Lies....lies.....all lies !!

[Beer Belly]

I'm constantly told "Ash is great, you can split and burn !".....well, I've got Ash thats been split and stacked for almost a year, and burns like crap.....I know, "pictures", but I posted them here and was told it looked like Ash, and the tree guy also said it was Ash when I scrounged it......lies....lies....all lies !

 

[MaintenanceMan]

Never burned any myself. I know it has a good reputation for firewood and there is a lot of it standing dead around here due to the emerald ash borer. Are you able to check the moisture content with a moisture meter?

 

[Diabel]

Ash burns best if CSS for two yrs. Unless, it is in a single row out in the wind and sun, then one yr.!

 

[Applesister]

Do you think the wood is not Ash? Or just disgusted its not dry yet?
The Ash I have growing here in NY is Green Ash and it takes 2 years, well, 18 months and is stringy as all heck to split. Doesnt grow in competition so its full of limbs.
And kind of likes water, so its heavy when green.
Personally I dont think its any different than alot of other trees. It doesnt have the magical powers it has a reputation for.
White Ash appears to be more out Michigan way. I forgot where you are from.
Maybe your wood wasnt Ash?

 

[DougA]

The problem is that many people are cutting ash trees that are 80% dead. They are mostly dry already and 1 year is plenty. The local city is now eliminating all an trees, even cutting healthy ones. They take longer to dry.
I find my ash is one to two years with some of it ready early. Ash is not the best for burning anyway. Not nearly the btu of others. I burn ash mostly when I can reload the stove often.

 

[Applesister]

If you skip it till next year it will be fantastic firewood next winter.
My sister is kind of dealing with that issue. She asks for oak and locust green when she buys and she has that wet wood.
Fuel oil is 1.80 here. Almost a normal price. So she could skip the wood heat technically and have much better results next year.
But we both like that intense deep heat from wood.

 

[edge-of-the-woods]

We took down two big ash trees this summer, bucked and split it right away. The tree guys said, "Hey you can burn this right away!", but the forum said otherwise. The wood is still heavy and wet, makes a thud when you bang it together, not a nice, dry "clunk". We've got it stacked away for next year.

Ash that is infested with emerald ash borer starts dying and drying in place, but in my experience with ours, only the thin stuff at the top is "ready to burn". Cuts from the trunk still need to be split, stacked, and dried.

 

[Wood Duck]

How is the wood stacked? I have seen plenty of split wood stacks that, in my estimation, aren't likely to allow the wood to dry out much. I have seen stacks covered in tarps, stacks in deep, damp shade, stacks four or five splits wide that might as well be a pile, etc.

Another question is the condition of the wood. I am cutting dying White Ash and many of them are already punky despite being partially alive. I think the punky wood is going to absorb water unless I cover it.

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

In Ohio my dad and I have been burning mostly ash for over 25 years. In my experience ash moisture can vary greatly among the four different species and growing environments. Black and green ash generally hold more moisture and take a year in good drying conditions to get below 20%. White ash, which is very numerous where I live, can get dry over one summer in good conditions. Blue is not common around my area, so not as much experience with that. All this being said.... I have cut dead standing of white, black and green that was ready to burn, as well as some that needed a full year. Also cut live trees of all three that dried in less than six months. Generally ash is dryer and seasons quicker, but as you have found out each tree is its own case study. As far as BTU's, dry ash always burns relatively hot and coals well for me. I'd check the moisture content and maybe give it a bit longer. Ash is good firewood and worth waiting till dry.

 

[Beer Belly]

Not sure of the MC, I lent out my MM two weeks ago, and waiting for it to find it's way home. I always thought wood such as Cherry, Ash and Maple needed at least one year C/S/S, but all my friends say "Ash can be split and burned"....they lied.....mine is stacked, top covered, two rows, in the sun and wind

 

[Firefighter938]

Definitely don't cut green live ash and burn. Dead standing can be okay higher up the tree.

I have had good luck with ash in 10-12 months. I stack two rows to a pallet with gap in the middle. I don't top cover until the fall before I plan to burn it unless it is a little punky.

 

[heavy hammer]

Maybe let it season a little more ash is a very good wood had a lot of luck with it. Burns hot coals nicely.

 

[LocustPocust]

I CSS under cover a White Ash back in April and I was burning it in November. Great wood and it smells good in my stove too.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Ash might burn cutting and burning right away in a fireplace, but wood stoves need dry seasoned wood to burn correctly.
I've never had any luck burning anything but light maple or cherry in a year. Stacked on a hill in full sun and still was
18%. Ash to me is at least 2 years. I like 3

 

[zig]

I took 12 dead standing white ash this fall, some so dead they were split down the middle. The bottom 4-8ft. of every one was wet; not green but wet. The tops are fine and I'm burning them right now. The wet stuff is stacked criss cross for next year. If I only had ash I'd be happy but it does like it's air to burn best.

 

[cre73]

Burning some18 month ash now, good to go. Had the house a little to warm last night.

 

[Ashful]

I'm guilty of repeating the "ash seasons quickly" advice, that I've heard here from others, but I have also found it can take a bit longer than it "should". A lot of the ash I've brought home has been from a few very large double-trunked trees (i.e. dual trunks of 44" - 48" each, and maybe 60" total diameter at joined base), and so they have a lot of nasty interlocking or stressed reactionary grain. I figured that nasty grain was to blame, or the fact that I had been leaving my splits fairly large compared to most, but maybe it just doesn't dry as quick as the rumors would suggest?

I can say I'm amazed the way a big ash tree will literally pour water like a garden hose on full blast, after you make the face cut and pull out the cookie wedge. I mean, it literally looks like a garden hose running full blast. No shortage of water, when standing alive.

I've found that by year 2 it's usually pretty good, and have burned several cords at 18 months without too much trouble. Still faster than oak.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Besides BL, ash is probably about the best wood I burn. Got a big score of it fall before last, standing dead from EAB (some were still partly alive but struggling). I measured every few pieces when I split, and separated the ones that were under 25% (cut in September) to burn that winter along with some ecobricks. Had probably a cord or so that was already under 25%. This winter I resplit a few and checked, upper teens. A couple big ones that were indoors on the side of the hearth all year were 15%. I had a pile of unsplit limbs, 3-4" and smaller, and I grabbed the biggest one and checked - 20% in the middle and 25% by the ends.

Not really sure what kind of ash it was. There were a couple trees that seemed slightly different than the rest, could have been 2 kinds.

 

[Beer Belly]

Well, I just finished my last truck load of Ash rounds from a scrounge...5 total, dropped one off at my friends house as a surprise...next week I go back for the Maple....I'm thinking maybe 3 truck loads of that. I'm thinking that Ash and Maple season at the same rate (??), so I'll C/S/S those near each other for 2016/17 ??...or wait till 17/18 ?

 

[Firefighter938]

Well, I just finished my last truck load of Ash rounds from a scrounge...5 total, dropped one off at my friends house as a surprise...next week I go back for the Maple....I'm thinking maybe 3 truck loads of that. I'm thinking that Ash and Maple season at the same rate (??), so I'll C/S/S those near each other for 2016/17 ??...or wait till 17/18 ?

Do you know what type of maple? If it is soft maple it should be good. Hard maple probably won't be. I would think the ash should be okay by jan/feb '17. I have some maple I c/s/s a month ago and I hope it is ready by next winter.

 

[Vikestand]

Definitely don't cut green live ash and burn. Dead standing can be okay higher up the tree.

I have had good luck with ash in 10-12 months. I stack two rows to a pallet with gap in the middle. I don't top cover until the fall before I plan to burn it unless it is a little punky.

Yup. I am out my ears with white ash right now for next year. EAB did a number on them. Going out today and mixing in some locust and ash so I am not burning 100% Ash next year.

 

[Beer Belly]

Do you know what type of maple? If it is soft maple it should be good. Hard maple probably won't be. I would think the ash should be okay by jan/feb '17. I have some maple I c/s/s a month ago and I hope it is ready by next winter.

Not sure what type of Maple...has a smooth darkish bark

 

[bholler]

I have found that it is dryer than most on the stump (but no not dry enough to burn well) and it dries faster than most other hardwoods. But i am sure there is allot of variation from tree to tree

 

[heavy hammer]

Every tree will vary and the moisture will be different. Just my thoughts but it is hard to cut a tree down process it then throw it right in the stove. Maybe some smaller branches but the tree still holds a lot of moisture. Every situation is a little different, buddy of mine cut up a shag bark hickory couple weeks ago that had been sitting on the ground for over a year. Long story short it was still very wet I would never have burned any of it but he threw it in his insert. Smokes real bad but it burns. Wood needs to be cut split and stacked for at least some time, varies from wood size to wood types. What I'm getting at is ash is a great wood just might have to season a little more.

 

[Applesister]

I dont think Ash is going to bail you out of any shortness of seasoned wood problems, but the Red maple might. If what you are collecting is Red maple, seperate from the Ash so you can get to it easier next fall.
I think the Ash is worth putting on the shelf for now so it will be at maximum BTU when you burn it.