Kiln dried moisture content

[Crummy]

Made a rookie mistake last summer and didn't set myself up for winter with properly seasoned wood unless I sort it. I have plenty of wood but find some of it to be a little over 20% so I've been setting it aside and only using the stuff that's well under 20%. I've got two winters worth stacked for drying this coming summer along with about 12 cord in log decks so lesson learned. I decided that rather than spending time moisture testing and sorting I'd just buy a cord of kiln dried wood which would get me by until spring.

Ordered the wood a couple months ago and today my order was ready. Went and picked it up and was told that it was around 7% with a few pieces he stabbed being around 11%. It had recently came out of the kiln. When I got home and packed a stove load into the house it felt a little heavy so I took a couple larger pieces out to the shop for testing. On the outside it's around 7% but a few inches in after splitting it's over 27%. If this is considered dry then the wood that I have been sorting out is very well seasoned but I know this can't be right. I called them and they say they will get back to me tomorrow so we will see. My current question is does the moisture stabilize a few days after coming out of the kiln? I've got some in the shop and some in the house so we will see what it reads tomorrow. Under a air quality alert until 11 tomorrow so I can't see how it burns but I'm guessing not good. I know some sellers around here have been struggling because the government made it illegal to sell unseasoned firewood after kiln dried became available but now I find that kiln dried isn't dried.

 

[Crummy]

Let a larger piece set in the shop for a couple days and then split it and it's even worse at 41.3%. I contacted the seller and they offered me a discount on another cord but quite frankly I'm not interested in keeping this wet wood. Apparently they are having a problem with baffles in the kiln and expect the next load to be better. I requested a exchange or refund but wasn't given a answer yet. Will check Monday and see how it goes. If they won't take it back I'll sell it on marketplace with full disclosure of the moisture content. I did a little sorting in my woodshed today and burned 1/8 cord of 20%+ in the fire pit so I'm good for the winter now.


Anyone have any experience with kiln dried wood?

 

[KDubU]

Seems like who you bought it from is full of it. What kind of “kiln” are they using and is it truly running? Did you see your wood go in and out? Sorry but there are a lot of firewood sellers full of BS on “dry” wood. This is one reason why if you can find a good source, stay in good with them and order early and often.

 

[kborndale]

Many places cook the wood just long enough to kill the bugs. Lesson learned, keep the wood. It will be good wood in a year or two.

 

[Eman85]

I know the kiln dried I see is done to prevent spreading bugs, not to dry the wood.

 

[Crummy]

They tell me they are having trouble with some baffles in the kiln and are working on a solution. They are supposed to call me later this week when they have a basket of properly seasoned wood and will swap out the wet load I have.

 

[JRHAWK9]

Many places cook the wood just long enough to kill the bugs.

^^^^ This. The longer they cook it, the more $$$ it costs them.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Sometimes.. your just better off doing things yourself.. start drying your wood now.. You can set uo your own kiln and have plenty of wood sub 10%MC for this coming fall.. links are in my signature

 

[Crummy]

Sometimes.. your just better off doing things yourself.. start drying your wood now.. You can set uo your own kiln and have plenty of wood sub 10%MC for this coming fall.. links are in my signature

Oh yeah I have plenty for next winter and years to come. I just moved last spring so this is the first winter burning in years so I wasn't fully prepared.

 

[Crummy]

I traded out the wet load today for some that they guaranteed was dry. Put a few pieces in the shop when I got home so it could warm up. Just split it and it's 26%-34% on the inside. I'm done with kiln dried around here.

 

[Rickb]

why didnt you split a couple pieces there and check before I took the load? I have never seen any wood from a supplier kiln dried or otherwise that was dry. No matter what they claim. I have seem a few that were close to 20% on some but others would be 30+.

I trust no one. See if you can find some compressed logs and buy half a pallet or so. Might get you by for the rest of winter.

 

[Crummy]

why didnt you split a couple pieces there and check before I took the load? I have never seen any wood from a supplier kiln dried or otherwise that was dry. No matter what they claim. I have seem a few that were close to 20% on some but others would be 30+.

I trust no one. See if you can find some compressed logs and buy half a pallet or so. Might get you by for the rest of winter.

From what I understand you can't accurately test frozen wood. Current temperature is -7 Fahrenheit and the wood was outside. I brought it into a 60° shop and warmed it up before splitting and testing.

I'm pretty sure I have enough to make it through winter, I just wanted an extra cord for a safety margin and so I didn't have to sort some of the other wood I have.

 

[moresnow]

Try some NIELS for kicks. Just a stove load or two for experimentation/entertainment. Guessing those are available there? How is the stove doing?

 

[Crummy]

Try some NIELS for kicks. Just a stove load or two for experimentation/entertainment. Guessing those are available there? How is the stove doing?

Nope they have been out of stock for a year. Problems with their plant. If they are anything like the pellets they sell they are junk anyway. Stove is doing great.

 

[moresnow]

Good to hear the stove is working well.
Interesting opinion on the logs! Heard nothing but glowing reviews.

 

[Crummy]

Good to hear the stove is working well.
Interesting opinion on the logs! Heard nothing but glowing reviews.

I don't have any experience with the locally manufactured compressed logs I just know I tried the pellets from the same plant several times and found they had low BTU and excessive ash compared to the ones shipped up from the lower 48.

 

[moresnow]

May be worth reading BKVP's comment's a moment ago in the other thread. Different manufacturing plants, methods I suppose.

 

[Crummy]

May be worth reading BKVP's comment's a moment ago in the other thread. Different manufacturing plants, methods I suppose.

Yeah different plant and different wood species. Like comparing a grass fed ribeye to a McDonald's hamburger patty.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Nope they have been out of stock for a year. Problems with their plant. If they are anything like the pellets they sell they are junk anyway. Stove is doing great.

View attachment 307900

Try tractor supply.. its worth looking into but your area may not have them. they carry brickstone compressed sawdust bricks

 

[Crummy]

2176 miles to

Try tractor supply.. its worth looking into but your area may not have them. they carry brickstone compressed sawdust bricks

2176 miles to Tractor Supply so that's not really a option.

Sunday I split and sorted a cord in the woodshed so we are good for the winter now. I'll burn the Kiln Dried Green wood in the fire pit next summer.