Ash v Oak

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

I can't recall ever having seen this B4! On reload this morning, I didn't have any 3-5" Oak rounds readily available. I like to put a layer of these directly on the coal bed, then finish with bigger Oak. What I did have available was a piece of 10" Ash. Split that puppy down the middle, then put the split faces down on the coal bed. Then Oak on top.

When I got back inside the house I was concerned. Even when the wind abated for a moment, you had to look very carefully to see a slight blue smoke. And within 5 minutes it was clear. Now this Ash was growing this year up until it blew over in October. Though the base was half way rotted (causing the blow down) the tree had leaves on when it blew over. With the VSF burn, I was concerned that the wood was not even 'catching' yet. But about 20 minutes later, the white smoke appeared, indicating the damper had closed. It's {relatively}cold here this morning, so within a few minutes, a big puff of smoke, then turning blue and, again, VSF! The damper had reopened.

It's rare for me to get Ash. The Oak I burn has been down for 4-10 years. (Not c/s/s like you anally retentive guys :coolsmirk: ) But this Ash has been seasoned for at least 4 weeks! I'm thinking if I could get my hands on Ash splits, I would consider always loading the first layer Ash, then completing the load with Oak.

 

[oldspark]

Yes ash (green ash in paticular) starts much better than oak but I split some small oak into 2x2 or 2x3 pieces and they work very well, starts quickly and has some staying power even though the splits are small.

 

[NH_Wood]

Yes ash (green ash in paticular) starts much better than oak but I split some small oak into 2x2 or 2x3 pieces and they work very well, starts quickly and has some staying power even though the splits are small.

+1 - another great benefit of oak - very small splits last a long time to get the load fire up well! Cheers!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've stated before that we burned all of one winter using freshly cut ash....and that ash was not dead when cut. We didn't freeze but did clean the chimney more often. Burn away! It is not quite as well as oak but not very far behind either.

 

[smokinj]

Been Running seasoned white oak and ash the last couple days...Life is Good!

 

[oldspark]

I've stated before that we burned all of one winter using freshly cut ash....and that ash was not dead when cut. We didn't freeze but did clean the chimney more often. Burn away! It is not quite as well as oak but not very far behind either.

Dennis, do you have both Green Ash and White Ash, I find the White Ash to be close to Oak but the Green Ash to be a better wood for starting and playing with monster splits as it starts easier?

 

[ChrisNJ]

Geez, and I have been mumbling to myself how surprisingly light in weight Ash is compared to Oak and wondering how it could be so popular, outrageous seasoning times for Oak not withstanding. Although I did toss in a nice large Ash split this morning before heading to work.

 

[oldspark]

Geez, and I have been mumbling to myself how surprisingly light in weight Ash is compared to Oak and wondering how it could be so popular, outrageous seasoning times for Oak not withstanding. Although I did toss in a nice large Ash split this morning before heading to work.

For me the White Ash is just about as heavy as the Oak but the Green Ash is much lighter.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

I, obviously, am not smart enough to be able to tell which type of Ash this was. I will say that the split at the back of the combustion chamber, where the air comes in, was GONE within two hours!

White Oak gets set aside here whenever possible. That's overnight wood when the thermometer goes upside down :coolsmirk:

 

[Jags]

The Oak I burn has been down for 4-10 years. (Not c/s/s like you anally retentive guys :coolsmirk: )

Did you possibly mean (Not c/s/s like you EPA stove guys.) :coolsmirk:

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

Um . . . yeah, sure, that's it. I meant "not c/s/s like you anally retentive EPA stove guys ;-P "

 

[oldspark]

I, obviously, am not smart enough to be able to tell which type of Ash this was. I will say that the split at the back of the combustion chamber, where the air comes in, was GONE within two hours!

White Oak gets set aside here whenever possible. That's overnight wood when the thermometer goes upside down :coolsmirk:

The Green Ash is a little browner in color than the White Ash and much lighter in weight, I cut Ash for years and it was mostly Green until I started to run into the White Ash, until then I had no idea we had two types of Ash here in Iowa.

 

[Stump_Branch]

I really want to find some Ash just to try it, heard great things, not just from this place either. I have a bunch of junk oak my buddies didnt want, these are small, like 4x4x4 inch, some smaller, some bigger, pieces. its a pian for reloading, but I imagine these would dry out fast (if you cut them that way from fresh) but its like adding little pieces of coal. I can pack the stove fairly tight, and they also work well for nice fireshows. I can lay some real small pieces on to burn down coals too. This method does produce a fair amount of coals however. I'm not sure if anyone else has been poor enough to have to do this, but I can see having some in shoulder seasons and just to have around etc.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've stated before that we burned all of one winter using freshly cut ash....and that ash was not dead when cut. We didn't freeze but did clean the chimney more often. Burn away! It is not quite as well as oak but not very far behind either.

Dennis, do you have both Green Ash and White Ash, I find the White Ash to be close to Oak but the Green Ash to be a better wood for starting and playing with monster splits as it starts easier?

Only white ash here oldspark.

 

[Battenkiller]

I've stated before that we burned all of one winter using freshly cut ash....and that ash was not dead when cut. We didn't freeze but did clean the chimney more often. Burn away! It is not quite as well as oak but not very far behind either.

Yes, ash is one of those woods that have very little "free" water. Probably the very lowest of any wood when green. Bruce Hoadley in "Understanding Wood" lists it at 44% MC (30% water by weight). Oak OTOH is 80% MC (44% water by weight). Still, a lot better than red pine...

 

[Battenkiller]

I really want to find some Ash just to try it, heard great things, not just from this place either.

I love white ash. They call it "The King's Wood". Dennis (Backwoods Savage) has his own kingdom chock full of white ash. It's gone to his head, too. As you can see in his avatar photo, he even sits on a throne while splitting it. ;-)

 

[CTYank]

What is "VSF"?

Ash historically has been seen as emergency fuel by farmers here in Yankeeland and nearby. It can be left on the stump until the c/s/s piles are gone, then be cut and burned NOW to keep things from freezing.

As freshly cut, it's far superior to oaks in the region. Once seasoned and air-dry, it's far inferior, due to the low fiber density.

When cutting ash, your chain had best be razor-sharp, and will accumulate coating that looks like caramel. It's that dry.

Makes great flooring and furniture. Too bad the Emerald Ash Borer is wiping out whole stands.

 

[Battenkiller]

Once seasoned and air-dry, it's far inferior, due to the low fiber density.

I totally disagree with that statement. I've burned countless cords of white ash, both green and up to five years old (stored inside and down to about 6% MC in the dead of winter). Seasoned white ash is first-rate firewood, way better than it is when first cut. This is my own long-term experience, plus numerous tables that list it only slightly below red oak in heat output.

 

[rdust]

I find red oak and white ash in this area to be pretty comparable with little noticeable difference. Hands down white oak is better than white ash.

 

[cptoneleg]

What is "VSF"?

Ash historically has been seen as emergency fuel by farmers here in Yankeeland and nearby. It can be left on the stump until the c/s/s piles are gone, then be cut and burned NOW to keep things from freezing.

As freshly cut, it's far superior to oaks in the region. Once seasoned and air-dry, it's far inferior, due to the low fiber density.

When cutting ash, your chain had best be razor-sharp, and will accumulate coating that looks like caramel. It's that dry.

Makes great flooring and furniture. Too bad the Emerald Ash Borer is wiping out whole stands.

Help me here , I have ash stacked about three months now checked it the other day mc 30% you saing burn it now before it seasons??????

 

[TreePointer]

A lot of folks have a misconception about ash, IMO. Yes, green (freshly cut) ash will burn like no other freshly cut wood can, but that's not saying much. It will hiss and steam a lot. I'll take any seasoned wood over it, even poplar and pine.

Just to explore the truth of the firewood poem, I've experimented with burning white ash at various lengths of seasoning. I purposely set them in an open firepit to watch and listen. At a minimum, I'd recommend one full summer c/s/s in my area for seasoning. Even better is a whole year c/s/s. It does not require 2 years for full seasoning like oak.

 

[oldspark]

A lot of folks have a misconception about ash, IMO. Yes, green (freshly cut) ash will burn like no other freshly cut wood can, but that's not saying much. It will hiss and steam a lot. I'll take any seasoned wood over it, even poplar and pine.

Just to explore the truth of the firewood poem, I've experimented with burning white ash at various lengths of seasoning. I purposely set them in an open firepit to watch and listen. At a minimum, I'd recommend one full summer c/s/s in my area for seasoning. Even better is a whole year c/s/s. It does not require 2 years for full seasoning like oak.

Good info there, you can burn unseasoned ash if you had to but not recomended.

 

[cptoneleg]

Good I will have some nice wood next season, just didn't want it to spoil. Ha

 

[firefighterjake]

Good I will have some nice wood next season, just didn't want it to spoil. Ha

Wood isn't like crackers or milk . . . it will not turn stale or sour on you . . . as long as you have it up off the ground and even then it generally takes a bit longer than a year to have the wood reach the point where it is no good to burn.

Ash is a great wood . . . burned some in my first year after just a few months of seasoning . . . and thought it was good . . . burned some after a year plus of seasoning and it quickly became my favorite wood as the burn was even better.

 

[wood-fan-atic]

I just scrounged about 3 cords of beautiful white ash from my job. I usually burn oak and locust, so I have to make the splits a bit smaller than I would like, in order for them to season faster. Right now, I'm splitting the ash a little on the thicker side, b/c I know it will still be nice and dry for next year.