Free load of Birch

[skinnykid]

Got an F-150 load of Birch for free. It was cut a couple days ago. It is some White Birch and some of the dark Birch.

If I split the bigger pieces, will it be ready for this coming winter? I am not so sure it will.


Thanks

 

[chad3]

I'll go out on a limb and say it should be close. I've burnt under a year cut birch and it was decent.
Try and stack in the sun/wind and use it last next winter.
Chad

 

[skinnykid]

yes I am with you. I will stack it so it gets used later this winter. Most of it is smaller stuff anyway but, free is free.

Thanks

 

[Todd]

Split it small, that birch bark is water proof and keeps the moisture inside. Even if the small stuff isn't split, it can rot from the inside out since the bark won't let the moisture out.

 

[Vic99]

In addition to spliting the birch small, try and peel some of the bark away. When birch is split, often there is a reasonable amount of bark to grab onto. This will help to accelerate drying.

Quick bark inspection for insects, then save bark in boxes for kindling.

New white birch limbs can start off a black-brown color. The same can happen on gray birch, which is lower on the BTU food chain. Gray birch bark often looks like what I would envision as white birch that was sick. That said, free is free. ALL of the wood I burn is was not paid for. . . only secondary, smaller costs, like gas and time to load it into my vehicle and drive it, buck, split, etc.

The "dark stuff" could also be yellow birch or black birch, both I believe are higher BTU than white . . . although not in the realm of sugar maple or the oaks. Probably all from the same tree, though, and thus, white birch.

Good luck.

 

[gerry100]

I sometimes slash along the length of a log with my chainsaw. especially birch because of the waterproof bark, kind of a lazyman's split.

Loose birch bark is great to use with a little kindling as a fire starter.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Birch is one of the fastest drying woods there are. That is, like so many say, if the wood is split. However, we don't seem to have a problem drying the white birch even if not split. I simply dries fast.

That being said, I rarely burn the stuff but have given a lot of it away. I usually get a lot of apples from a neighbor and sometimes they will even dump a load or two of horse manure on our field, so I supply them with birch for their fireplace.

 

[skinnykid]

thanks for all the info!

 

[jpl1nh]

In addition to spliting the birch small, try and peel some of the bark away. When birch is split, often there is a reasonable amount of bark to grab onto. This will help to accelerate drying.

Quick bark inspection for insects, then save bark in boxes for kindling.

New white birch limbs can start off a black-brown color. The same can happen on gray birch, which is lower on the BTU food chain. Gray birch bark often looks like what I would envision as white birch that was sick. That said, free is free. ALL of the wood I burn is was not paid for. . . only secondary, smaller costs, like gas and time to load it into my vehicle and drive it, buck, split, etc.

The "dark stuff" could also be yellow birch or black birch, both I believe are higher BTU than white . . . although not in the realm of sugar maple or the oaks. Probably all from the same tree, though, and thus, white birch.

Good luck.

Actually both black and yellow birch are quite close to red oak in BTU's. I'm fortunate to have all lots of black birch and a good amount of yellow and white. White is fine as a fire wood, but the black and yellow are excellent. Like everyone says, split it cause the bark of all three are waterproof. I just cut and split a yellow birch and a red oak today. both are heavy stuff. While the really small limbs of white birch are not white, most anything of burnable size would be. the yellow birch is not that dark, the bark is light colored and really is slightly golden, black birch is quite dark, non-descript dark gray to almost black. Hopefully you got some of that mixed in your load.

 

[skinnykid]

yes I got lots of big pieces of white birch and all the limbs that are still dark colored. The guy who gave me all the wood says he has some apple and other wood for me. When he cuts it he will call me again and I will go grab it.