Burning black locust

My wood for last year was 90% BL. I learned to have lots of small splits handy to make the reloads easier. Burns long and hot. I'm thinking of mixing next year's BL with this years Red Oak and then shuffling my stacks a bit so I can do the same thing next year.

Think you've been snorting too many Whoopie pies Jake lol!

Ray

Didn't look but can tell you for sure it was at least in the high 70's. I don't like a cold house. Went visiting Monday and they have an OWB. I hate going there in the winter because it is always cold in the house. They sit in their living room with blankets over them! Knowing this in advance, I dressed really warm.....and still got cold.

That is always possible but should also be noticeable in the stove with a roaring fire.

You definitely need to be burning some sassafras!

Applesister, I like your post.. but I still like the locust's warmth.
You must burn alot of cherry and apple.

I know it looks like I eat 'em all the time . . . but the truth is I'm not a big fan of the whoopie pie. Now coconut cream pie, apple pie, blueberry pie . . . well that's a whole other thing.

Burning some black locust for first time. It is season about a year. Not sure that is long enough. I tried mixing it with 2 year seasoned red oak. I feel I am getting hotter temps when only burning the red oak. How long should the locust season. Intersted to know because I just split about 2 cords of it and want to use it next year.

I have found that one year should be OK for BL. I have also found that smaller splits are better for BL.

BW I have a fair little bit of of sassafras drying. Don't feel like it's gonna give much heat it better smell good at least.

Guys....... You are being played by Dennis ! He likely got 12 hour burn times from the Locust , his wife didn't mind the smell ,and it was easily lit . Dennis is a crafty individual and is constantly on the prowl for a source of firewood .
He's just waiting for someone to say "try my Black Locust ..... It will work really well " . Dennis is a genius !

I doubt he needs a source for firewood, you should see his property. lol

It "depends" with BL. I know I hate that saying also but here is my experience with having allot of BL. If it was dead standing or dead on the ground it is usually good anywhere from fresh cut to one year. Fresh cut green I would say it really needs 2 years at least. It will burn at one year but it can still be quite high MC. I had to clear a couple off my property last March and I just checked a couple a week or so ago with readings of 23-28%. Not real good considering they were c/s/s single row for 9 months and an extremely hot, dry summer for us. If cut green at one year it will burn but it is usually really hard to start, takes much longer to get going, and usually stinks much worse. I think you will find it much better next year. I also find because BL starts hard that even once it is seasoned, keeping it surface dry can make a huge difference in the burning experience.

Id love to meet the man ! I've learned a lot from him over the time I've been here .

He's a great guy for sure.

Ed, if not before, we should get together sometime this spring when it is splitting time.

Having thought about this for a bit . (likely not a good thing ) ...I'm more convinced than ever that Dennis is a pure genius at getting firewood to "test " . How anyone with a MS290 ,a milk crate and a vertical splitter can get that far ahead is beyond Me . There's more here than meets the eye !

You are exactly right, If it has been dead a long time it could be ready to burn imediatly, but if still green can take 2 or 3 yrs.

Sounds like a good time to me

I find all wood species have their unique burning characteristics. It is like getting used to a new stove. Switch to a new species of wood and you likely will take a couple of days to get used to how to start it and burn it. That is part of the reason why I don't separate my wood. It is all mixed and therefore goes in the stove that way, so I have less problems with switching species. Dennis is just spoiled rotten. He burns mostly Ash, which has to be the easiest stuff in the entire world to burn.

But it is a warm spoiled.

just put in the Buck 21 insert...so far use only locust...start it hot, once I have a good bed of coals put a 2 yr dry 16-18" fat split that just about fills up that little stove...burns g r e a t....

I've burned primarily BL mixed with Hemlock this season with good results. I like to run 4 hemlock splits N/S on top of a nice coal bed and all BL on top. Usually gives me a nice fire with good heat. I will agree with members in that it does smell. I still think when cutting and splitting that it has a "sweet, farmy" smell if that makes sense. The stove also has a certain smell after burning a load, but a smell I haven't figured out.

In other words it smells like cow $hit

Ray

Hello there Dennis, I see you have been test burning some locust, been burning alot my self these last couple weeks. My good stash is mostly all yellow locust now (honey) I think there the same. I half to change my cat start load a little different than other woods, when I load full of all locust I let her rip to get up to temp, engage the cat, then only close the air about half way or more to normal cat burn.
That keeps the secondaries active while enough smoke is still there to get the cat going strong without stalling, then the heat out put really kicks in. I let that stage go for about 15- 20 min then cut air back to normal cat burn. I call it my two stage locust start.
This hybrid side of the stove is what has made me a big fan of the progress, plus locust keeps my stove temps around 75-100 deg hotter and pipe temp 20-30 deg warmer through out the burn cycle. I really like the coal bed at the end, rake them all forwards towards the air hole on the progress open bypass & air and in about 15 min she is glowing hot with a view of those blue/purple flames.
Spread them out load her up and she's ready to rip again. I do load with smaller splits on the bottom and the big guns on top, seems to work best for me. Burning a hotter stove has cut my burn times down 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hrs but she usually don't ever drop below 80 in here ( I love it ! ) Keep warm my Friend hope you figure out the trick to locust in your Fireview that I have come to enjoy.
By the way, checked the new liner last week for the first time, about a 1/16" of brown powder dusting build up (like in your past pics you have posted) Really awesome no black crap at all, happy camper I am with this Woodstock/insulated rigid liner setup.
Good Post too, I enjoy the locust burning ones.

Todd2