Dead wood up to a few years old! Hard as a rock! Will it burn good?

[stanleyjohn]

Again yesterday i cut up some old solid dead wood that had been laying on the ground for about a year or more.The wood is mostly oak,elm and maple and has been pretty hard to cut (solid like a rock)with the chainsaw.There is little to no rot with this wood and the bark has been falling off when i split it.Hoping i am not wasting my time with this wood and it will burn nicely next fall.

 

[begreen]

Should be fine if it's not petrified.

 

[BrotherBart]

Only way to know is a moisture meter. This week I cut up a red oak that will go 3/4+ of a cord when finished. This tree blew down in September of 2004 and fell on other trees so it has been completely off of the ground but the root ball is attached. That tree is as wet as any live standing oak I have ever cut in my life.

It goes in the stove winter after next.

 

[RedRanger]

Not to worry-it is more precious than that other fossilized fuel. Burn and enjoy!!

 

[savageactor7]

Hell yeah that's good wood, grab all you can and don't forget those tops either.

 

[begreen]

BB is correct though, it may not be ready to burn this fall. Wet wood is wet wood and oak can be slow to dry.

 

[stanleyjohn]

BB is correct though, it may not be ready to burn this fall. Wet wood is wet wood and oak can be slow to dry.

Thanks BG and BB!This wood i will keep separate from other wood that is a year plus drying!Hoping by the time i get to this other wood i started stacking a month ago it will be all dry.My stacked wood is off the ground and is loosely covered with a tarp,i have it opened on the end sides and underneath to allow air flow.I thought wood stacked in the spring would dry good enough for the next season which around here can start by late Oct.PS! where can i get one of these moisture readers and what would be the cost?

 

[BrotherBart]

The I have used for a few years is from Harbor Freight and cost me $29.

 

[billb3]

Sounds like good wood to me.
Aged and dry can be two different things.

I keep just a roof over my stacks.
If that wood cracks and splits at the ends of the rounds pretty quick I'l carry it in and try it.
If the ends don't crack and split fast from drying out quick then it's probably next year's wood.

I've got room for multiple stacks, so I can sort things out a bit.

If I could keep ahead by two years I wouldn't bother sorting anything.
I don't have that kind of time any more.

If I didn't lose my stove (chimney actually) last year I probably would have been burning sawdust bricks.

I have a good pile again, now I have to do something about a chimney this Summer.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Another really cheap test is to take 3 or 4 splits and build a fire. Roast some hot dogs over it. You'll then know more about that wood. If it takes forever to light, it does need lots of seasoning. Burns fine now? Will probably burn even better next winter. Now that is a pretty cheap moisture meter indeed! We've used this type of meter for many, many moons...