Drying time

[bfitz3]

Last year at this time I put up a cord of sopping wet (water came from the wood when it was split) beech. I've been counting on it for next year as my bread and butter wood. Right now it's sitting at 30% mc in a sunny! windy location. I've got a cord of poplar ready to go that should take me to November and am wondering if the beech will make it to 20% by then. I plan on moving it indoors at the end of august to avoid fall rains, but it will also take it out of the wind. Whaddya think?

 

[Poindexter]

Isthe beech top covered already?

 

[Big Chris]

It will be fine, it's only the end of June

 

[Ctwoodtick]

+1. It could have started out at around 50%...and you still have another several months of prime drying time. No worries.

 

[bfitz3]

Good to hear this. I was on the bubble with too much wood last season... I don't want to go through that again. As for to covered... Yep!

 

[TedyOH]

Get that cover off unless it's stacked under pine trees....Halloween is wood covering day.

 

[volunbeer]

I am not covering right now, but I have about 200' of single stack underneath pine/fir trees. The summer is so dry here and the wind is pretty constant, but not too high, so I am confident I will get it dry in a season - plenty of direct sun during the day. Other wood burners around here have said it will be very dry at the end of the summer. Planning on covering the stacks in September with some kind of top cover. I am going to stack about 2 cords in the 3rd bay of my garage for the stuff I am planning on burning and there is very little humidity in there once it cools. I don't see that my pine trees are impacting the wood pile and they even give a little rain protection to most of the stack in the light rains we get here. So far the wood is pretty dry even after a day of rain.

My plan is to just leave the heavy pieces on the stack as I pull them off and load them in the gator or tractor to bring to the garage. I should be far enough ahead that I can build a big wood shed next year and hopefully I will get on a cycle. Kids can help move, but having a half yard bucket on the tractor is nice for moving - just pull up - set bucket - push stack in the bucket!

 

[maple1]

Good to hear this. I was on the bubble with too much wood last season... I don't want to go through that again. As for to covered... Yep!

How big is it split?

I might consider re-splitting now if you want to be sure it's good this winter. I would expect to get lower than 30% from one full year of drying, maybe, with full wind exposure. Another 4 or so months might not quite get you there. Got a pic?

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Depends on your weather-if you have hot summers like we do in Central VA, that beech will be ready for this winter. We burn a good bit of beech and it usually gets to below 20% in a single, full drying season.

 

[bfitz3]

Here she is with some of the new stuff for coming years, yet to be processed. Splits are reasonably small, the stack faces a bit west of south with great wind exposure.

As for the future... I've put up 3 cords so far with another 3 to split and stack. I used between 3 and 4 last year, so the long term prospects for seasoned wood look good.

 

[sportbikerider78]

I'm always jealous of you guys with some big flat fields. Nice area to process. I'm working to clear the only area on my property that is flat.

 

[KenLockett]

I'm always jealous of you guys with some big flat fields. Nice area to process. I'm working to clear the only area on my property that is flat.

Same here. Wish I had a wide open space flat like that.

 

[bfitz3]

Depends on your weather-if you have hot summers like we do in Central VA, that beech will be ready for this winter. We burn a good bit of beech and it usually gets to below 20% in a single, full drying season.

Hot for us is above 80. I think this has happened 5 or 6 times this year. Last night we were in the 40s. Lots of wind here, coming off Lake Michigan a little humid. The killer for us is that summer ends quickly and with it, we'll have months of damp overcast days. ...I still wouldn't live anywhere else!

I guess time will give us the answer.

 

[begreen]

Lots of wind is good for drying if the prevailing wind can blow through the stacks.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Hot for us is above 80. I think this has happened 5 or 6 times this year. Last night we were in the 40s. Lots of wind here, coming off Lake Michigan a little humid. The killer for us is that summer ends quickly and with it, we'll have months of damp overcast days. ...I still wouldn't live anywhere else!

I guess time will give us the answer.

Like begreen said, the wind you have blowing will help a lot.

Today was in the low 90's and the rest of the week is supposed to be near 100. That's typical July for us. I have a stack of fresh maple splits for our grill in the greenhouse and they will be ready to burn in less than two weeks. Temps in there exceed 150 degrees for 8 hours a day in the mid summer.

 

[bfitz3]

Success! It's amazing what unyielding winds and one rain event in 5 weeks will do. The beech is now at 19%! Also, my other stacks are all in the teens. Out of curiosity, I checked a mystery wood that I cut split (small splits) and stacked in June. It has gone from 30ish to 17%! I think it might be basswood as it's all but light enough to float off the stacks.

I'm looking forward to a season without having to worry about moist wood!