bark-side down: any observations?

[bostock]

not an urgent concern, just a wondering aloud...any thoughts or science or just simple observations, about placing a large split bark-side down on a good bed of coals? Of course, when trying to catch or get flame is a concern we like raw, rough wood on the coals - but what about when we have solid coal bed? i just dropped one in like that because it is slightly more fun to watch. When the wife asked why i did that, all i had was "because it's cool"

 

[LLigetfa]

It will of course depend on the wood species and the thickness of the bark. Some thick bark will form a lot of ash quickly which forms a bit of a fire retarding barrier. If I have really hot coals and I don't want the wood to flare up excessively, I will place it bark side toward the coals.

 

[modo]

FWIW I was always told from the old timers burn bark side, or round side down on solid bed of coals.

 

[madrone]

Holy minutia, Batman! They catch fire no matter which way I put them in the stove.

 

[LLigetfa]

Holy minutia, Batman! They catch fire no matter which way I put them in the stove.

Minutia for you maybe. The YMMV caveat applies. This is not a one-rule-fits-all.

Again, it will vary by species and circumstance. If there is not much left in the way of coals, I would be selecting pieces with no bark and/or with sharp jagged edges.

 

[pen]

I put them in so that they fit they way I want them to. If the wood is well seasoned, I have never really noticed that much of a difference. Of course, w/ many species, if the wood is well seasoned the bark is going to be missing.

pen

 

[LLigetfa]

If the wood is well seasoned, I have never really noticed that much of a difference.

My wood is so dry that it bursts into flames the moment I place it on a hot bed of coals and placing it bark side down gives me a few extra seconds for minor adjustments before closing the door.

 

[joshlaugh]

I go first by which way the split will fit better in the stove but I also try not to bark side down if I have some thick barked wood. Just takes a little bit longer to get going.

 

[Mcbride]

Mine are a mix of bark up, and bark down, however they fit well.
The all seem to burn to completion about the same tme, the ones bark down just need a few more seconds to ignite is all.
Except birch, then bark down seem to light off first.

 

[firefighterjake]

Never really thought to much about this . . . except that like McBride I often put the birch bark on to the coals for a faster "light off."

 

[Backwoods Savage]

FWIW I was always told from the old timers burn bark side, or round side down on solid bed of coals.

And now you will hear from another old timer. Bark side up or sideways! This is one of the problems my wife has with building fires. If you put bark side down then not so much of the wood is actually resting on the coals. Oh it will burn, but it will burn a whole lot better if the flat part of the wood is down. Therefore, in my stove we'll put the round, or bark side up or sideways and not down.