Is this diseased wood, white oak, or something else?

[GeoFire]

Got some more free wood today. Hoping its white oak...


The bark flakes very easy.

Here are some splits

 

[JohnDolz]

Was going to say Hickory but the splits don't look stringy

 

[GeoFire]

It smelled very good. Could call it sweet...but not much more description than that. I've read about vanilla and this and that... but can't testify to that

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Shagbark hickory

 

[CincyBurner]

It looks like straight white oak (Q. alba) - flakey/ scaly bark.
Bourbon barrel aroma ? Bourbon barrels are made from white oak.
Good score.

 

[GeoFire]

My worry is all of my wood...stacked for next year is in a holz hausen...one big a$$ pile....almost ten foot tall and at least 10 foot diameter...here's a pic from the other day...I've already built it all the way to the top...and it's going on three or 4 layers around the original circle....it gets full sun all day...I'm hoping it all dries out in time. Any thoughts... should I move one layer to a stack in a few months to let the inner layer benefit from direct sun? I was initially hoping the outside wood would keep the inner stacks from drying...now I'm just wondering practicality of burning it next year...cuse I go through ag least 3.5 cords per season in dc region...granted I dont use heat otherwise.

 

[xman23]

Isn't that always an issue with those stacks. That is the oldest wood is on inside or bottom. Don't you need to start a new pile?

 

[Woody Stover]

Highly doubtful you get Oak dry in a year, even if you stack it single-row in the wind with only a top-cover.
I would score some Red Maple and stack it now..

 

[CincyBurner]

White oak burns great. The downside is that it takes the full time, or an extra year to season probably because of its tyloses (plugging of its vessels), which is why it's selected for barrels for liquids. If red oak would used it would leak.

 

[kennyp2339]

I did a holtzhuesen stack once, much like yours 10ft radius and about 8ft high, although I randomly threw splits into the center, built the sides up to 6ft then made my roof, balanced the whole thing on 9 pallets.
The holz sat like that for 2 years before I took it apart, unfortunately the inside didn't dry as much as I would have liked it to, decided not to another and stick with the traditional double stacks on pallets then into the covered wood shed.

 

[GeoFire]

I did a holtzhuesen stack once, much like yours 10ft radius and about 8ft high, although I randomly threw splits into the center, built the sides up to 6ft then made my roof, balanced the whole thing on 9 pallets.
The holz sat like that for 2 years before I took it apart, unfortunately the inside didn't dry as much as I would have liked it to, decided not to another and stick with the traditional double stacks on pallets then into the covered wood shed.
View attachment 259072

How many cords would you guesstimate are in that HH you've got pictured?

 

[GeoFire]

White oak burns great. The downside is that it takes the full time, or an extra year to season probably because of its tyloses (plugging of its vessels), which is why it's selected for barrels for liquids. If red oak would used it would leak.

In burning some of tbd white oak tonight lol I accidentally buried my seasoned wood in concentric circles with my HH rookie mistake I guess. I tried a fire with the red oak tbe other night and that thing was terrible! Completely wet...but I was desperate. I found that maple wood chips and cedar burn hot enough to get the white oak to the point of making coles... which I then load up with very small splits...beats a house at 60 degrees .... can still get it up to 70 no problem. Although we didn't have a very cold winter I burned through at least three cord...mostly walnut and mixed oak. Some mulberry. Got my slammer to heat the house to 8t many occasions lol and the glass stayed clear and was burning clean. I dont trust my idea of burning fresh splits but with a close eye and cracked doors its throwing out heat. Unfortunately I have to watch it die before going to bed because if I close the door completely it smolders iut and would like to avoid those complications.

 

[kennyp2339]

How many cords would you guesstimate are in that HH you've got pictured?

I don't remember 100% but I think it came out to 4.5 total

 

[hickoryhoarder]

Looks like white oak. Usually best if it seasons 30-36 months.

 

[Simonkenton]

It looks like oak but might be hickory. No rot, that is some beautiful fire wood, either way.