Birch Firewood
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Depends on the birch - around here, black birch is best and right there with locust and oak. Yellow birch on par with white ash. White/Paper and gray birches about on par with soft maple. I've had good luck drying all species of birch - one solid year in the stack and in good shape - lots of sun and wind on my property. That said, I still don't burn any until at least the second year and most sits in the stacks for three or more - split and covered is stay hard a long time. Cheers!
tigeroak
Feeling the Heat
Black birch is my absolute favorite. Quick curing and the hottest burning. The only downside is the splitting but no worries if you got hydraulics. I think it is even better than locust which I put at number #2. I am from lancaster too. Tons of of BB around here. Grows like a weed on my property
Paulywalnut
Minister of Fire
Birch better than Locust? Breakout the popcorn I see along discussion here
I am guessing at black birch. I am simply going off of the leaves. The rounds have a dark center and splits without too much hassle. Its certainly not soft.
I've never burned black birch but have heard it is excellent. We've burned yellow birch and that too is excellent. We do burn some white birch and that is good but not quite up to the level of black or yellow. For sure with white birch, it needs to be split quickly else it will rot quickly from the inside out.
I've mainly used white birch, I consider it a maple equivalent at best as far as output.
Must be split or at least the bark must broken length wise ( saw rip) or it will rot inside out before it seasons.
Must be split or at least the bark must broken length wise ( saw rip) or it will rot inside out before it seasons.
Black birch is totally different than white birch. I have both locust and black birch and can tell this is some intense stuff. Can I get a witness???
paul bunion
Minister of Fire
Black birch has a very dark grey bark. At about a foot in diameter it begins to break into plates. At less than a foot, give or take, the bark is almost identical to cherry. If it is green it will have a very pleasant wintergreen smell that can only be black birch. Once dried out that aroma is gone.
As firewood black birch is on par with oak and locust. The only shortcoming is it (and all birch) will turn punky instantly if it is damp. You need to get it green and quickly get it split and stacked and covered. It dries fast but it will rot out faster than it dries if it is allowed to stay damp.
As firewood black birch is on par with oak and locust. The only shortcoming is it (and all birch) will turn punky instantly if it is damp. You need to get it green and quickly get it split and stacked and covered. It dries fast but it will rot out faster than it dries if it is allowed to stay damp.
I have burned Black Birch quite a bit over the last few years. I find it to season quick and supply good heat. The BTU charts claim it right up there with the best hardwoods. Get it split and stacked a year ahead and you will be a happy camper.
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If it's Black Birch it'll smell like Wintergreen as someone else here said; Black Birch rocks! In my opinion it burns just a tad on the faster side (after all it IS still Birch) but not bad and it throws great heat. A few years ago I had a really big round section of it, about 18" wide and 16" deep and 8" high; I put that in the stove and that was a mistake as even with the dampers and air intake closed down he got the stove and pipe the hottest that he's ever been-I was really poopin' bricks until he calmed down-live and learn, I guess....but with NORMAL sized-splits you'll be fine!
It will season in year with no problem. It does burn quicker than locust. I get 7-9 hour burn times on the birch and 10-12 burn times with the locust. I feel per hour that BB puts out more heat. I use that during the day and locust at night. Another plus is that it smells amazing coming out the chimney. Locust smell like dog chit.
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