Drying beech

[Jeemco]

Have lots of beech cut some split and the rest to be split by the end of the month. Will be stacked in single rows in a sunny field and covered in the fall. Splits average 5-6 inches How long will it take to dry reasonable.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

It's been years since I burned beech but it seems like it didn't take all that long; my memory fails me right now. It very well could be ready by fall.

 

[Diabel]

I burn a lot of beech & it burns best after 12 months of drying.

 

[DMX_512]

I just got done splitting about 2 cords of Beech. Is it always twisty and stringy or was it just this tree? The tree was a Craigslist score that was advertised as a 100 year old tree that was taken down after the ice storm this winter. Judging from the part of town it was in and the size of the tree it could have easily been 100+ years old.
Man some of that stuff gave the Huskee 22ton a workout. But it is all split and stacked now.

 

[Diabel]

It varies, I get a lot of nice straight stuff & it splits pretty easily when green. But if it sits for some time only bucked then it is a different splitting story.

 

[peakbagger]

My experience is that it take a lot longer than red maple, white birch or ash. My beech typically needs a full year from when I split it and stack it and if poosible I usually stack it up near the roof in my wood shed to get it good and warm. Once its dry, it does carry a fire for a long time compared to the other woods I burn.

 

[homebrewz]

In the last few years, I've ordered 2 full cords of beech to supplement the ash I cut myself. That gets delivered in early summer,
and as long as it's split and gets full sun, I haven't had a problem getting it to dry by winter.

 

[gpcollen1]

I just picked up some beech round that have been stacked for about one year - 18" to 24" in diameter. I split a few and they were relatively dry inside - along the lines of what I would expect from Maple rounds. Anyway, I think this wood should dry as good as any.