Drying time for wood

[Thom Griffin]

Had a back injury last March, so wood pile isn't big enough for this winter. Locally I can get some black locust, which I know is high in BTUs, but I'm not certain how dry it is. The seller claims you can burn it green. I don't believe that, but would like to know if it does dry relatively rapidly. I can resplit it if necessary. Thanks

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

My experience with it so far is that it can be all over the board in moisture content, I have some from sandy that is burnable this year, but I cut it small and it was stacked single row in sun and wind, other stuff is not ready yet. I say it is well over 1 year for it to be ready. Even if your batch it not ready, I would buy it and save it for next year it is great stuff for sure and it seems like you need to get ahead for the future anyways. Do you have a moisture meter? You will need one for sure. Good luck and get as much as you can.....

 

[Paulywalnut]

Locust will fool you to think it's dry. It then sits in the stove and smolders by itself. I am burning all locust right now. Difference: it's seasoned two years. This stack laid down dead on the ground for 5 years before I c/s/s it. It was not ready last year. Give it time to season and it will be great firewood.

 

[toddnic]

Had a back injury last March, so wood pile isn't big enough for this winter. Locally I can get some black locust, which I know is high in BTUs, but I'm not certain how dry it is. The seller claims you can burn it green. I don't believe that, but would like to know if it does dry relatively rapidly. I can resplit it if necessary. Thanks

Going to take some time to season that locust. You probably have a couple of years before it will be ready.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Had a back injury last March, so wood pile isn't big enough for this winter. Locally I can get some black locust, which I know is high in BTUs, but I'm not certain how dry it is. The seller claims you can burn it green. I don't believe that, but would like to know if it does dry relatively rapidly. I can resplit it if necessary. Thanks

Welcome to the forum Thom.


Locust, like any good wood takes time to dry. Most seem to like 2 years for locust. We don't have that wood here but a fellow once gave me some to burn. It does give great heat but it does not start to burn as easily as most wood so that might fool you too. If it is green, which it looks as if it is, then I would not recommend burning it.

It is sad that sellers tell this sort of story but they do it to sell wood. Some actually do think it will even dry in log form. Then they cut to length and split the day of delivery. Sad, sad, sad. They can think what they want but wood won't dry that way. It has to be split to expose more of the wood to air and air circulation is what dries wood. That takes time. Most wood will be okay in a year if handled correctly but if you can get on the 3 year plan, your problems will be over. It might take you a while to get to that point but when you do you will be amazed at how much more efficient that stove is; how much heat you get from less wood and how you won't get creosote of black glass. Please keep this in mind and do your best to reach that point even if it takes a couple years to get there.


As for the back injury, sadly it is only too easy to relate. I've fought that problem for way too long and just had another bad fall about a month ago and I think I blew out another disc. Yuck... Good luck.

 

[blades]

Locust and White Oak, 2 years css in a great location, otherwise 3. Small splits will dry out faster than larger ones of course. Super BTU but only if properly dried out. Never met a wood seller with properly dried wood- just not the nature of the business model. Compressed wood logs/bricks mixed with not so great cord wood can get you bye. Current stoves shine when moisture content in the 15% area, 20% is passable but the difference in heat output has to be experienced to understand. Takes a lot of btu's to boil off the moisture in not so dry wood which robs you of what you are burning it for in the first place.