Is it really bad to burn partially rotting or wood with fungus/mushrooms growing on it

[KennyK]

Hi all,

I have some wood at the bottom of a pile that is rotted in parts and some with some fungus/mushroom-like things growing on it. I’ve been mixing it in with better wood when the fire in my wood stove is going strong. Is that ok? If not, what is the problem with this? Also, I have a cat stove (Woodstock Fireview). I haven’t noticed any problems in regards to how it burns but I wonder if there any problems I am not seeing.

Thanks!

 

[jatoxico]

Dry mushrooms are ok, sautéed not so much.

 

[weatherguy]

Put a little olive oil on them and they'll taste just fine.
No, you're ok burning that, just keep doing it the way your doing it.

 

[Bad LP]

I like them cooked well done in butter myself.

 

[KennyK]

I like ‘em with lots of garlic, just not sure how my stove feels about them

 

[jatoxico]

A stove with garlic breath?! Beats locust maybe.

 

[Manly]

I wouldn’t say it’s really bad. Embezzling, arson, assault; now those are really bad things to do.

 

[Dix]

Cream of mushroom soup, yummy

If it's dry & seasoned, burn it. If it needs some time to dry out, give it some air for a bit.

 

[Woody Stover]

I've always wondered whether there were chemicals given off by burning shrooms, mold, etc that would be bad for the cat eventually. Never heard anything to that effect, but who knows..?
So, back to the off-topic posts...How long have you had the Fireview, and how do you like it?
And yes, I like mushrooms and garlic. I made us a big omelet last night with cauliflower, carrots, kale, onions and cheese. I put three cloves of raw garlic on mine. I also put some mushrooms in it. I threw out a couple of really soft ones but sauteed the rest with the other veggies. Man, I have a cast iron stomach but something didn't agree with me, probably those shrooms.

 

[KennyK]

So, back to the off-topic posts...How long have you had the Fireview, and how do you like it?

I can’t begin to express how much I love the Fireview! I bought an Ideal Steel, used it all last season and took Woodstock up on their return guarantee as it was just too big for (physically, not in regards to heat output) and out of place in my Victorian-style home. I bought a used Fireview and had Woodstock do a complete refurbish over the summer. This is my first season with the Fireview and it looks great, runs great and heats great. Super easy to use. I’m not sure if it’s just my imagination, but it seems to me that it actually distributes heat better throughout my home than the IS - maybe it’s something about so much soapstone that distributes heat around the home better. I also really love the side door, easy to load and it’s much less messy than a front door, plus less front hearth pad needed, which gave me back more floor space. I was worried about the lack of ash pan, but it actually works better for me to not have it - with the giant ash pan in the IS (which works really well), I would wait for it to fill up and then it was a big process of bringing it outside to empty when it was full. Now I just scoop out some ashes whenever I want or it’s getting a bit full, into the ash bucket a bit at a time and it’s super easy. Love it! Also, as many have said here, Woodstock is simply the best company in the world - they didn’t bat an eye when I wanted to return the IS, and even told me to hold onto it until I swapped it out for the Fireview. Here’s a pic:

 

[fire_man]

I was worried about the lack of ash pan, but it actually works better for me to not have it - with the giant ash pan in the IS (which works really well), I would wait for it to fill up and then it was a big process of bringing it outside to empty when it was full.

The trick is to have a second ashpan to swap out with the full one. Then you can safely dump the full one at your leisure.

Glad you like the Fireview - its a great stove!

 

[Woody Stover]

took Woodstock up on their return guarantee as it was just too big for (physically, not in regards to heat output) and out of place in my Victorian-style home. I bought a used Fireview and had Woodstock do a complete refurbish...I’m not sure if it’s just my imagination, but it seems to me that it actually distributes heat better throughout my home than the IS...I also really love the side door, easy to load and it’s much less messy than a front door...I was worried about the lack of ash pan...Now I just scoop out some ashes whenever I want or it’s getting a bit full, into the ash bucket a bit at a time

Right, now I remember your other thread, but your username didn't ring a bell at first. I may have caughten Old Timer's Disease.
Maybe it could be that the Fv radiation is heating up objects in the immediate area more, then they are in turn releasing the heat to the rest of the house better. I dunno, it doesn't really make sense and I'm pretty much groping in the dark on this one.
Yeah, some guys say how they like front loaders but I don't have any problem jamming a side-loader full. You just have to get the front and back stacked, then finish the middle. The Buck 91 was a front-loader and, man, it would roast me when I reloaded it unless the coal bed was small.
Yep, the Fv will hold a fair amount of ash before you have to deal with it, and if you develop your technique you can do it cleanly and efficiently. That said, they will have to pry my grate from my cold, dead fingers. I guess you could say I'm a Woodstock panboy.