I am planning to start burning next year. Right now I have 3 cords of oak,maple,some ash and birch all cut stacked on pallets. I am going to purchase a wood insert for the fireplace within the next month it will beJotul450. Do you think I will have good luck with this wood since I gathered the wood so early? I love this site I have learned so much in the time I have been reading.
New to burning
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shoot-straight
Minister of Fire
you can burn pretty much everything if you really want to, it just doesnt burn effciently or cleanly. oak and other high BTU woods take a few years to fully dry depending on the size of the split and airflow. i would fish out the ash, soft maple and birch and burn them first. they will dry first. then get to work on the next years wood, NOW! and the year after that.
if your wood has a bit of moisture, a couple of bio bricks helps the burn.
if your wood has a bit of moisture, a couple of bio bricks helps the burn.
Bagelboy
Feeling the Heat
You could also look for some dead standing or lying down pine. Although I have not burned pine yet, I have 2 cords I cut up a few weeks ago. I've learned recently on this forum that dead pine, while burning much faster than other wood, can be burned in our new EPA stoves. Bad thing, it burns faster. Good thing, it seasons faster. Do a search in this forum! It's also easy to find since no one really wants it.!
If this is a recent cut/split/stack, you might be on the edge for drying time. If this has been stacked since summer, you will be fine. The oak is still gonna be on the high side.
BobUrban
Minister of Fire
Pretty much all that you have, if CSS'd already will burn next year except the oak. I stack my oak by itself all lonely and elitist. The rest, ash, maple, elm, misc.. gets together and after one year burns after 2 burns good and 3 is perfect.
Good on you for planning ahead. You should be fine and way ahead of most of us in our first year.
Good on you for planning ahead. You should be fine and way ahead of most of us in our first year.
bassJAM
Feeling the Heat
Depending on where you live, ash is pretty readily available on craigslist. Most of the wood I burned my first year was ash since it doesn't need nearly as much drying time as the others so I could let the rest of my wood dry another season.
A few times as I was picking up downed ash I found in subdivisions on CL, the neighbors would come over and let me know that the same tree company would be at their place the next day taking down ash trees if I wanted to come back. I pretty much supplied myself, my dad, and brother-in-law with wood for 2 years there was so much available.
A few times as I was picking up downed ash I found in subdivisions on CL, the neighbors would come over and let me know that the same tree company would be at their place the next day taking down ash trees if I wanted to come back. I pretty much supplied myself, my dad, and brother-in-law with wood for 2 years there was so much available.
red oak
Minister of Fire
Agreed on burning maple, ash, and birch before the oak. Seek advice or post pics on here if you're shaky with the wood id. Except for the oak it should be good for next year.
Warm_in_NH
Minister of Fire
I see lot of references to pine, what about hemlock? I'm assuming similar dry time and burn rates?
Wood Duck
Minister of Fire
If you are not sure about the wood being seasoned enough, I'd make sure it is stacked in open, airy stacks. I might also restack in mid summer. I find my firewood settles, eliminating the air spaces, and leaves and other stuff accumulates in the stacks and impedes drying. Restacking allows me to create openings that let air through, and it allows me to remove loose bark, etc. I might restack some firewood this summer because I am trying to season Red Maple in one year, which is probably enough if the wood is loosely stacked, but probably not enough if the wood is tightly stacked or full of leaves. and other junk.
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
Welcome to the forum nmaho.
The maple and ash should be good so long as it is split before being stacked on those pallets. I would not advise trying to burn the oak. We won't burn that until it has been in the stack 3 years. Some will burn it sooner, but then, some are happy with second best rather than the best.
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