14% maple steams

[Rob711]

So I’m going through my stacks, burning my now recognizable tulip poplar. I have two pallets stacked with maple I took from Craigslist. Split and stacked August 2018.
I split a few and consistently measured 14% with my meter. Loaded a armful into my bk Asford insert. Every piece steamed out some visible water. Is that the 14%? Seemed to burn completely. It was about 60df when I took reading. Should I avoid this wood? Maybe my harbor freight meter is off.
I have other wood that I’m hoping is dry! It’s split pretty small.

 

[Z33]

Definitely doesn't seem like its 14%.

I find that I only get visible water on the end of the split above about 22%

If the wood was out side all night and it was significantly cooler, the internal temp may not have come up to the air temp yet? That would be my only thought as I have had good luck with the little grey/blue MM from Harbor freight.

 

[blades]

Bring a couple splits in let them sit inside for a least a day, then resplit and use meter on freshly exposed face ( wood must be room temp through out to get proper reading)

 

[Rob711]

Thanks. I put some in a crate in basement. I’ll let it sit inside split and recheck. Yup using that same meter z33, just changed batteries too!

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Lots of threads about this-imagine that 14% of each split is water. That is a lot of water to burn off, even as seasoned wood. I burn tulip poplar that is around that moisture content and it drips water out the ends on a cold start.

 

[KJamesJR]

That maple should be plenty dry if it was split and stacked in summer of 2018. I cut split and stacked a about a cord in late winter this year, about 7 or 8 months ago and it’s 17%. Maple drys fast.

 

[maple1]

Hard maple doesn't dry very fast.

 

[Rob711]

I still have some sitting in the basement. Haven’t checked yet. I’m not sure what type of maple it was. I’ll check it tonight. I split it small for my then small stove.

 

[Rob711]

So after a week or so in basement I split and checked, between 14-16%. I threw them in and.......nothing, no dripping from ends. I’m thinking some greener wood must have made it in and that’s what I saw.
Someone suggested it was sap boiling out? Idk. I’ll keep eye on it. Just wanted to follow up

 

[Rob711]

I didn’t mean to include pics. I have another showing a moisture reading too! Didn’t seem relevant.

 

[KJamesJR]

My hard maple usually gets down to 17% or so just stacked over summer. Single row, uncovered.

 

[Woody Stover]

I've got some Red Elm that some splits sizzle. I just tested one..20%. I think some types of wood draw a little moisture into the end grain if some rain blows in onto the ends..

I have had good luck with the little grey/blue MM from Harbor freight.

I don't like the button-cell batteries, they lost contact sometimes. I had to put some grease on 'em, as corrosion was setting in. It's still working though, and I think it's accurate enough..

 

[blades]

2 dissimilar metals + humidity , or inthe case of silver contacts just the crud in the air= corrosion/oxidation. Back in the seventies had a devil of a time with some new machines( this was when a lot of stuff was being converted to solid state electronics) Machines were still using micro switches with little feeler fingers for various control circuits. Due to the 5 volt or less and nano amperage of the solid state circuits the oxidation on the contacts of the switches internally was enough to block or give intermittent conductivity. Replacing the the switches with gold plated contact ones corrected the problem ( dosen't oxidize like silver in most atmospheres). I had to build a little tool to mimic the control voltages to be able to diagnose the problems and prove my point to the MFG of the machines. The Japanese engineers could be extremely hard headed at times- they had a saying that the loose translation was " round eyes knows nothing".

 

[weatherguy]

I always bring a few days of wood into the house stacked near the stove to dry out and then a little while before reload I put the wood around the stove. Really dries out any little moisture left.