Dry Wood - I'm a believer

[bryankloos]

Guys,

This is my first year with truly seasoned wood, CCS by myself. While I haven't seen very cold temps yet I'm truly amazed with the increased quality (burn time, heat output, quality of coals, and ease of relighting) burning good wood.

Previous years were nothing better than 1 year CCS with closer to 4-5 month CCS at the end of the seasons when I was running low. WOW, what a difference.

I'm getting great heat output from the Summit 9-10 hours after a 60% load. I cant wait to see what happens when I load her full of the oak when the temps drop.

My wife is now a believer, and is eating her words for all the times she questioned me busting my ass to get ahead. "Just buy wood in the Fall. Why do you need so much firewood? Are you serious, more wood?" are all phrases I don't expect to hear again.

Thanks Guys!

 

[Starstuff]

My missus also feels the same way now. In fact, I'm the one who mutters "I must be crazy" as I look at yet another pile I just dumped in the driveway to c/s/s. But she just smiles and says, "Yeah, but we'll be warm."

 

[saskwoodburner]

The difference is almost day and night between perfect wood and "not quite there" wood for efficiency.

 

[Blazing]

I completely agree! I'm just thankful I found this site years before I ever bought my stove. Now my only problem is where the heck am I going to put the 5th and 6th years wood.

 

[Huntindog1]

Thanks for posting that as its so true.

 

[firefighterjake]

So can I hear an "Amen" for our Brother Bryanankloos who has seen the light and is now walking the straight and narrow path of burning seasoned wood?

 

[BrotherBart]

So can I hear an "Amen" for our Brother Bryanankloos who has seen the light and is now walking the straight and narrow path of burning seasoned wood?

 

[kennyp2339]

I'm going to stay single until I get my three woodsheds finished and loaded

 

[David.Ervin]

I'm running on all 2+ year seasoned stuff this year, and the difference in reload-to-cruise times is the most startling thing about it. The first year, my wood was marginal, and it was a 30+ minute ordeal to reload, wait for flames, back off the air, wait, back it off more, etc. while trying to get the stove dialed in. This year's stuff takes about 5 minutes to get rolling, and maybe another 5 on 50% air to catch up before I can close down the air and let it ride. I'm also closing the air down farther than before, which figures to extend the burn time too.

 

[Knots]

More than once someone has told me that their stove doesn't put out heat. I give them an armload of dry wood. They are amazed at the heat then...

 

[edyit]

More than once someone has told me that their stove doesn't put out heat. I give them an armload of dry wood. They are amazed at the heat then...

made a believer out of my neighbor by doing that

 

[BigJ273]

What is C/C/S? I think you mean C/S/S

 

[motoguy]

What is C/C/S? I think you mean C/S/S

Cut/Chop/Swear?

 

[Wolves1]

My wife loves it so much she helps me stack every year.

 

[iamlucky13]

More than once someone has told me that their stove doesn't put out heat. I give them an armload of dry wood. They are amazed at the heat then...

Excellent strategy - don't just tell them, show them. I'll keep this in mind.

 

[Dix]

I'm going to stay single until I get my three woodsheds finished and loaded

Why???
*says she who is single also*

 

[usmc1371]

One of the best parts about wood heat is how many times it warms you up. Seems like every time I look at a piece of wood I sweat. But its all worth it to me I just like being in the mountians with the family and having a couple kids to load the trailer sure saves time. Just can't waitl till the kids can swing the fiskers hard enough to actully split wood.
Tamarack and lodgpole pine.

 

[Knots]

Excellent strategy - don't just tell them, show them. I'll keep this in mind.

Beforehand they just think I'm a little crazy (which is true, but not when it comes to dry firewood). Afterwards they get quiet and you can see them rethinking how they view firewood. No amount of armchair discussions about the specific heat of water and how much heat it takes to push steam up the chimney does that.

 

[char5]

Now my only problem is where the heck am I going to put the 5th and 6th years wood.

I have a perfect spot for them, come on by

 

[Blazing]

Haha if you lived close I'd be glad to share! I have a buddy who burns and every wood score I get I ask him to come along. It never fails though a month before it gets cold he goes out and cuts his winters worth of wood .

 

[Shaggyant]

All this talk of dry wood

I've been burning scrap dimensional lumber from a local pre-fab building operation. Kiln dried really is where it's at. I could turn my stove into a glowing ball of steel if I wanted and the pieces of red fir nearly burst into flames as soon as they touch the hot coals.

I've picked up about four cords of this stuff so far totally free. There's no mess or bugs either. I'm excited to feed my fire with 2x12's and 4x4's all winter long.

 

[HisTreeNut]

Haha if you lived close I'd be glad to share!

I am in NC...and got some room...

 

[Firewill]

Dry wood makes a huge difference (like between a nice easy to light fire and smoke and curses) and wood simply does not try out much in the fall. It needs a full Spring and Summer in the sun with air circulation. Two years are better, but a full year will do most of the drying.

 

[begreen]

Drying time depends on the species of wood to a large extent, but also on other factors like the thickness of the splits, stack location wrt the prevailing winds and sun, weather, top covering, etc.. For thicker split oak and hickory planning on 2 yrs is better. Ash, however can be split to 4" in spring and with decent sun + wind through the stacks, ready to burn in winter.

 

[Firewill]

Well said begreen. Being the geek that I am I love studies like this one on (broken link removed). Gist of it is that well stacked 4x4 red oak takes between 62 and 184 days to dry to 20% moisture depending on when you stack it (mid-Spring = shortest time).