The oak sure burns differently. It is burning slower and is more difficult to get the secondaries going because it's much denser I theorize. The weight of each chunk is significant compared to the hardwood mix I was burning during shoulder season. We'll see if I have a nice coal bed in the morning. As slow as it appears to burn, I think I will. I haven't burned oak since last February and that was my first year, so I wasn't picking up on differences in fuel.