Hi, I am new to the forum and had a question about burning red oak. I am replacing my Kozi wood pellet insert with an Osburn 1600 wood insert this year. I have gathered quite a lot of hardwood since spring of 2014. Most of it is red oak and has been either blocked or in 6-8 ft lengths since it's been cut last spring. I plan to have it all blocked and split by beginning of June. Some people I have mentioned this to, advise me against burning oak, saying if you're not careful it will warp your stove. I have also had others say don't worry about it. I was wondering what people's opinions on here were? Thanks!
Any worry with burning red oak?
- Thread starter larson
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The choice of wood warping your stove is nonsense. How you operate your stove is what could warp it.
I have heated this house with nothing but red and white oak since 1985. Great firewood.
I have heated this house with nothing but red and white oak since 1985. Great firewood.
claydogg84
Minister of Fire
I suggest you tell all those warning you against burning Red Oak that you'll gladly take any they have - To keep them safe, of course. BB nailed it. You can warp a stove with any wood, it's all about how you run it.
!
Pennsyltucky Chris
Minister of Fire
Welcome, larson. 
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your stove is not going to be easy to operate this year, since Oak that is split now will be too wet to burn well this fall. You'll have to open the air pretty far at the start of the load to get that wet Oak burning, then cut it back once the load dries out, or your stove will burn too hot at the end of the load. I would get some quick-drying wood if possible, or stay on the pellets for another year until the Oak can dry out.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your stove is not going to be easy to operate this year, since Oak that is split now will be too wet to burn well this fall. You'll have to open the air pretty far at the start of the load to get that wet Oak burning, then cut it back once the load dries out, or your stove will burn too hot at the end of the load. I would get some quick-drying wood if possible, or stay on the pellets for another year until the Oak can dry out.
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Oak is one of your better heat producing woods. But yeah...drying it from 2014 isnt long enough. The opposite of what you think is gonna happen. Get a moisture meter and just keep splitting! !
Pellets to wood...thats interesting. They had a ration on pellets here last winter when all the suppliers started running out. I agree with Woody, stay on pellets one more year and get splitting!!
Oak takes forever to dry but when its dry it will keep you warm in January.
Oak takes forever to dry but when its dry it will keep you warm in January.
Thank you for the feedback. A couple of questions... for the suggestion of a moisture meter, what would be a recommended brand as I know very little about them? Also I have a couple different wood lots that I can get other hardwood from (Maple, White Birch) any of those cut and split now be ready for winter? As Applesister mentioned there was a shortage of pellets last year and in some places where you were able to get them, retailers were jacking prices up of course. Aside from that the pellet stove needs to run constantly and pretty much max level to maintain decent heat in our house. Those two reasons are why we want to switch.
Yes - maple and birch will have a better chance of being dried by the heating season than oak will, but it will probably still be sub-par. Try finding some dead tree tops to harvest. There is a good chance that they may be ready.
Being new to the wood game you will find that it is highly recommended to stay at least two years ahead on your SPLIT and STACKED fuel. Doing so will pretty much eliminate the "dry wood" fight.
Being new to the wood game you will find that it is highly recommended to stay at least two years ahead on your SPLIT and STACKED fuel. Doing so will pretty much eliminate the "dry wood" fight.
Thanks for your advice Jags, the 2 years ahead is starting to become apparent from reading everyone's responses.
prezes13
Minister of Fire
No one mentioned using compressed wood fuel bricks. They are great alternative if you don't have good wood to burn. My local retailer always runs out of pellets but fuel bricks are availble in February no problem.
Fred Wright
Minister of Fire
Can't say I blame ya. The contractor who installed our chimney suggested a pellet stove for the sake of convenience. We knew better. Like any manufactured commodity, wood pellet prices and availability are at the mercy of market swings.
Yep, oak needs at least a couple years stacked before it's good to burn. Get it split & stacked now and think of it as money in the bank.
Agreed with the mention of soft maple. If you can find broken tops or fallen trees, get it. After a few months stacked out in the open it should be OK to use. We burn a lot of red maple here.
Come to think of it, I recently finished splitting & stacking the remainder of a pile of red maple rounds, the result of a freak windstorm that snapped the tops out of several trees. Got close to 3 cord from it. Won't be dry by this winter coming, but the next year for sure.
Yep, oak needs at least a couple years stacked before it's good to burn. Get it split & stacked now and think of it as money in the bank.
Agreed with the mention of soft maple. If you can find broken tops or fallen trees, get it. After a few months stacked out in the open it should be OK to use. We burn a lot of red maple here.
Come to think of it, I recently finished splitting & stacking the remainder of a pile of red maple rounds, the result of a freak windstorm that snapped the tops out of several trees. Got close to 3 cord from it. Won't be dry by this winter coming, but the next year for sure.
All you need is a cheap moisture meter from a home improvement store, $15-30. Test a freshly-exposed face right after you split a piece; Anything close to 20% should burn reasonably well, as PChris mentioned. My BIL was in the same boat as you, he had no wood left this spring. We scoured the woods in back of his house for small, dead standing trees with the bark fallen off. Most of that stuff is ready to burn now, or pretty close. The moisture meter will help you make that determination until you can judge the dryness by the weight of various species. Here, we are fortunate to have some species that will hold up fairly well, even if lying down. Black Cherry, sapwood may be rotted but the heart is still good. Slippery Elm holds up well. Looks like Sugar Maple and Red Maple you have there? Sugar should hold up OK. Birch, probably not, but you may be able to get fresher wood fairly dry in several months. Red Maple is a fast dryer as well. Split the wood on the smaller side for faster drying, but be aware that it will burn faster and you will have to watch your stove temp. If the wood you get is dry, but not quite there, you can mix in a couple of the pressed-wood logs. Be careful with those, it's said that they burn hot if you put in a full load of them....
Here's some of the stuff we scrounged up that's about ready to go: Cherry, Red Elm, Mulberry, Redbud, and a tiny bit of Walnut in the first pic. Will be burned this winter.
![[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/158/158155-d0c344ebbc07ccdf0537676395ee22b5.jpg?hash=DUOclZmP__ "[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?")
![[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/158/158156-0f8d112fe4d4f689dbd75b0006ea4b04.jpg?hash=9z4ClUC8Lp "[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?")
![[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/158/158157-7ac669ec060d98795c520fd4f827fbb0.jpg?hash=ql1TCQEXzA "[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?")
![[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/158/158158-52ad19ea8e774f781448b16edbdd3d39.jpg?hash=9x0zZUz0HH "[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?")
And stuff for the following winter, mostly White Ash.
![[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/158/158160-dd9987569e061f768f2f2749207dbfc7.jpg?hash=gv6vOG_4-x "[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?")
![[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/158/158161-9aa13a169a9daefc7364f3bc222d901a.jpg?hash=WRolNB9DMG "[Hearth.com] Any worry with burning red oak?")
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Hills Hoard
Minister of Fire
My advice is don't listen to other people and just jump on this forum to ask the question. fastest way to get quality information
D8Chumley
Minister of Fire
Welcome aboard! I also had a pellet stove years ago. Burned 4 ton in a winter then couldn't get any in late February/ early March. Finally talked the Misses into selling it and started into the wood burning game. Learning curve was steep, glad I found this forum before I had another chimney fire 
. I'm around 3 years ahead and much wiser now, thanks mostly to members here. I find that a lot of people I talk to are set in their ways, the "don't burn Pine" is always a fun conversation. So, get to cuttin and splitting! I got my MM at Lowes for $25, works fine. I think the brand is General?
. I'm around 3 years ahead and much wiser now, thanks mostly to members here. I find that a lot of people I talk to are set in their ways, the "don't burn Pine" is always a fun conversation. So, get to cuttin and splitting! I got my MM at Lowes for $25, works fine. I think the brand is General?
Welcome to the forum.
Lots of good info here. Stop typing and get splitting!
As mentioned before, dead tree tops of any softwood spiecies split relatively small, off the ground in a breezy/sunny spot and you might be surprised by late October!!
Due to your location I would top cover the stacks by Mid Aug.
Lots of good info here. Stop typing and get splitting!
As mentioned before, dead tree tops of any softwood spiecies split relatively small, off the ground in a breezy/sunny spot and you might be surprised by late October!!
Due to your location I would top cover the stacks by Mid Aug.
Good alternative idea for his situation.
OP: just be advised if you use bio-bricks that you follow the label for usage.
Ya don't want to treat like "real" splits and stuff your stove full of them.
They may be something to consider in your mix though.
Get that maple split ASAP.
Oh yeah, I didn't think of that. Pretty sure the OP has a lot of Pine up there. It's another wood that will dry quickly. I use Red Pine for kindling, doesn't seem like it has a lot of pitch...
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