Dead wood with "cork-like" outer layer: Clean it off or leave it?

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When we moved onto our property over 17 years ago, I cut down, cut up, and stacked 3 standing dead oak trees. This was long before I ever knew I'd have a stove in which to burn it, so I'd periodically use it in my grill. It's just been sitting there stacked out in the woods directly on the ground, rotting. I got a new 8 lb splitting maul, and I was itching to bust some wood, so I thought I'd look for some dense stuff in the pile to get a feel for it. I never really expected to find any viable wood in this pile, but I was quite surprised to find that probably 90% of it is dense. 17 years old! The top and bottom layers of the pile have pieces with what I'd call a rotten outer layer resembling cork. The core of which is dense, light-weight wood with a pink hue to it. Looks like smoked brisket!

So, I assume the dense stuff is safe to burn, but what about the pieces with the rotten outer layer? Should I go to the trouble of trying to strip it off with my axe, or just let it be and burn it?

I've attached some pics. The pink hue wasn't really picked-up by my camera.
 

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Unless its soaking wet,bugs crawling out it or shedding real bad,I'd leave it.That punky/fuzzy outer layer (actually its the sapwood rotting after all the bark is gone) is harmless,just make sure it stays dry.It helps to get the pieces burning much quicker.Once it gets wet from rain or snowmelt,its like sponge & can take over a week to dry out.If that happens you might as well remove as much as possible with a hatchet or drawknife.Its a real pain otherwise.
 
I'd try to get rid of as much of the punky wood as possible. I think it is a pain. It burns if dry, but seems to turn directly to coals, and absorbs water so it is hard to store.
 
Looks Like some fine wood!
 
Yes, by all means, split it and burn it. You may have to throw some of the top and bottom layers but probably most of it is good. btw, that outer punk layer is very common for oak.
 
A little bit of punk on the wood ain't no thang. If it's dry it acts like a natural fire starter. I've also found that old, punky wood usually has heart wood that is much more dense. I've got some hickory that I cut three years ago. A few of the rounds are sort of curved and so I didn't split them at the time. Now it's impossible to split. It's like ironwood or something. My 8 lb maul and my Fiskers SS won't make a dent in it. Sure burns nice and hot and long.

Burn that punk. If it's real thick I sometimes know it off with a hatchet.
 
so it's true. I read here about you'all burning oak, but it never struck me as *quite, entirely* true until I saw your pix. I have oak, too--about four inches of trim left over from trimming out the florescent light fixture in the kitchen. I could burn that, if I wanted to. So yeah. Oak.

I've got to go outside and chop some cottonwood now . . .

species envy
 
snowleopard said:
so it's true. I read here about you'all burning oak, but it never struck me as *quite, entirely* true until I saw your pix. ...

Ummm...why wouldn't I burn oak? I'm covered up in it here in East Texas. I attached a couple pics of my front "yard". Here's a link to my website with many more pics: HiltonHouse I just mow between the creeks (basically either side of the driveway). The rest is just woods.
 

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120inna55 said:
Ummm...why wouldn't I burn oak? I'm covered up in it here in East Texas.

It's something I'm used to seeing in furniture, cabinetry, and trim, or sold by the board foot. I guess it's kinda' hard to explain why that tickles my funnybone that you (collective you) burn oak to stay warm. I guess it's like the New Yorkers who pay twenty bucks a pop for a little jar of salmon eggs--and we use it for dog food. It's all accordin', as my friend from Big Bend says . . .


BTW, I have some punky layers on the bottom of some long-stored wood I'm burning, and after trying to get it to dry inside (fruitless task, that), I've gotten pretty adept at stripping it at the woodpile. It's just on one side, though, which makes it easier.
 
Not much to add here . . . that "cork-like" layer is punk . . . and if I were me and found some punk I wouldn't worry too much as long as it was dry . . . if it was wet or at the point where it was rotten I might split the punk off before stacking it . . . the key is to keep it dry if you keep it.
 
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