell of creosote that comes with a 700 degree cruise in my old Vermont Castings Reliant wood stove. I wondered what the heck was going on, so I took a few pieces and split them again, stuck my Moisture Meter to the fresh cuts and was getting 28%-30% MC across my sample pieces!! And the fresh cut faces look like almost newly cut red oak. Not sure how they look so dark gray on the outside, with checking, and so fresh and wet on the inside.
In hindsight, I guess the pieces are a little heavy for their size. They'll burn all right, especially when mixed with some good, small very dry pieces. And I guess I could just keep the air open all night to keep it hotter and burning better.
I thought my scrounging days were over but I guess I'll have to tramp the woods for down and dead and try to get through the winter without turning the heaters on.
Dang it!
