Thought you guys were pulling my leg about oak,....

especially since the 16 month old splits I was picking up from the wood stack felt really light. So, I ordered a moisture meter last week and it got here today. Went ahead and split open a decent sized split and pretty much didn't even need to use the moisture meter. I could feel how damp it was on the inside and the inside was still the same color as the outside was the day we split the wood September 2011.

Anyway, decided to give the new moisture meter a go and the $20 moisture meter said 31%. D'oh. Not ready yet.

Yup...I have 2yr old oak that is still in the 24-27% range.

No joke-most of the pin oak I split two years ago is good to go but every once in a while I'll toss in a larger split that steams a bit.

We TOLD YOU.
You never listen.
I had a couple splits 2 days ago that hissed for a minute. It was....you guessed it, OAK. Over 2 years c/s/s in the field, in single rows, with lots of sun and wind.
Most is fine, but every once in a while..........

Well, there is a little leg pulling goes on here occasionally but not about oak!

That's when its cut green it takes 2-3 years to burn properly. Standing snags or deadfall can be good to go the same day or in 6-12 months after bucking/splitting/stacking depending on size of log,tree condition & location.

Yep Oak.. The serious wood.

crappy wood. Send it to me and I'll take it off your hands. No reason to let it waste room in your stacks. No reason at all.

Of the oak group White Oak will take possibly the longest to achieve the magical burning numbers.

Oak ,it ain't no joke! I've some 2 year old white oak that I checked last week during our warm spell and the stuff is still 27% average. And the waiting continues...

And yet, you probably still don't believe that burning pine makes you go blind, do you?

I've got some 14 month old Oak that I've been eyeing because we may run short.......I've pulled a couple of the uglie peices from the top, and they burn pretty darn good....no hissing.....pulled a couple of splits off the top also, reading 18% on a fresh split on some, and 27% on others (stack in an area that gets sun, and breeze all day). I'll burn the uglies in a hot stove for now just to stretch the supply, but my plan is to leave the rest for another 2 years....just gotta get thru this season.

I've learned that just because oak doesn't hiss does not mean it's optimum. I burned some 18month seasoned oak a few years ago.

Burn was fine but the heat output was not there.

Before I learned that oak required a lengthy aging, I had burned tw oaok trees in my old "smoke dragon" (dried probaby 5-6 months) and I thought it was worthless stuff. I wish I had those back now so I could age them right. Out here in Kansas oak has been a little hard to come by.

Wow, this thread is killing my buzz. I had a massive red oak score today. Four full pickup loads of rounds. Guess it'll be 2015 before it will ever see the stove. Naaaaa, still very happy with my score.

Lately, oak is the only thing I have been trying to get now. I'll get far enough ahead to age the stuff correctly. Might have to burn 30 month old stuff next year, but we shall see how it all goes. If I can get on something that will age quicker, I will get some of that for next year and age the oak even more. Patience is a virtue.

Think of it as money in the bank . Go out and find some silver maple and cherry to make do until the oak is ready. If You do that , You'll really appreciate the wait .Wet oak is pretty much worthless , properly seasoned , it's top shelf .

I had a massive Cherry score last month, so I guess I am all set after all. I'm buzzed again!

I've got about 3 cords stacked....mixed white and red. Never had a lot of oak around because the place I cut just did not have much in the wood lot. Got into a couple new areas last year.....it'll sit till at least 14-15 I've got another 14 cords and lots more to cut.

Hey guys, don't forget that you can burn soft maple 6 months after being split.

To add to Dennis' post sasafrass is also great as far as drying quickly . Probably as fast as soft maple ,and it smell really great !

Yup, last year we started to burn a stack of 2 year old red oak, and was suprised to see it hiss and sizzle. Decided to give it more time and it was the right move. This year (3) it is burning great, even lights up fast when thrown on coals.

Yeah, I was gonna reply to rudy that as long as he doesn't split the Cherry too big, it'll be OK. Dries pretty fast but it's no soft Maple. I was happy to get the Silver recently, and I'm on the lookout for more...

A lot of this wood drying stuff depends on where you stack it, I have a spot on the highest point of my yard where the snow always melts first, since its high it gets wind from all directions, I stacked two cords of oak there and in two years its 20%, its been burning great, no hiss or sizzle, Ive officially designated that area as my oak drying area.

We have so much wood around here from our own downed Sandy trees that there is STILL ash/oak the township cut into chunks everywhere. My neighbor and I are thinking about taking a ride around to get it but haven't yet. This time last year, people were stealing our wood, I have stacks, well really piles to be stacked, literally right along the road and not one piece taken. We are just running out of room to stack! Especially for a 3 year oak commitment even though we know it's worth the wait!