Seasoning Silver Maple and Cherry

[Beer Belly]

I've got in my stacks, Silver Maple (css 2/12)....Cherry (css 2/12), and some Hickory (css 3/12).....I split, and checked with my MM, and getting 18% on a fresh split.....should I be questioning my MM ???....also some Oak (css 12/11) at about 18%....this is what I've got to burn, otherwise buying this year (which I figure I may have to)....what do you think ???

 

[scotvl]

the silver maple and cherry should be good to go the hickory maybe burnable but not ideal and the oak needs another year, IMHO.

 

[Beer Belly]

the silver maple and cherry should be good to go the hickory maybe burnable but not ideal and the oak needs another year, IMHO.

Thats pretty much what I was thinking....maybe if I can buy a "seasoned" cord to start me off, it'll give the Cherry and Maple a little more time....it sure would be nice to burn that Hickory too......I'll hold off on the Oak for another two years (if I can), I've got an Ash to drop that I hope to be burning by next year to help hold off on the Oak

 

[bogydave]

All summer to season. MM might be close or stuck on 18%.

Burn the maple, & cherry first. Then the hickory.
The oak at 18%, with less than a year CSS, is questionable. (13/14 wood at best)
Just check the chimney monthly, clean if needed.
The maple & cherry should be ok & the hickory by the time you need it will bet drier.

"You burn what you got, seasoned or not"

MM are a reference, seasoning time & how it burns is the important test.

I don't think you could buy any wood now that would be drier.
"Your wood is drier than 99% of any one selling wood now."
Any bought now, it would need a year to season, (13/14 wood) just the way wood sellers "seasoned wood" is, wet.

Keep cutting. Get next years (13/14) wood soon, sooner, NOW! Relax a week or 2 then get 14/15 wood CSS .
Then you are ahead & can relax from wood cutting till next Oct- Nov then get started on 15/16 wood.
Then you'll always have some 2 year + seasoned wood & you'll notice a big difference in how well it burns

 

[weatherguy]

There are some honest sellers that have truly seasoned wood in our area, you have to ask questions and pay a bit more but if your stuck you have to do it sometimes. If you have a truck you could probably score some on CL from someone that switched to pellets, Ive been seeing a few ads pop up now and then the last couple of weeks.

 

[blades]

Rather than buying a cord of wood of very questionable heritage, get the the compressed wood blocks and use those with your current fuel, at this time of year cost is about the same. Most of these will have btu output close to Oak. A couple of these and your hickory when the dregs of winter hit and you be walking around in side in shorts, just do not load the stove with the blocks only, generally too hot

 

[Beer Belly]

I like the idea of the bricks....gotta take a ride to TSC a figure cost. I have had the MM read higher on other stacks I have of Oak that is 7 months older....the stack I measured is in direct sun all day......I'm gonna ignore the Oak 'cause I know it'll be worth the wait....I've got a boat load of it. Thanks guys

 

[DexterDay]

Cherry and Silver Maple cut in February, will be great. Burn the Maple 1st, then Cherry.

I split some Silver Maple in April last year and even Large splits were at 20% or lower by December. Cherry is also a quicker seasoning wood.

Keep at it and get a little further ahead. Then the MM can sit on the shelf and wood can sit in the stacks.

As BogeyDave says, your gonna burn what you got. And what you got, is much better than a seller (95% of them anyways).

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Thats pretty much what I was thinking....maybe if I can buy a "seasoned" cord to start me off, it'll give the Cherry and Maple a little more time....it sure would be nice to burn that Hickory too......I'll hold off on the Oak for another two years (if I can), I've got an Ash to drop that I hope to be burning by next year to help hold off on the Oak

Drop that ash now or sometime this winter and you can burn it next year. And yes, it is very possible for a MM to be off just as it is very possible to be using it wrong. Time is still the very best way to determine if that wood is dry enough.

 

[Beer Belly]

Drop that ash now or sometime this winter and you can burn it next year. And yes, it is very possible for a MM to be off just as it is very possible to be using it wrong. Time is still the very best way to determine if that wood is dry enough.

The way I use the MM is on the inside of a fresh split, going with the grain....it is a chepo HF MM, so I'm not completely confident in it...not putting a lot of faith in the Oak reading......I'm taking the advice of everybody here, and leaving the Oak for a minimum of 2 years, the payoff in patience will worth it. Dropping the Ash will depend on finances.

Cherry and Silver Maple cut in February, will be great. Burn the Maple 1st, then Cherry.

I split some Silver Maple in April last year and even Large splits were at 20% or lower by December. Cherry is also a quicker seasoning wood.

Keep at it and get a little further ahead. Then the MM can sit on the shelf and wood can sit in the stacks.

As BogeyDave says, your gonna burn what you got. And what you got, is much better than a seller (95% of them anyways).

Now ya see.....thats why I love you guys....I would have went for the Cherry first, then Maple. I try to scrounge all year long, but it gets hard trying to get everything organized.....I've got 3 piles in the yard right now I gotta find a place to stack on pallets....trying to clear brush from a corner to build a nice wood shed, enough room for a 20x30 easily. I also bought 3 of those 3 packs of brick from TSC

 

[Wood Duck]

I'd take that moisture meter and try it on some freshly cut woods and also on some dimensional lumber (2x4, etc.). If you get 18% on everything then maybe, just maybe, the mm is off. On the other hand maybe it isn't and you are good to go.

 

[scotvl]

I have the hf meter too and once the batteries start to go you'll get funky readings.

 

[Woody Stover]

Now ya see.....thats why I love you guys....I would have went for the Cherry first, then Maple.

Never burned Silver but I had some Red Maple last year and it seemed to dry a lot faster than Cherry cut at the same time, even though the Red was from a live (storm-damaged) tree...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Woody is right. The maples will dry a bit faster than the cherry. But cherry is not a slow drying wood either.

 

[Beer Belly]

I have the hf meter too and once the batteries start to go you'll get funky readings.

guess it wouldn't hurt to change the batteries

 

[Beer Belly]

This is the area I'm trying to clear (old picture, a lot worse).....getting close.....pulled out 2 stumps with the truck today, got a lot more clearing to do, then chip my brush pile into this area as a bed to keep the weeds at bay while I figure out how to build a low cost shed.

 

[Stegman]

I burned a lot of Cherry last year that only had 6-7 months seasoning and it was fine.

 

[Jags]

Okay - I understand the questionable readings, and would confirm that the MM is relatively accurate. If it is relatively accurate....burn the dang wood. Readings under 20 is perfect AND I DON'T CARE what the species is. If you have Oak that is one year seasoned and reading under 20 (again - assuming accurate reading) then by all means burn it. It ain't gonna get any better.

 

[midwestcoast]

Nuther reason to burn the Maple first is it saves the Cherry for the colder temps. Silver Maple is good for shoulder season fires, but not what you want in the stove to get an all night burn.