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  1. begreen Super Moderator

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    36,116 posts
    South Puget Sound, WA
    My impression was the same. Grey wood = weathering, but I see little amount of checking which is a better sign of dryness. I have a stack of madrona that is all grey on the ends but I know it is still too young to burn.
    #51

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  2. Wade A. Feeling the Heat

    joined: Nov 4, 2010
    358 posts
    South
    <sigh> These Yankees and their "two years" to dry mantra. :)

    Here in the Heart of Dixie, we like to remind y'all it depends on what climate you're living in. One Alabama summer does quite a nice job of it, I can tell you.
  3. Scotty Overkill firewood hoarder

    joined: Sep 24, 2011
    6,761 posts
    central PA
    Even if I lived in Puerto Rico, I'd be letting my oak season two to three. if nothing else, it'll be GUARANTEED to be bone friggin dry......plus it give me an excuse to go out and keep a-gittin wood!@!
  4. oldspark Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 16, 2010
    5,112 posts
    North West Iowa
    Been burning Oak that looks like hogs for 30 years, I can get it dry enough to burn in one summer but its always at least 2 years before I burn it and some times longer, and yes I did check it with a MM and it was OL when I cut it and right at 20% that fall and it burnt with out any sizzling, this was a test to prove I could do it.
  5. Bub381 Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 4, 2011
    839 posts
    Mid-coast Maine
    The main burning problems here are not knowing seasoned wood from wet.My buddy uses the wet wood burns longer.lol Clean your chimney pal, which he says has no creosote.That's BS
  6. Paulywalnut Feeling the Heat

    joined: Nov 29, 2012
    383 posts
    Kennett Square, PA
    Anybody that thinks burning dry wood is easy should log onto Hearth forums. That'll show em!==c
    Blue2ndaries and Pallet Pete like this.
  7. weatherguy Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 20, 2009
    2,716 posts
    Central Mass
    Hog, why didnt you post this my first year, I thought one year seasoning was fine, and it was for everything but the oak and I had quite a bit of it, had to pick it out and put it aside for the future, took me a while to get three years ahead but it can be done, spent a lot of time scrounging and when I saw some good deals on split wood I picked a little of that up too. Now its just fill the empty bins when they're available.
  8. Hogwildz Minister of Fire

    Better late then never. Keep filling those blank spaces up!
  9. oldspark Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 16, 2010
    5,112 posts
    North West Iowa
    So you dont trust your knowledge of wood burning and testing the wood with a MM and a test burn, thats not good, burning wood is all about knowing what you are doing. The people who have problems dont have a clue.
  10. Scotty Overkill firewood hoarder

    joined: Sep 24, 2011
    6,761 posts
    central PA
    I don't even own a moisture meter....I'm old skool all the way, Sparky!
  11. oldspark Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 16, 2010
    5,112 posts
    North West Iowa
    That's fine scotty, I only use mine as a toy, better to do a test burn any way, no point in guessing. Here in Iowa it does not take 3 years to cure oak that has been dead. YRMV and it seems like many forget that point, and for the checking on the ends of the wood, that is from rapid drying and tells you little in terms of how ready the wood is.
  12. Scotty Overkill firewood hoarder

    joined: Sep 24, 2011
    6,761 posts
    central PA
    I can guarantee you here in central PA, it takes every bit of two years, better three, to get green oak at the ideal moisture level. We have tons of rain it seems, anymore. And the humidity in summer is crazy. Ive had some standing dead that was ready in a year or so, but they were exceptions to the rule. They had been dead since the late 80's from the gypsy moth, all the bark and sapwood was long gone, and they were nearly dry with the exception of the lower trunk.....

    Anyway, I put myself 3 to 4 years ahead so I'm good to go either way.....
  13. firefighterjake Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 22, 2008
    13,455 posts
    Unity/Bangor, Maine
    Well no creosote after he has a chimney fire and it burns it all out. ;) :)
  14. Jack Fate Feeling the Heat

    joined: Jan 17, 2013
    262 posts
    Northwest Ohio
    Gee thanks a lot Hodwildz,I got a Large twin oak that looks like that on the outside just under the bark. I wrote it off as rotted but maybe ;hm there may be some gold in there. I get dead branches that look like the center of that log you got there .Those branches are some of the best wood there is .My wife & I refer to it as petrified wood

    So now I got to drop that Big sucker just to see if there's anything good to be had

    Cheers
  15. Bub381 Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 4, 2011
    839 posts
    Mid-coast Maine
    10-4 Jake,ya can't teach an old dog new tricks is true.

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