0% cedar

[mari]

I've been without a wood stove for a few years but that will be fixed this week when I get my new Kuma Aspen. I've purchased two truckloads of firewood, one pinon and one cedar. I was careful to make sure I bought dry so I can use them already. A few days ago I bought a moisture meter just to check, and the pinon is 8 - 12 percent.

The cedar turned out to be zero percent, and so I'm wondering what I should do. The best I can think of is to mix a little cedar with mostly pinon. Is it even safe to use it up that way, and will it hurt the catalytic combustor?

P.S. People around here burn a lot of cedar.

 

[Rickb]

nothing wrong with cedar or pine however 0% is gunna be hard to achive and if you do its going to burn hot. Not a problem on some stoves. might be on others. Maybe use your stove and make sure it turns down the way you like then mix some of the dry stuff or figure out how to shut the air down on it.

 

[VintageGal]

You could leave it uncovered in the rain for a couple of weeks?

 

[kborndale]

You could leave it uncovered in the rain for a couple of weeks?

Does it rain in new Mexico?

 

[mari]

Does it rain in new Mexico?

Yes, we got some precipitation in the last week. In summertime we have monsoon season where it rains every afternoon. The cedar is stacked in the shed. Are you saying I should put it outside?

 

[stoveliker]

Did you measure inside the splits (i.e. after resplitting)? If not, you're not measuring the mc of your wood, just the mc of the outer, driest part.

What is the minimum of the mc range of your moisture meter?

Zero percent is essentially impossible to achieve, unless on a 1000 degree stove...

But you may have <10 percent,.given your climate.

I've burned 7 pct lumber in my BK. It is not a problem per se, as long as you can control the fire. I.e. make sure you turn down soon enough.

 

[mari]

Did you measure inside the splits (i.e. after resplitting)? If not, you're not measuring the mc of your wood, just the mc of the outer, driest part.

What is the minimum of the mc range of your moisture meter?

Zero percent is essentially impossible to achieve, unless on a 1000 degree stove...

But you may have <10 percent,.given your climate.

I've burned 7 pct lumber in my BK. It is not a problem per se, as long as you can control the fire. I.e. make sure you turn down soon enough

 

[mari]

Did you measure inside the splits (i.e. after resplitting)? If not, you're not measuring the mc of your wood, just the mc of the outer, driest part.

What is the minimum of the mc range of your moisture meter?

Zero percent is essentially impossible to achieve, unless on a 1000 degree stove...

But you may have <10 percent,.given your climate.

I've burned 7 pct lumber in my BK. It is not a problem per se, as long as you can control the fire. I.e. make sure you turn down soon enough.

I didn't resplit. I'll do that tomorrow and report back.
I just looked at the doc that came with the moisture meter and it doesn't say what the range is, only that it's accurate +/- 2. It's a very cheap one from Harbor Freight, the cheapest I could find.

 

[stoveliker]

Ok. Wood dries from the outside inwards, so you measure driest part.

Still likely good to go, though.

For better control of the fire, bigger splits and if your stove allows, e/w loading will help.

 

[mari]

Ok. Wood dries from the outside inwards, so you measure driest part.

Still likely good to go, though.

For better control of the fire, bigger splits and if your stove allows, e/w loading will help.

Good info, thanks.

 

[VintageGal]

Yes, we got some precipitation in the last week. In summertime we have monsoon season where it rains every afternoon. The cedar is stacked in the shed. Are you saying I should put it outside?

If it's 0% moisture content I wouldn't be afraid to keep it uncovered for a few days. I've never had this issue but I have left wood uncovered and it burned just fine as long as it was very seasoned. I'm probably not the best one to advocate one way or another. That's why I put a question mark on there 😃

 

[begreen]

If the wood was 0% moisture it would probably be able to be crumbled to dust. 7-8% moisture is exceptionally dry.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

In South Central Texas (a little bit to the west where it’s more arid), we often see upper single digits on the cedar we have here. We don’t usually split all of it because we’re often dealing with branch wood or smaller stems, but when we do have larger trunks and have occasion to split a round that’s been seasoning, it usually surprises us by how dry it is. The heat and aridity here are very different from what we experienced back east, and wood does dry surprisingly fast for us.

Do test your moisture once you have a chance to resplit some larger pieces just to learn what it really is for accuracy. I wouldn’t resplit too many, though, because those larger pieces will help to slow the burn. I’m not sure what cedar you have in New Mexico (ours in Ashe Juniper), but we find that it burns really well for us. We could burn it exclusively and be fine, I believe, but we are also blessed with a lot of live oak, which burns really long and hot but leaves coals. Small cedar pieces are good for burning those coals down.

 

[mari]

In South Central Texas (a little bit to the west where it’s more arid), we often see upper single digits on the cedar we have here. We don’t usually split all of it because we’re often dealing with branch wood or smaller stems, but when we do have larger trunks and have occasion to split a round that’s been seasoning, it usually surprises us by how dry it is. The heat and aridity here are very different from what we experienced back east, and wood does dry surprisingly fast for us.

Do test your moisture once you have a chance to resplit some larger pieces just to learn what it really is for accuracy. I wouldn’t resplit too many, though, because those larger pieces will help to slow the burn. I’m not sure what cedar you have in New Mexico (ours in Ashe Juniper), but we find that it burns really well for us. We could burn it exclusively and be fine, I believe, but we are also blessed with a lot of live oak, which burns really long and hot but leaves coals. Small cedar pieces are good for burning those coals down.

I think this cedar could be more of a juniper, it doesn't look like other cedar I've burned which was red or purple in the center.

 

[mari]

Did you measure inside the splits (i.e. after resplitting)? If not, you're not measuring the mc of your wood, just the mc of the outer, driest part.

What is the minimum of the mc range of your moisture meter?

Zero percent is essentially impossible to achieve, unless on a 1000 degree stove...

But you may have <10 percent,.given your climate.

I've burned 7 pct lumber in my BK. It is not a problem per se, as long as you can control the fire. I.e. make sure you turn down soon enough.

I resplit one today, it was 0% on the inside. I tested a pinon just to make sure the meter was working, and it read 14%.

 

[TomMcDonald]

Are you using one of those meters that changes sensitivity based on 4 settings for different wood densities?

 

[mari]

Are you using one of those meters that changes sensitivity based on 4 settings for different wood densities?

no, it has wood mode and hard materials mode.

 

[stoveliker]

Meters tend to display zero when the signal is below their noise level.

Regardless, it appears you have fantastic firewood. Enjoy and keep an eye on controlling it as this dry it could easily take off on you. Be sure to dial down soon enough. Loading e/w may help too.

 

[GrumpyDad]

push harder on your meter.

 

[kborndale]

The meter probably bottoms out at 10% and anything lower than that comes up as 0.

 

[mari]

The meter probably bottoms out at 10% and anything lower than that comes up as 0.

That makes sense. Thanks!

 

[mari]

Meters tend to display zero when the signal is below their noise level.

Regardless, it appears you have fantastic firewood. Enjoy and keep an eye on controlling it as this dry it could easily take off on you. Be sure to dial down soon enough. Loading e/w may help too.

That explains it. I'll just mix it in with mostly other wetter wood, that should help. Guess I'll never have to buy fire starters again since I have more than half a cord of it.

 

[BillBurns]

I get cut offs and blemished wood, its ually around 6-8% moisture. Its kiln dried, and they reject anything over 10%. It lights very easily, burns hot, but doesnt burn long. Leaves about zero ashes. You wont need kinling now tho...lol.

 

[sneefy]

You could leave it uncovered in the rain for a couple of weeks?

It takes a long time for a wooden boat to become waterlogged. A few rainshowers will do nothing.