Second impression of my free oak

[Wood Duck]

A month or so ago my wife saw a message on Freecycle saying somebody was giving away "1/2 cord of firewood." A few emails later we were towing the trailer over to a resently sold house where the buyers had requested that a pile of firewood in the backyard be removed before the sale. It turned out to actually be 1/2 cord and all oak. Some was a little rotten and after a few days of rain it was hard to tell if any of it was dry, but when I got it home and split some it looked and felt very dry so I moved it to the front of the queue to be burned. The first few times I tried it were cold starts without reloading because of the marginally cold weather, and it seemed a little slow to burn even with the primary air fully open. I didn't see any water hissing out the ends, and it lit up quickly, but I was beginning to think I should stack it for a few years and try again. Today it is about 35 degrees out, so I loaded some of the oak on a hot bed of coals and got a whole different impression. In about five minutes the whole fire box was full of flame (as seen in the picture), and right now, an hour later, the primary is fully closed and the firebox is full of secondaries. It has been that way for 40 minutes or so and seems to be going strong. Before you decide your stove isn't working well or your wood is too wet, wait until the weather gets cold and try again.

 

[billb3]

Even with 4 year old oak, with a cold stove my first fire is pine and/or maple.
I don't even try cherry.

Plus I save oak for Jan/Feb.


If I burn oak this time of the year my windows end up open and I'm polluting the neighborhood with heat. I'd rather do that with pine.

 

[oldspark]

Even with 4 year old oak, with a cold stove my first fire is pine and/or maple.
I don't even try cherry.

Plus I save oak for Jan/Feb.


If I burn oak this time of the year my windows end up open and I'm polluting the neighborhood with heat. I'd rather do that with pine.

Yep too dense for starting fires easily!

 

[Flatbedford]

Before you decide your stove isn't working well or your wood is too wet, wait until the weather gets cold and try again.

Put this at the top of the this forum and traffic would slow down a bit.

Oak is where its at as long as you can give it the time.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Good to hear Wood Duck. I too would be saving that oak until January-February. Then is when the oak will really show its value.

 

[Loco Gringo]

I too would be saving that oak until January-February. Then is when the oak will really show its value.

Amen.....

 

[smokingolf]

I'm getting some free oak, as much as I want and can handle. How long will it take to season?

Brian

 

[Loco Gringo]

I'm getting some free oak, as much as I want and can handle. How long will it take to season?

Brian

Depends. Tell us about it.

 

[Wood Duck]

Good to hear Wood Duck. I too would be saving that oak until January-February. Then is when the oak will really show its value.

Last winter I didn't have a lot of oak so I saved it for nighttime. That is why I never used it when starting a fire. This year's supply is mostly oak, so I can't and don't need to save it. I will be burning mostly oak for the next several years, but there is enough lighter wood that I can avoid trying to start cold with oak. My area of Pennsylvania has lots of different varieties of trees, but the ridges near here are probably 80% oak, so my stacks are also about 80% oak. I am not complaining!

 

[Flatbedford]

Oak, as long as it is seasoned, starts just fine.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Good to hear Wood Duck. I too would be saving that oak until January-February. Then is when the oak will really show its value.

Last winter I didn't have a lot of oak so I saved it for nighttime. That is why I never used it when starting a fire. This year's supply is mostly oak, so I can't and don't need to save it. I will be burning mostly oak for the next several years, but there is enough lighter wood that I can avoid trying to start cold with oak. My area of Pennsylvania has lots of different varieties of trees, but the ridges near here are probably 80% oak, so my stacks are also about 80% oak. I am not complaining!

Yes, we saw all that oak and the picture stays with me. We visited your beautiful state back in the 80's when the gypsy moth was so bad. That really showed how much of the state is covered with oaks!


Brian, around here we like to give oak 3 years after splitting to dry.

 

[oldspark]

Oak, as long as it is seasoned, starts just fine.

Yes and no, it does not start as easily as a less dense wood by any means, you can start fires with it buy why bother as the pieces have to be smaller and it will not start as as quickly as maple ash or elm. I used to start my fires with oak until I found out how much quicker the other woods got going.

 

[Dune]

Good to hear Wood Duck. I too would be saving that oak until January-February. Then is when the oak will really show its value.

Last winter I didn't have a lot of oak so I saved it for nighttime. That is why I never used it when starting a fire. This year's supply is mostly oak, so I can't and don't need to save it. I will be burning mostly oak for the next several years, but there is enough lighter wood that I can avoid trying to start cold with oak. My area of Pennsylvania has lots of different varieties of trees, but the ridges near here are probably 80% oak, so my stacks are also about 80% oak. I am not complaining!

Move it to the other end of the queque, not years, but 1 more year and you will like it very much.

 

[Dune]

I'm getting some free oak, as much as I want and can handle. How long will it take to season?

Brian

Depends on a lot of factors, but likely 2 years after you split and stack it.
3 years would be even better.
there are a few tricks to speed it up, but I try to give oak 3 full years, then you have the BEST wood fuel,
which gives the most heat for the least wood burned.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

My goal is always to not touch the Oak til December 1. Then when December gets here I go get freshly scrounged oak instead of burning CSS Oak. Then come mid-winter my goal is to get by without touching the CSS Oak.

Long live the Oak pile!! :cheese:

 

[Wood Duck]

Oak, as long as it is seasoned, starts just fine.

Yes and no, it does not start as easily as a less dense wood by any means, you can start fires with it buy why bother as the pieces have to be smaller and it will not start as as quickly as maple ash or elm. I used to start my fires with oak until I found out how much quicker the other woods got going.

This oak is old, I don't know how old but it is more than a few years old and seems well seasoned. It will start, but doesn't take off as fast as Red Maple or pine. I am not very patient when it comes to the wood stove getting hot.

 

[Biff_CT2]

Even with 4 year old oak, with a cold stove my first fire is pine and/or maple.
I don't even try cherry.

Plus I save oak for Jan/Feb.


If I burn oak this time of the year my windows end up open and I'm polluting the neighborhood with heat. I'd rather do that with pine.

Ditto.

I've tried the pine cold start thing a few times this season. Seems to work well - pine starts quickly, coals fast, and ignites the oak added afterwards without incident - no smoldering or difficulty with punky spots.

I think that the trick with pine is just to learn how to use it right. It certainly has some advantages.