I have some some 2 year split hickory in my stacks, felt pretty heavy, but figured it was good enough to burn without a meter test. By the amount of smoke produced, still way too wet. Hopefully next year.
Hickory Takes Forever to Dry
- Thread starter Craig S.
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I had the same thing happen with locust a few years back. Most told me it dried fairly quickly, but for whatever reason, the 4 cords of the stuff that I had took almost 3 years to get ready for the stove.
It sucks, but I guess it just happens sometimes.
Plum takes forever. As in never. Hickory and apple and pear and plum, they all kind of do the same thing.
I wonder if its the high percentage of sapwood? Or density? Slow growth?
Tempermental.
Bring a few chunks in and set them by the fire and burn them on Christmas Eve.
Hickory goes in my private stash pile that doesnt get burned unless we have an ice storm and it gets treated like gold.
I wonder if its the high percentage of sapwood? Or density? Slow growth?
Tempermental.
Bring a few chunks in and set them by the fire and burn them on Christmas Eve.
Hickory goes in my private stash pile that doesnt get burned unless we have an ice storm and it gets treated like gold.
My next door neighbor smokes his own pork, he would love to take that wood. Perfect conditions for ham and bacon.
fireview2788
Minister of Fire
I'm burning 2 year c/s/s hickory now and it's burning great. I had some last year that was 2 year old and it was still wet and left it for this year. Both trees were green when the came down.
fv
fv
Yeah, I have 1 seasoned red oak and 1 year hickory to choose from. Both are barely workable right now. Most readings are at right around 20% which isn't awful. But some readings are in the low 20's. The hickory seems to have lost a little more moisture than the red oak (or maybe it started with less).
I've been splitting it up into smaller pieces prior to burning it, which helps. Once there is a big bed of coals it burns okay, but not getting the heat that I should be which is disappointing.
I've been splitting it up into smaller pieces prior to burning it, which helps. Once there is a big bed of coals it burns okay, but not getting the heat that I should be which is disappointing.
Ralphie Boy
Minister of Fire
I've about a cord of pig nut, split and stacked, that my multi-year calendar says is 4 years and 7 months and ready to burn. My moisture meter says: "Oh hell yes, light it up!" I'm far enough ahead that it wont see the stove this winter, unless hell freezes over. And the way this winter is starting, hell may just freeze over!
Paulywalnut
Minister of Fire
I have hickory on my three year list. Locust too. The drier the better with BL. The fruit woods do take forever to season
for some reason. I'm thinking it's very wet to start with when green.
for some reason. I'm thinking it's very wet to start with when green.
Pennsyltucky Chris
Minister of Fire
I just scored 2 BL trees...... and I have about a half dozen downed shagbarks I've been working on. I guess I can wait 3 years, but dang, man. I was hoping 16-17. I'm good for next year, but I have little for the year after. Luckily I have Ash and Maple logs out the wazoo, but I'm getting sick of processing them. I think I have 8 cords combined of just Ash and Maple.
Paulywalnut
Minister of Fire
With all that Ash and Maple, hang in there. You"ll appreciate well seasoned Hickory and Locust.
The wood on our property is about 80% various Oak, 15% Pignut hickory, and a few assorted pines and cedars. In the nine years we have lived here, I have only taken one hickory down. I bucked it up and stacked it but did not split it immediately. About two years later I decided to split it. I could not do it by hand. It was like ironwood. The hardest wood that I have every tried to split. After much work with a ten pound sledge and wedges, I eventually got it split. It was at least another year before it was dry enough to burn but man, that was some fine heat.
When it gets cold outside, that is when I dig into my hickory stash. My current little stove was loaded with half hickory and half hard maple a few hours ago and from this mix it cruised at 600 degrees F constantly for 1-1/2 hours with the fan on high. It puts out some serious heat.
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