Too much wood c/s/s?

[Willman]

I can say that biobrick burns fast and real hot and goes to coaling fast also. Had some left over from 3 years ago and put some in the shop stove yesterday after burning real wood all winter. What a difference. Easy to over fire with those bricks.The MC of the bricks is real low. If your concerned about the drying just block the logs this year and stack. Split next year.
Will

 

[firefighterjake]

I don't worry too much about the wood . . . a) I figure getting ahead is good -- I would rather "risk" having very dry wood than have an injury or illness leave me in a spot where I am unable to get any wood in and risk not having any wood or unseasoned wood to burn, b) I have a busy life so I don't think I'm really more than two or three years ahead -- and if I really was worried about wood being too dry and having too much I would simply sell the wood to make a little cash and c) as mentioned . . . if someone is really worried about stuffing a firebox full of "too dry" wood they can always mix it with wood that isn't quite so dry.

 

[CTYank]

I am not an expert on how wood dries but I am not sure I buy the idea that wood can only dry to the equilibrium of relative humidity. I am sure there is an expert on the matter that can shed some light on it but I would venture to say that an average of relative humidity has to be somewhere in the range of 20 -40%. I will do some research.

Not really. EMC (good search term) is NOT tied to average RH. If anything, it's a function of temperature. You'll find lots of good info out there, published by forestry experts. ("EMC" = "equilibrium moisture content")

I've never seen wood that's too dry. If you don't have proper draft controls on your stove, pop a damper in the flue.

 

[oldspark]

Right now I am burning some "too dry wood", it does just what was mentioned, gases off very quick and causes a "crazy fire", not sure why so many are in denial about this but its cool.

 

[sixman]

I was kinda wondering the same thing "Oldspark". There is a huge difference in the way 20% MC wood burns compared to 5-10% wood burns. It really shows up when loading the stove to the gills for an overnight burn, once the wood lights good it's off to the races and then transitions to the coaling stage much quicker. I know that many have said just mix in some green stuff but I usually have just one stack of wood on the porch and I would have to change some stuff up to make a mixture. The main thing is to know that the wood is dry and be ready for how it is going to burn. The first time really caught me off guard, now I know to look for it.

 

[fyrwoodguy]

Okay I have 3-4 years worth of wood put up and my stove guy says that I should lay off a year on the cutting. He says that when the wood reaches that 4-5 year age it gets too dry for a new EPA stove, down under 5%. This makes it hard to manage and you end up with really hot quick fires that do not last long. It kinda makes sense when I think back on it because I started my season off with some really old wood and I had a real hard time not over-firing my stove on hot reloads. Now that I am down to some stuff that I cut last spring, the stove is much friendlier. Any thoughts?

you never know what the future will bring, but in any case if you like cuttin' and got the time and space...I'D KEEP CUTTIN' !

 

[sixman]

Okay I have 3-4 years worth of wood put up and my stove guy says that I should lay off a year on the cutting. He says that when the wood reaches that 4-5 year age it gets too dry for a new EPA stove, down under 5%. This makes it hard to manage and you end up with really hot quick fires that do not last long. It kinda makes sense when I think back on it because I started my season off with some really old wood and I had a real hard time not over-firing my stove on hot reloads. Now that I am down to some stuff that I cut last spring, the stove is much friendlier. Any thoughts?

you never know what the future will bring, but in any case if you like cuttin' and got the time and space...I'D KEEP CUTTIN' !

That is part of my problem, I really enjoy getting out on a weekend with the wife and kids and cutting wood for the family. It gives everyone a chance to pitch in and feel like they are doing their part. My kids my feel differently,but I can promise you that when they are older and have kids of their own, they will reflect on these times as good times. They may even use the stories as the old walking to school in the snow uphill both ways, but it will be, we didn't have no stinking thermostat, we had to go out and cut our own wood for heat just like on Little House on the Prairie! Not that my kids even know what that show is but you get the idea. We aren't just cutting wood.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I don't worry too much about the wood . . . a) I figure getting ahead is good -- I would rather "risk" having very dry wood than have an injury or illness leave me in a spot where I am unable to get any wood in and risk not having any wood or unseasoned wood to burn, b) I have a busy life so I don't think I'm really more than two or three years ahead -- and if I really was worried about wood being too dry and having too much I would simply sell the wood to make a little cash and c) as mentioned . . . if someone is really worried about stuffing a firebox full of "too dry" wood they can always mix it with wood that isn't quite so dry.

Like this year. I just had a total hip replacement. Needless to say, I won't be cutting wood for a while. NO worry though as we have lots of wood ready to burn. Lots, like many years.

 

[billb3]

there's a God in my stove
he's shy though
only appears when there's just me as a witness.



ye of little faith will just have to accept he's there.

 

[RowCropRenegade]

I have found some wood that was TOO dry for my Garn.

Old red oak boards from at least the 1960s that were laying stacked in the barn. About broke my planer the first piece I tried. Predrilled the holes and tried hammering them together. To no avail. New chainsaw chain is wore out after 1.75 cords of it.

Anywho, this stuff burnt sooooo hot and fast. The garn door was vibrating. Never had a flue temp near 600 before. Considerably less duration of burn. I've been mixing 40% moisture maple with it, that doesn't work very well. I been burning oak pallets too and they are too dry too.

 

[bboulier]

Just don’t fill up the box. Just use 2 spits, not 4.

Robert

That's one way to increase the moisture content.

 

[Shari]

When we really put the coals into stocking up wood hubby was living on an artificial heart powered by batteries. Batteries run down. Alarm would sound but we couldn't hear the alarm because of the chainsaw running or splitter running. We had 2 minutes to change batteries after the alarm sounded or hubby would cease to exist. Every 15 minutes we had to stop the wood gathering noise and check his battery levels. Obviously this made wood stockpiling a bit difficult. Hubby recently celebrated his 1st 'birthday' after his heart transplant. He still wants to stop working every 15 minutes for a break.

As to wood moisture: Maybe in 2012/13 when I toss in some of the wood gathered while hubby was on the artificial heart I will fondly recall the difficulty we went through gathering that wood as I stand there next to the warmth the wood supplies us. In the meantime we will continue to c/s/s wood with no fear of too dry wood.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Just don’t fill up the box. Just use 2 spits, not 4.

Robert

That's one way to increase the moisture content.

:lol: I had totally missed that one. I suppose it might be dependent upon what one had been chewing at the time.

 

[sixman]

Just don’t fill up the box. Just use 2 spits, not 4.

Robert

That's one way to increase the moisture content.

:lol: I had totally missed that one. I suppose it might be dependent upon what one had been chewing at the time.

I had to read it three times to catch it, I need to change my name to slowman!

 

[firefighterjake]

Just don’t fill up the box. Just use 2 spits, not 4.

Robert

That's one way to increase the moisture content.

:lol: I had totally missed that one. I suppose it might be dependent upon what one had been chewing at the time.

I had to read it three times to catch it, I need to change my name to slowman!

You're not the only one . . . had to re-red this a few times myself before I saw the spelling error.