Whats up with this?

[gzecc]

Three year seasoned white oak. Not seasoned in the best conditions although a fall moisture reading showed 20% or less. I began to use from this pile and notice some sizzling going on. I was actually going to move this pile to a better location but decided to take another moisture sampling. Just took a sample of the biggest pieces (not large at all, bicept size split branches). Samples 20% and under. Whats up with the sizzle? Is this something oak does? These are split branches with the bark still holding on. Is it the moisture from the bark?

 

[Kenster]

My guess is that the bark is holding moisture. You are measuring moisture with freshly split wood, right? It doesn't do any good if you're measuring with wood that was split months ago, or even yesterday. Gotta be a split you just whacked a second ago.

 

[gzecc]

My guess is that the bark is holding moisture. You are measuring moisture with freshly split wood, right? It doesn't do any good if you're measuring with wood that was split months ago, or even yesterday. Gotta be a split you just whacked a second ago.

Yes, freshly split.

 

[fire_man]

Three year seasoned white oak. Not seasoned in the best conditions although a fall moisture reading showed 20% or less. I began to use from this pile and notice some sizzling going on. I was actually going to move this pile to a better location but decided to take another moisture sampling. Just took a sample of the biggest pieces (not large at all, bicept size split branches). Samples 20% and under. Whats up with the sizzle? Is this something oak does? These are split branches with the bark still holding on. Is it the moisture from the bark?

Gzecc: I have experienced the dreaded sizzle even with soft maple under top cover for 2.5 years. I blame it on our shady lot. The splits were small (<3") but still sizzle. I did not put a MM on them, I figure If I cannot season soft maple in 2 years I should give up burning wood. The sizzle is faint, and there are no bubbles coming out of the ends, but it's definitely a sizzle. Next year I will have 3.5 year old soft maple, so it will be interesting.

 

[oldspark]

I dont bring my wood in (or cover it) until we have had at least a week of dry weather, gets rid of the moisture remaining under the bark, if we have a 2 or 3 week dry spell all the better.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Lots of firewood will occasionally sizzle. But when you have seasoned wood, the sizzle will be extremely short and usually nothing to be concerned about.

Here's a good example of something to not worry about. We have burned some white ash (low moisture to begin with) that was split and stacked, covered on top and in the stack for 7 years or more. Occasionally we will get one that will sizzle. Very short lived but surprising when it happens, but it does happen. We simply don't worry too much about it but do make sure the sizzle is done before we engage the cat and most times will wait just a tad bit longer before engaging the cat, just to make sure.

So, gzecc, what about your oak? My guess is that is okay. Check to see how long the sizzle lasts. A couple minutes? Burn it.

 

[gzecc]

Lots of firewood will occasionally sizzle. But when you have seasoned wood, the sizzle will be extremely short and usually nothing to be concerned about.

Here's a good example of something to not worry about. We have burned some white ash (low moisture to begin with) that was split and stacked, covered on top and in the stack for 7 years or more. Occasionally we will get one that will sizzle. Very short lived but surprising when it happens, but it does happen. We simply don't worry too much about it but do make sure the sizzle is done before we engage the cat and most times will wait just a tad bit longer before engaging the cat, just to make sure.

So, gzecc, what about your oak? My guess is that is okay. Check to see how long the sizzle lasts. A couple minutes? Burn it.

I am burning it, since I took a second moisture reading. I am surprised at the sizzle.

 

[rdust]

I am burning it, since I took a second moisture reading. I am surprised at the sizzle.

I had the same thing happen with some red oak I split for kindling at the beginning of the season. It was reading 20% or less and had a sizzle for a few minutes or less but seemed to burn great. I haven't burned much of it so far but the load I did burn burned without any sizzle so who knows.

Battenkiller posted this which made some sense I guess.

Also, even with wood that's been dried and then stored in a shed, that remaining 20% water has to get out somehow. In ring-porous woods this water can travel a lot faster, so it will come out of the ends a lot easier. Wood dries much faster from the ends, so I imagine it will boil out faster as well. The fact that you always see water boiling out of the ends of splits rather than the faces is proof of this.