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  1. bigdog New Member

    joined: Dec 11, 2008
    20 posts
    W PA
    I was talking to a guy last night about my sizable collection of locust in the woodpile. He said locust causes more creasote than any other wood. I have not seen any evidence of that. Burns hot and long for me. Anyway, I didn't argue. What does everybody think?
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  2. smokinj Minister of Fire

    joined: Aug 11, 2008
    15,412 posts
    Anderson, Indiana
    your thinking right!
  3. webby3650 Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 2, 2008
    1,931 posts
    southern Indiana
    I think this has been covered 100's of times on here! Creosote is caused by poorley seasoned wood. I think everyone knows someone who says things like this, I have had people tell me that scrap 2"x4"'s will cause a flue fire because of so much creosote produced from it.
  4. Cluttermagnet Minister of Fire

    joined: Jun 23, 2008
    829 posts
    Mid Atlantic
    Locust has a reputation of needing extra time to season. Some say 2 years vs. 1 year for most other wood. (They say White Oak likes 2 years as well) So on average, Locust in the hands of impatient newbies might tend to produce more creosote than other faster drying woods. Just a thought.

    I sure wouldn't burn it green! Heaviest darned wood I remember ever handling. The stuff must be particularly loaded with 'bound' moisture that needs to escape. I'd give it a lot of seasoning time.
  5. Bigg_Redd Minister of Fire

    joined: Oct 19, 2008
    2,939 posts
    Shelton, WA

    The guy doesn't know his @$$ from his elbow.
  6. savageactor7 Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 25, 2008
    3,698 posts
    CNY
    Not my favorite wood for its extra long lasting coals but no ... tell him any wood can produce creosote if it's not seasoned.
  7. johnsopi Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 1, 2006
    638 posts
    MD near DE&PA;
    Their are so mant expert out there that think their right but have no clue. No point in aruging.
    Their right, and thats that.
  8. Adios Pantalones Minister of Fire

    I think Cluttermagnet hit it- people don't dry it enough. By the same token, I have wondered here a few times if folks in the east have not thought pine was ready to burn because it felt light- and did not give it enough drying time, leading to the impression that it causes creosote.
  9. savageactor7 Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 25, 2008
    3,698 posts
    CNY
    ^ many years ago when I first started to burn I was told to avoid Pine cause it burned too hot because of its sap. The neighbors said Pine was OK for fireplaces but not wood stoves. It made a lot of sense to me cause the pine I did cut down was used for outdoor fires and it was obvious that it burned much hotter and faster than other leafed tree wood...whatever ya call them.
  10. DAKSY Super Moderator

    Ya know, we've ALL heard that about pine & other softwoods...
    "It's dangerous to burn that stuff! It's too soft & has too much sap & you'll have a chimney fire!"
    Tell those folks to take a ride up to Alaska & ask what kind of hardwood grows up there...
    The answer is NONE...They still burn wood, tho...
    They burn birch, pine, fir & whatever they can & they don't have any more chimney fires up there than we do in the "Lower 48..."
  11. Backwoods Savage Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 14, 2007
    24,111 posts
    Michigan
    Sometimes it is best not to attempt to confuse them with the facts when their mind is already made up. Go ahead and get all the locust you can get!
  12. savageactor7 Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 25, 2008
    3,698 posts
    CNY
    Yeah OK there's truth there... I was just relating what was told to me 30 years ago when I didn't know jack about wood burning.
  13. ansehnlich1 Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 5, 2006
    1,504 posts
    Adams County, PA
    This guy that says locust causes more creosote is probably eyeing up your pile :)

    Locust is one of the best burnin' woods I've ever had.

    The stuff takes a long time to season proper, from a fresh cut tree I'd split and stack and wait 2 or more years before burnin' it.

    I burned some last year that was over 48 years old. It was NOT punky. It was old fence post, and burned just fine.
  14. gzecc Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 24, 2008
    2,840 posts
    NNJ
    One of the attributes of locust is that it doesn't need 2yrs to dry. I am burning a cord now, its barely a yr old.
  15. gzecc Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 24, 2008
    2,840 posts
    NNJ
  16. PA. Woodsman Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 26, 2007
    634 posts
    Emmaus, Pennsylvania
    My experience with it is that it DOESN'T take an extremely long time to dry. I wouldn't push it and burn it on the green side, but I've read that next to Ash it is one of the woods that people use green in a pinch. I've heard those kind of statements also; "Apple clogged my chimney". "Maple is no good for the chimney" etc. Like someone else said, any green wood will give you a problem. Let that Locust dry out and make your own decision on it; you'll find that it is an EXCELLENT fuelwood!
  17. Dune Minister of Fire

    Locust can and will burn green. However, like any other wood, you will be warmer if you season it first. The beauty of locust is that it is extremely rot resistant, so much so that it is almost a shame to burn it. As far as the creasote forget it. Total B.S.
  18. Der Fuirmeister Member

    joined: Jan 3, 2009
    219 posts
    WI
    Two years ago a burned about two full cords of Locust that had seasoned about a year. No problems. Some time back an older fella told me to mix my wood especially when burning anything questionable. I check my flue / chimney every year but never have any build up.
  19. xjnuttier New Member

    joined: Oct 1, 2008
    45 posts
    SE PA
    I like locust, one of the best woods to yet be burned through my stove, long and hot burn... I agree on the mixing of the woods, and not to burn just one kind... the good burners help equal out the weaker ones, and seem to win and burn it all hotter...
  20. Todd Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 19, 2005
    8,785 posts
    Lake Wissota
    I just checked my chimney after burning 1.5 cords of 2yr old Black Locust and it's clean, no need to sweep til next spring.
  21. slinger New Member

    joined: Dec 26, 2008
    7 posts
    southeast Illinois
    I like locust too, high heat value, splits good, rot resistant. I cut up a locust butt log that was cut about six years ago by the electric cooperative for transmission line right-of-way maintenance. The sap ring was punky - the rest looked fresh! Pretty color too!
  22. Prada Member

    joined: Nov 8, 2008
    214 posts
    Ohio
    We've been burning Locust and it is great for BTU's and no problem what so ever with chimney build up........ONLY ONE BIG problem that I can see with the Locust is that it builds coals up by the tons. I would hate to burn nothing but Locust because of that. Mixed seasoned woods is my preference.
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