Mix seasoned and fresh ash? Or burn seasoned first?

[tg27]

Hi all--excited to be kicking off a new burning season!

Quick question: I have a decent supply of seasoned ash ready to burn. I also have a nice stack of pretty fresh ash. I know ash can be burned with minimal seasoning, so here is my question:

• Am I better off burning through all the seasoned wood so that the fresher stuff has a few more months to age?
• Or am I better off using a mix of fresh and seasoned now? In other words, do I get a raging fire going with the seasoned wood...THEN adding the fresh stuff to an already hot fire?

Thanks in advance!

 

[sneefy]

I don't think it's recommended to burn anything 'fresh'.

Use a moisture meter on it. What is the reading?

 

[kennyp2339]

There really is no good way to burn water, if anything after getting a established fire going mix at 3:1 maximum, but be mindful that you'll probably need a mid-season cleaning

 

[tg27]

There really is no good way to burn water, if anything after getting a established fire going mix at 3:1 maximum, but be mindful that you'll probably need a mid-season cleaning

Well, I think my seasoned stuff will get me through to February. Then I can tap into the newer stuff. Maybe that's a better approach.

 

[30WCF]

There really is no good way to burn water, if anything after getting a established fire going mix at 3:1 maximum, but be mindful that you'll probably need a mid-season cleaning

My wife could prove you wrong about burning water.

 

[tg27]

I don't think it's recommended to burn anything 'fresh'.

Use a moisture meter on it. What is the reading?

I still haven't picked up a moisture meter. Is there one you recommend?

 

[sneefy]

I still haven't picked up a moisture meter. Is there one you recommend?

Well, some have stronger opinions on this, but I just picked up a cheap one from Amazon. I don't think you need to get fancy. I also have the one that came with my Lopi, but haven''t used it yet. You can also go to your local Harbor freight and grab one.

I guess 'picked up a cheap one from Amazon' is not quite an accurate description. I abused their free returns policy and ordered 10 of them. Narrowed them down based on features, then tried the semifinalists on a split log. I ended up picking the one that seemed to measure average against peers, cut the outliers, and picked the one with a screen I liked and adjustable readings based on wood species. It was also the cheapest one of the lot.

 

[j7art2]

I still haven't picked up a moisture meter. Is there one you recommend?

I've gone through 3 Harbor Freight ones in 10 years. The only reason I went through the first 2 is because I lost them. Lol. They work well and are around $15. I have one in my pocket when splitting almost always.

I don't go by a rule of "seasoned or unseasoned" i go by the rule of "if it's got 24% or less MC, it's gonna be burnable this year" provided I'm splitting and stacking in the spring and I'm splitting hardwoods. I've never once had softwood not be fully seasoned by the end of the year if C/S/S in spring. Poplar, pine, etc are all "burn same year if done in spring" in my personal experience. If i'm right on the cusp of 24% MC in my hardwoods, it generally goes into next years stacks. I assume (but admittedly don't always check) that if I'm getting 24% MC in spring on a fresh split, I can get down at least the other 4% by the end of the year if it's C/S/S shortly thereafter. If you're getting over 30% MC in ash, you MIGHT get lucky and be able to burn it by January/February if C/S/S soon.. Winter is actually a great time to season wood. The freeze and thaw gets those end checkmarks rolling really quickly which gives more surface area and avenues for moisture to leech from.

Ash can be below 20% fresh cut and I've cut and burned the same day. Watch the base of the trunk though, in my experience, depending on the size, the base 4-10 feet of the tree may not be as dry as the rest.

 

[tg27]

ALRIGHT! Update!

I (finally) purchased a moisture meter and my newer stock of wood is coming in at about 17% when split 13% at the exterior. So I think it's okay--maybe not great--but okay to burn. My older stash is coming in around 9%.

So back to my original question. Am I better off:

• Burning through the 9%ish wood for the first part of the winter while the newer stuff seasons a bit longer?
• Or use the seasoned stuff throughout the winter to start fires, but switch over to newer stuff once I get a nice hot fire going?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[30WCF]

I think either is fine. Maybe mix and match some if it makes you feel like you are stretching your older stash, but either is fine.

 

[weatherguy]

ALRIGHT! Update!

I (finally) purchased a moisture meter and my newer stock of wood is coming in at about 17% when split 13% at the exterior. So I think it's okay--maybe not great--but okay to burn. My older stash is coming in around 9%.

So back to my original question. Am I better off:

• Burning through the 9%ish wood for the first part of the winter while the newer stuff seasons a bit longer?
• Or use the seasoned stuff throughout the winter to start fires, but switch over to newer stuff once I get a nice hot fire going?

Thanks for all the help!

Are you getting some splits up to room temp and splitting them and measuring on the fresh face?

 

[tg27]

Are you getting some splits up to room temp and splitting them and measuring on the fresh face?

Hmm. I don't think I did it in that order. I split them, brought them in to warm up, then measured. No good?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Hmm. I don't think I did it in that order. I split them, brought them in to warm up, then measured. No good?

Its bring it in.. get to room temperature.. split it.. and measure moisture on the freshly split face.. pins with the grain..

 

[tg27]

Its bring it in.. get to room temperature.. split it.. and measure moisture on the freshly split face.. pins with the grain..

On it! Thanks for the detailed instructions. I'll report back!

 

[Marshy]

Well, I think my seasoned stuff will get me through to February. Then I can tap into the newer stuff. Maybe that's a better approach.

I think you will be disappointed in February. My suggestion is mix a little bit in now as you go to try and stretch the supply of dry wood you have. Use it when you have a hot fire, not when you need to stoke the stove for overnight and are going to choke it down.

 

[Caw]

ALRIGHT! Update!

I (finally) purchased a moisture meter and my newer stock of wood is coming in at about 17% when split 13% at the exterior. So I think it's okay--maybe not great--but okay to burn. My older stash is coming in around 9%.

So back to my original question. Am I better off:

• Burning through the 9%ish wood for the first part of the winter while the newer stuff seasons a bit longer?
• Or use the seasoned stuff throughout the winter to start fires, but switch over to newer stuff once I get a nice hot fire going?

Thanks for all the help!

Yeah these numbers are suspect. Most places in the country you aren't going to get wood below 14 or 15% just buy seasoning outside.

First step is to make sure your meter is calibrated properly and on the right mode. I know my meter has different modes that would skew the numbers. It should have come with instructions on how to set it up.

Second step is to measure the wood properly as described above. Fresh split face with the prongs going with the grain (across gives low readings). Make sure to really get them in there. Ideally this is done after the wood reaches room temp but you can do it outside too. Just understand that if you split and measure a cold 20 degree piece of wood the numbers will be low so add a few % to be sure.

If you keep getting 9-13%, unless you're in the desert or somewhere exceedingly dry, I'd be suspect of the meter. Truly seasoned hardwood stored outside here in New England is around 15-18%.

Curious to see what you discover!