Love that oak!

[Cburke]

So I couldn't wait any longer to try my two year seasoned oak(red) tonight and what a difference it made from burning one year oak I was burning last year! I know it's not that cold but I couldn't resist, wanted to see how to burned and it didn't dissapoint. Burns hot like coal almost and a nice steady heat output, not reall peaky like the maple I have been burning. Anyways end of rant!

 

[STIHLY DAN]

Wait till you burn 3 tr oak, even better. lights with a match.

 

[Cburke]

Wait till you burn 3 tr oak, even better. lights with a match.

Can't wait! Next year I'll have some 3 year old white oak, roughly 2 cords and same age and amount of black locust!

 

[barmstrong2]

Just put a 4" X6" split of 3 year red oak on a bed of coals. Before I got back to my chair, just 10 feet away, it was fully ignited. It really is a beautiful thing.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

I can't say enough good things about oak. Both red and white. Our property is mainly oak and locust. Locust is touted as the holy grail of heating wood and I would take oak over locust any day. I have to get locust down to under 15% moisture before it burns actively and that is difficult in our very humid area. I can actively burn oak at 25-30% even and get a satisfying fire/heat (not recommended to burn at that high moisture but it's the reality of where I live and what I can store). The oak we burn at around 20% rocks and puts out more heat and blue flame than any other wood we burn, and it doesn't pop like locust.

 

[Cburke]

Haven't burned any locust or white oak, but I'm in your boat got unlimited supply of oak and beech that's primarily what makes up my whole property. Not a bad thing I suppose haha

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Haven't burned any locust or white oak, but I'm in your boat got unlimited supply of oak and beech that's primarily what makes up my whole property. Not a bad thing I suppose haha

Beech is fantastic as well. I have lots of beech trees near our house and they provide in many ways. I cut the low limbs and trim them, using that for firewood. During hunting season the deer come eat the beech nuts and I am thankful for the meat I am able to take.

White oak burns very similarly to red but a bit hotter and more vibrant. I keep tons of white oak kindling for that reason. Don't let anyone fool you, locust is great at coaling and that is all. To get any kind of burn, you have to keep your oxygen flow higher than normal and whisk a lot of that heat up your pipe. Oak is gold.

 

[Fred Wright]

Yup, we burned some 2-year willow and pin oak over the weekend as a trial. Burns nice and hot, good coaling. The SheWolf noticed the difference in weight over the red maple she was loading in the stove before.

Been scrounging at the local Amish sawmill of late, getting loads of red and white oak. Gonna be pretty much all we burn in a few years.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Oak and locust only get better with seasoning. I've got some 5 yr. BL. It's next, but waiting for colder weather

 

[LocustPocust]

I've got some 5 yr. BL. It's next, but waiting for colder weather

Sure way to turn your wood stove into a nuclear reactor. You'll love it. I had a little last year from a lightning strike casualty 13 years prior that my old neighbor cut and threw into a pile. I took a few logs from the top of the pile and cut them, split them, and stacked them for a few months. I couldn't even stand reloading the stove after burning it.

 

[Paulywalnut]

A few years ago someone on the forum had some 100 year old oak he had found in an old barn I think, nice fire I'll bet. 1% on the moisture meter lol

 

[Cburke]

Very excited to try the locust next year, is it bad to say I'm bored with burning beech?! Haha just want to see something different in the stove. Not complaint by any means about having too much beech

 

[heavy hammer]

Oak and locust great woods locust a favorite of mine have six cords sitting waiting for the cold. About three plus years old I know it is going to be a hot fire.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

On this topic, does anyone else also find that you have to get locust to a super low moisture before it burns well? I've burned locust at 15% that seems like it just stared at me and coaled up. It definitely threw heat but not a vibrant fire. Thoughts?

 

[Firefighter938]

On this topic, does anyone else also find that you have to get locust to a super low moisture before it burns well? I've burned locust at 15% that seems like it just stared at me and coaled up. It definitely threw heat but not a vibrant fire. Thoughts?

I burn quite a bit of locust. Normally I burn it mixed with other woods that catch fire easier. I mix with ash or maple frequently. It seems that about the time the ash or maple is coaling and about done is when the locust takes off.

I normally cut standing dead locust and it has a low moisture content to begin with so I give it a summer to season and burn the following winter.

 

[LocustPocust]

On this topic, does anyone else also find that you have to get locust to a super low moisture before it burns well? I've burned locust at 15% that seems like it just stared at me and coaled up. It definitely threw heat but not a vibrant fire. Thoughts?

15% is outstanding without a kiln.

Dry locust tends to do that, glows with some blue ladies. I've burned "seasoned" locust but with a much higher moisture content and it flames pretty good but doesn't roar like other wood does.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Thanks folks! Sounds like I'm experiencing normal locust behavior then. I definitely find mixing it helps. I've tried to burn it on its own before and end up with a stove full of coals and small blue flames.