1-2 years for Seasoning White oak??

[Dfw245]

I've always heard that was the minimum amount of time to season when just left out in the sun and wind. However, after bucking up some live trees back in like March '22, and sitting it out in the elements without cover, a fresh split from the middle of the stack is measuring at ~20% MC. Some pieces around 22 and some closer to 23.5 but already? Is this normal or am I just that lucky? When I first split it, it was 48% and it's already close to being ready to burn? Rule of thumb I've heard was at least 2 years. I could theoretically burn it now for smoking meat, but for efficient fireplace burning maybe a couple months and it's good to go.

What have your experiences been with seasoning white oak?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Your in Texas.. Your climate is way different then other parts of the country. Your consistency in the upper 90s to 105 degrees in summer so you will dry faster then most, especially like someone in Vermont who has a shorter drying season.. if your measuring correctly, its really close to being ready to burn. For me. All my oak splits are ready in 18 months.. no matter the oak species or how large I split.. Your wood will do better with a top cover.. no rot or wood getting punky..

 

[Simonkenton]

I thought there was nothing but mesquite and cactus out there. How big of an oak tree can you find?
Do you ever burn mesquite?

 

[Dfw245]

Your in Texas.. Your climate is way different then other parts of the country. Your consistency in the upper 90s to 105 degrees in summer so you will dry faster then most, especially like someone in Vermont who has a shorter drying season.. if your measuring correctly, its really close to being ready to burn. For me. All my oak splits are ready in 18 months.. no matter the oak species or how large I split.. Your wood will do better with a top cover.. no rot or wood getting punky..

Ah ok. I was just under the impression it would always be 1-2 years. Interesting but it makes sense.

 

[Dfw245]

I thought there was nothing but mesquite and cactus out there. How big of an oak tree can you find?
Do you ever burn mesquite?

Is this a joke? Can't tell if you're serious, but I'll bite. We have way more Oak down here than literally anything else. Pecan would be second. We have so much oak, our BBQ is known for having that signature taste because that's all we use. Oak trees get huge of course. The one I bucked up in March was probably a good 30-36" in diameter for the whole length of the tree.

Do I burn mesquite? Well, I have about 3/4 cord of mesquite sitting out seasoning that I've had since March. For some reason it doesn't seem to be drying as fast. I'd like to burn it but I'm not sure how it'll operate in a fireplace. I've heard not to. Then again, I burn Osage in the fireplace also. I've learned a little over 20MC works better for Osage as it doesn't produce any sparks or pops. Once it burns down though, the pops start if you aggravate the wood at all.

But the mesquite I'm not so sure about. I'll have to do a test run.

 

[gzecc]

Obviously all species dry faster if they've been dead for a few years. Uppers dry faster that trunk wood.

 

[kborndale]

Wood will be seasoning much quicker in Dallas. You were of course testing on a freshly split piece?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Is this a joke? Can't tell if you're serious, but I'll bite. We have way more Oak down here than literally anything else. Pecan would be second. We have so much oak, our BBQ is known for having that signature taste because that's all we use. Oak trees get huge of course. The one I bucked up in March was probably a good 30-36" in diameter for the whole length of the tree.

Do I burn mesquite? Well, I have about 3/4 cord of mesquite sitting out seasoning that I've had since March. For some reason it doesn't seem to be drying as fast. I'd like to burn it but I'm not sure how it'll operate in a fireplace. I've heard not to. Then again, I burn Osage in the fireplace also. I've learned a little over 20MC works better for Osage as it doesn't produce any sparks or pops. Once it burns down though, the pops start if you aggravate the wood at all.

But the mesquite I'm not so sure about. I'll have to do a test run.

mesquite is fine to burn in any fireplace or wood stove.. its a dense wood and drying will be slow
You have many more days in a year to season your wood then the people up north or people in higher elevation. I bet you will have 2 maybe even 3 more months then me in a year..

 

[Dfw245]

Wood will be seasoning much quicker in Dallas. You were of course testing on a freshly split piece?

Makes sense. And yeah I mentioned that in the original post. Fresh split from middle of the stack.

 

[Dfw245]

Obviously all species dry faster if they've been dead for a few years. Uppers dry faster that trunk wood.

Well yeah, but it hadn't been dead at all. Trees were felled and immediately bucked.

 

[Woody Stover]

I was just under the impression it would always be 1-2 years. Interesting but it makes sense.

You're toward the high end in the two most important wood-drying metrics, temperature and wind speed (in that order.)
You have higher average wind speed there than in Chicago, "The Windy City." 😮‍💨

 

[Dfw245]

mesquite is fine to burn in any fireplace or wood stove.. its a dense wood and drying will be slow
You have many more days in a year to season your wood then the people up north or people in higher elevation. I bet you will have 2 maybe even 3 more months then me in a year..

I'm just wondering why it's seasoning slower than the white oak I have. And I got the mesquite FIRST

 

[Dfw245]

You're toward the high end in the two most important wood-drying metrics, temperature and wind speed (in that order.)
You have higher average wind speed there than in Chicago, "The Windy City." 😮‍💨

Really?? Well, couple that with the fact I live in a wind tunnel in my neighborhood and that bumps it up another 20%. Right along a curve at an intersection so all the trash collects in my yard and my wood dries a little faster lol well that's good to know. I assumed it was a finite number that was plus or minus a month or two

 

[Woody Stover]

I'm just wondering why it's seasoning slower than the white oak I have. And I got the mesquite FIRST

Mesquite BTU is 28 MBTU/cord, White Oak 25.7. What I've seen, Btu relates to density and drying speed. But there might be other factors at play for drying, like cellular structure etc, and for BTU, like lot of pitch in the wood, I don't know.
Wood will also get a bit drier there than in a lot of the US. Of course in the Southwest, it gets super-dry.
(broken link removed to https://www.esf.edu/wus/documents/EMCofWoodFPL268.pdf)

 

[Simonkenton]

My brother drove the big rig to El Paso many times, he said in west Texas all there was was mesquite and cactus. I guess Dallas is not west Texas.

 

[Woody Stover]

I guess Dallas is not west Texas.

Big state, apparently with a lot of different zones.

Texas A&M Forest Service - Trees of Texas - Ecoregions

Texas A&M Forest Service - Trees of Texas - List of Trees

 

[patrickk222]

i guess to me it comes down to were ya live and weather.... were i live in the mtns of southern wv its just gonna be a bit before my wood is decent on MC granted with all my seasonin stacks i got about a yr and 3/4 worth of wood and in that time id say alotta my stuff is golden

 

[cahaak]

Both Mesquite and Osage Orange are denser woods than White Oak. Obviously they don't get as big, but in general, a denser wood will dry slower. Those two woods would be more like a black locust up here in regards to burning.

 

[Kevin Weis]

Two summer seasons there ought to do it.

 

[30WCF]

Here is some oak and hickory I cut and stacked back in the spring. (March)
Metered in a fresh split. NC has long hot summers, and under a metal carport for a shed, that metal roof puts out some extra heat. On hot days while working outside, you might think you want to get in the carport for some shade until you actually try it. It’s noticeably warmer.
Anyway, this wood isn’t a year old yet.

 

[Caw]

Here is some iak and hickory I cut and stacked back in the spring. (March)
Metered in a fresh split. NC has long hot summers, and under a metal carport for a shed, that metal roof puts out some extra heat. On hot days while working outside, you might think you want to get in the carport for some shade until you actually try it. It’s noticeably warmer.
Anyway, this wood isn’t a year old yet.

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How does iak burn? Always like to learn about new species!

 

[30WCF]

How does iak burn? Always like to learn about new species!

Lemme fix that.

 

[Split]

You're in Texas? Probably only need one season then.