Save the good stuff or just keep burning?

[Waulie]

I have a bit of a dilema. I have a new stove on order, but realistically it won't be up and running for another month. I am currently burning in a 1980 Black Bart, which may just be the most inefficient wood stove ever.

I just bought my house last December so I was a scramble getting wood ready to burn this winter. I *had* about 3.5 cords of half dead ash split and stacked since March and April. It is burning great, but I've already burned through a half cord. I also have about 3 cords that has been split and stacked starting the end of July up through two weeks ago. That is mostly ash but also some sugar maple, beech, and ironwood. If I continue to burn the good stuff until my efficient stove arrives, I will likely burn through another cord of it. So here are my options.

1. Continue to burn the good stuff and hope the wood split and stacked beginning in July will be good by February.
2. Switch to burning the wood that was split and stacked beginning in July, check my chimney often, and save the good wood for the EPA stove. I know I can burn this wood in the Black Bart as I actually burned quite a bit of freshly cut and split ash at the end of last winter.
3. Start using propane to conserve the good wood and sell one of my children to pay for it.

I appreciate any thoughts!

 

[shawneyboy]

I would say burn the green stuff, keep the seasoned stuff for EPA stove. The green would be very disappointing in the EPA stove, so save the good stuff for that. Keep a very close eye on the chimney as well. Meanwhile, keep collecting and get a couple years ahead. So why are you on your computer, get out there and start bucking and splitting man.

Shawn

 

[Waulie]

So why are you on your computer, get out there and start bucking and splitting man.

I hear you! Unfortunately, the best I can do for my wood situation while at work is post on Hearth.com. ;-)

Considering I just moved in, had a ton of work to do on the house, have a toddler and a baby, a full time job, and a wife that works and goes to school in the evenings and on weekends, I don't think I'm doing too bad. /end sob story

My goal is to be a year ahead in another month or so. I figure once I get the EPA stove up an running I'll probably burn about 4 cords a year. I have about 6 now, so I'll get there. It's just that half of it isn't going to be very great this winter, and with the Black Bart I could easily burn twice that. :bug:

 

[Jags]

Welp - we all know that the unseasoned stuff isn't gonna work in your new stove. You might as well send that old stove out doing what it does best - eat anything that is thrown inside it. It sounds like you are well aware of the potential dangers that this can cause and are prepared to deal with it.

My vote goes to "feed the beast and save the good stuff for the NEW baby"

 

[granpajohn]

3. Start using propane to conserve the good wood and sell one of my children to pay for it.

Don't sell the chiild. Well, unless the price is really good. Would need to know how many children you currently have...could one be considered excess?
Might be a nice discipline help with the rest of the kids in the future. "Don't forget how back in 2011 we had to sell Jimmy because he just refused to behave. Yup; I'd sure hate to have to sell anymore misbehaving kids. Y'know?"
(Believe it or not, the kids love my sense of humour.)
er, as to the wood....I don't know. I just stopped by to kid around.

 

[Waulie]

Would need to know how many children you currently have…could one be considered excess?

Well, I know which one I'd sell if I had to. The problem is, the baby will eventually be three too. :shut:

So, I'm currently burning some of the split in July ash. It is burning just fine. I can't really tell much difference between that and the split in March ash. I guess thats why we all love ash so much! I suppose I've answered my own question. I'll burn the "unseasoned" stuff until the new stove arrives. That should leave me enough of the best stuff, and if I do run out I won't sweat burning this stuff in the new stove too much.

Thanks all!

 

[NextEndeavor]

Yep, save the driest for that EPA stove. Your neighbors will love ya.
My wife had ours running tonight when I got home. Looking at the stack, couldn't even tell it. The wind was blowing it right over the driveway and I still wasn't sure ......... Until I stepped in the house, 75 degrees!

 

[Dix]

Yep, save the driest for that EPA stove. Your neighbors will love ya.
My wife had ours running tonight when I got home. Looking at the stack, couldn't even tell it. The wind was blowing it right over the driveway and I still wasn't sure ......... Until I stepped in the house, 75 degrees!

She's a keeper

Save the dry stuff for the EPA. Prof Jags, etal , are tres schmart

 

[bogydave]

Save the dry stuff for the new stove , should burn less with it & the greener would will have more time to dry.
You are pretty sure the new stove will need the dry stuff to burn, burn the greener stuff a little hotter in the Bart
or
Don't install the new stove this year, wait til spring. Next year have some real dry wood ready to go.
If you are going to install the new stove, you know the answer, it needs dry wood to burn properly, the greener stuff will just make burning miserable in the new stove.

 

[snowleopard]

You could also get going on another kiddo, try to get and stay a couple of years ahead on these, too. Sorta like working on your 2013-14 wood supply . . . . money in the bank's what we say around here . . . .

 

[Waulie]

Don’t install the new stove this year, wait til spring. Next year have some real dry wood ready to go.

If I don't install the new stove, I would have to stop burning altogether. Bart is always hungry and my food supply would be gone by spring. The 3 cords I have left from March/April really is dry and should burn great in the new stove. It was borer killed ash and the bark came right off while splitting. I'm convinced seasoning without bark makes quite a difference. I figure 3 cords should last from December through spring in one of the most efficient wood stoves ever made? Boy, I hope so.

On the not so seasoned stuff... The smaller splits are burning just fine, the bigger ones not so much. I'm getting some sizzle, they are slow to get going, and I had some blacker than normal glass this morning. I'm going to split them smaller and keep on smoking out the neighbors. Luckily, I don't have any neighbors. I definately don't want to try and use that stuff in the new stove, so I'm going to put Bart to work until the new stove is up and running.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I have a bit of a dilema. I have a new stove on order, but realistically it won't be up and running for another month. I am currently burning in a 1980 Black Bart, which may just be the most inefficient wood stove ever.

I just bought my house last December so I was a scramble getting wood ready to burn this winter. I *had* about 3.5 cords of half dead ash split and stacked since March and April. It is burning great, but I've already burned through a half cord. I also have about 3 cords that has been split and stacked starting the end of July up through two weeks ago. That is mostly ash but also some sugar maple, beech, and ironwood. If I continue to burn the good stuff until my efficient stove arrives, I will likely burn through another cord of it. So here are my options.

1. Continue to burn the good stuff and hope the wood split and stacked beginning in July will be good by February.
2. Switch to burning the wood that was split and stacked beginning in July, check my chimney often, and save the good wood for the EPA stove. I know I can burn this wood in the Black Bart as I actually burned quite a bit of freshly cut and split ash at the end of last winter.
3. Start using propane to conserve the good wood and sell one of my children to pay for it.

I appreciate any thoughts!

Waulie, as you know, ash is one of the best firewoods for several reasons and one is that it is low moisture and drys relatively quickly. The old saying about burning ash right after it is cut is true for that old Black Bart, but it still is certainly not a good practice. We did heat all of one winter with nothing but fresh cut ash. We did not freeze but were not as comfortable as we'd liked and burned a whole lot more wood. Of course, the extra exercise in cleaning the chimney warmed us some...

With the ash being half dead, that doesn't need a whole lot of time and 6 months should be okay for that. On the maple, beech an d ironwood, that won't burn so good this winter but you probably can burn some in the old stove. So as you can tell, I agree with the other posters in that you should save the best for January-February.

#2 wins except I would add some of the maple or beech with it to stretch this out further. I would not use more than a third of maple or beech mixed with the ash in the old stove.

 

[Waulie]

#2 wins except I would add some of the maple or beech with it to stretch this out further. I would not use more than a third of maple or beech mixed with the ash in the old stove.

Thanks Dennis! I'm going to experiment with the beech and maple this weekend a bit. Now I'm wishing I separated my stacks more. Some of that maple and beech was standing dead and if I can locate the drier, upper portions of those trees in my stacks I bet they'd burn pretty well in the old stove. I haven't burned any less than dry ironwood but I'm guessing that wouldn't be too fun. That stuff can be a bit tricky to get rolling even when dry. Of course, once it gets rolling there is nothing better to me since I don't have any and never really burned oak or locust. I'm going to save the half cord of ironwood until next year for those cold Jan and Feb nights.

Working with the split in July ash last night and this morning did take me back to last winter a bit. I'm already spoiled from using dry wood this fall. I really have to find the time to fell, buck, and split about 2 more cords before the snow gets too deep to get back in the woods so I won't have this problem next year. The trees are there waiting for me. I just have to get em!