The Pine, the Whole Pine, and Nothing but the Pine

[highanddryinco]

Okay, I've been a bad boy.

1. I have ignored Hearth.com all summer long and spent my time fishing and golfing.
2. I didn't do my mid-season chimney cleaning last heating season.

I know fall is just around the corner and others will be tuning in and newbies will be joining as well. So for what it's worth and before the discussions begin again about the evils of the pine, a quick photo of the whole tablespoon of stuff that came down last week during my preseason cleaning after a full season of burning roughly 98% pine and 2% aspen. Granted, only about 3.5 cords total burn but I'm pretty darn happy with the results.

Dry it, burn it, and enjoy it. (Especially if it's all you've got)

 

[StoveWannabe]

Wow, that's all you got? Wow,nice

 

[highanddryinco]

Yep. Dry wood. A good 28' straight up draft. And I don't generally baby this thing.

The trade off is that I only shoot for 3 to 4 hour burn times and I burn hot. At bed time though, I usually give it a good stoke, wait for the initial temp climb to settle back down, and then pull the air control back down all the way. I used to worry more and get up to check the stove temp every half hour or so but I've never had a run-away after that initial burn settles down. (Now that initial burn...you better be on your toes on the PE or it will take off in a hurry!)

In the morning, there's usually a hot coal bed that will start right again, unless of course I slept in too long.

 

[Old Red]

Responded to a listing for free wood on CL this morning and brought home two trailer loads of pine. One of my neighbors came by with some tomatoes from his garden and I showed him the new wood. He said, "Pine! Oh you'll burn your house down burning pine".

 

[warno]

Look at all that creosote! I can't believe you haven't burnt your house down with only burning pine, you fool!








J/k
Very nice. Good clean out!

 

[lindnova]

The only problem with pine is it will go up and get hot fast. That is bad if you have a dirty chimney with creosote and where problems arise.

 

[blacktail]

Pine causes chimney fires. You didn't sweep anything out because it all burned up in the many chimney fires your pine caused. Duh.

 

[touchthewindrider]

I have used pine for a couple of years now...mainly as a "get her started" wood. I'll burn it for an hour, or so, and usually not a very big load.
Then I'll switch to hard wood to burn through the rest of the day/night. It has helped to stretch my "good" wood, though.

 

[highanddryinco]

You didn't sweep anything out because it all burned up in the many chimney fires your pine caused.

I'm thinking I'm reading sarcasm but in all reality, you're probably more correct than not. Like I mentioned, I don't baby this thing.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

I can't imagine only being able to get pine and nothing else. Makes me appreciate what im lucky enough to get even if it is mostly maples.

 

[BigFir]

I can't imagine only being able to get pine and nothing else. Makes me appreciate what im lucky enough to get even if it is mostly maples.

I can't imagine having to store 3 years of wood at my house....... I burn the dead fir and pine the day I fall it. I can get an all night burn with conifers, wouldn't trade it for anything.......

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

I can't imagine having to store 3 years of wood at my house...

but thats decoration, ambiance !! Sometimes i go outside just to stare at my wood piles and behold the beauty. Sometimes i even talk to them.

 

[BigFir]

but thats decoration, ambiance !! Sometimes i go outside just to stare at my wood piles and behold the beauty. Sometimes i even talk to them.

Haha touché! I was out sniffing my fir last night.......

 

[highanddryinco]

but thats decoration, ambiance !! Sometimes i go outside just to stare at my wood piles and behold the beauty. Sometimes i even talk to them.

Lol. It was about 30 years ago, a really cold gray Wisconsin winter, and I started talking to woodpiles just for something to do...I moved!

 

[Oldman47]

So, now you Talk to the Trees?