Newbie here. Oak question

[dlmrun2002]

Hey all. Happy to join this forum. Been a burnin man for a long long time. I recently got some oak(from my neighbor) Tree was about 2 1/2 - 3 feet at base. Tree was dropped almost 3 years ago. BY FAR the heaviest and toughest wood I split. And I have split oak trees over 3 feet at the base. It has been covered since fall and it will only burn if I have a large bed of hot coals or if I open up the air vents almost full. Makes Hickory look line Pine. Any experience's like this? I wish it would burn a little more regular like my other woods (Cherry,maple,locust). Looking forward to this awesome wood forum and responses.
Doug M ny country

 

[pen]

Sadly, oak takes a long time to dry.

Being cut off the stump for 3 years doesn't really do squat for drying. Had that wood been cut, split, and stacked 3 years ago, you would have some premium fuel on your hands.

Sorry to say, but your wood is not seasoned and has too much moisture in it yet.

 

[dlmrun2002]

Sadly, oak takes a long time to dry.

Being cut off the stump for 3 years doesn't really do squat for drying. Had that wood been cut, split, and stacked 3 years ago, you would have some premium fuel on your hands.

Sorry to say, but your wood is not seasoned and has too much moisture in it yet.

So how much more time does it need to season well? I have about a chord left at this point and have no problem stacking it on the side to wait a year or two.. Thanks for the reply..
dlm ny country

 

[pen]

In open, airy, conditions, it's going to take oak 2 years minimum for average size splits, 3 is prime.

That would be stacking it two rows deep and top covered.

Oak is great fuel, it just takes patience.

Other species of fuel dry faster, ash in particular, but I've had cherry and beech dry well with a year in the stacks too. Some find 1 year is OK for hard maple, but for me it takes 2 years. Scroll down to the wood shed part of this forum and you'll find a whole bunch more info and methods for drying that might be of help to you.

To help fill the void, if there is any left in your area, start checking around for a source of bio-bricks, envi-blocks, or many other brands of highly compressed man made stove fuel.

Welcome to the site and good luck!

 

[mol1jb]

I had a bunch on one year dried red oak this winter. What a pain. Will never burn less than 2 year dried oak again.

 

[bigbarf48]

Leave what you have left and try some next year. If it still lost ready wait till the next season and it'll be fine for sure

Like pen said, the seasoning clock starts when the wood is split not when it is felled or even bucked

 

[Wood Duck]

I am burning three-year old oak and it lights up about as easily as any other seasoned wood. It lights fast but burns a long time and gives lots of heat.

 

[Woody Stover]

I had a bunch on one year dried red oak this winter. What a pain. Will never burn less than 2 year dried oak again.

I'm going with two years stacked double-row on pallets if it was dead and split medium. Three years if the tree was a storm casualty and was alive, or if it's dead wood that was split bigger.

 

[Woody Stover]

Last spring I cut up a White Ash that was dead and stacked it single-row. I split it somewhat large, figuring it would be dry for sure by fall. Even now, I can tell it is still a bit moist by the way it starts if I toss it on a coal bed, and by the way it takes longer to light the combustor. Ash may have lower initial moisture but it still takes time to get the rest of the moisture out, especially the last few percent that makes the difference between good and great wood. I'm stacking that stuff next to the stove for a couple of weeks to finish it off, then I put it on the bottom/front of the load and torch it when I'm bringing the stove up to temp. Fortunately I have plenty of other dry wood so I can work with that Ash. Three years on Oak and two on everything else, and you'll be sittin' pretty.

 

[gzecc]

IMO if you split the oak small 2x4,3x4, stack loosely in single rows off the ground in the sun and the wind, you will have a shot at 20% mc in two yrs. I try to stay away from it like the plague.

 

[fireview2788]

I tossed a SMALL split in yesterday just to see where it was and it was dripping water water. This stuff has been c/s/s for two years and I split it small. This split was not more than 3" across and 3" thick.


fv

 

[razerface]

I tossed a SMALL split in yesterday just to see where it was and it was dripping water water. This stuff has been c/s/s for two years and I split it small. This split was not more than 3" across and 3" thick.


fv

you aren't supposed to store it underwater,,,,

I don't know what you guys do to your wood,,,,, "dripping water" ?

After 2 years stacked at my house, it will burn great! I stack on top of a hill that is windy. I do not see a diff in my 2 and my 3 year wood

 

[gzecc]

you aren't supposed to store it underwater,,,,

I don't know what you guys do to your wood,,,,, "dripping water" ?

After 2 years stacked at my house, it will burn great! I stack on top of a hill that is windy. I do not see a diff in my 2 and my 3 year wood

There are so many different oaks, there are some that are wetter than others. I would bet swamp oak is very wet.

 

[razerface]

There are so many different oaks, there are some that are wetter than others. I would bet swamp oak is very wet.

I do not notice much difference in swamp oak after 2 years from regular white oak.

The only wood around my woods that drips would be cotton wood. I have seen it actually "pump" water from the stump after being cut, on a tree beside the pond. I have heard willow will do it too,,but have never seen it.

 

[Woody Stover]

I stack on top of a hill that is windy. I do not see a diff in my 2 and my 3 year wood

Wind is huge, as is air temp and relative humidity. My stacks are more or less in the woods, so once the leaves come in, air movement drops. And the shaded, leaf-covered floor of the woods is slower to dry out than a sunny lawn would be, so the humidity around the wood is usually higher.

I tossed a SMALL split in yesterday just to see where it was and it was dripping water water. This stuff has been c/s/s for two years and I split it small. This split was not more than 3" across and 3" thick.

I cut mostly dead standing Oak which is uppper 20s MC when cut, but I think even live would be pretty dry in two years, split that small. Are you stacking several rows tight together or is it getting pretty good air? I would think that our close locations would have similar drying conditions. I guess it's possible to have micro-climates; My SIL lives pretty close to us but her house is down in a 'holler' and doesn't get near the breeze we do here (we are both in the woods.)

Have you got any guesses as to why your Oak is drying so slowly?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hey all. Happy to join this forum. Been a burnin man for a long long time. I recently got some oak(from my neighbor) Tree was about 2 1/2 - 3 feet at base. Tree was dropped almost 3 years ago. BY FAR the heaviest and toughest wood I split. And I have split oak trees over 3 feet at the base. It has been covered since fall and it will only burn if I have a large bed of hot coals or if I open up the air vents almost full. Makes Hickory look line Pine. Any experience's like this? I wish it would burn a little more regular like my other woods (Cherry,maple,locust). Looking forward to this awesome wood forum and responses.
Doug M ny country

Welcome to the forum dlmrun2002.

As you have been advised, oak is indeed one of the best woods to burn but it gives up the moisture very reluctantly. To top it off, we still have not figured out a good way to burn water.

Tree downed 3 years ago? Okay, but until that wood has been cut to firewood length and split then stacked out in the wind, it just won't dry hardly at all. We got some oak (both white and red) a year ago that had been down for 12 years. Still too wet to burn but we will probably try to burn it next winter.

NY is an area where the emerald ash borer is taking up residence. This is terrible but good for wood burners. If you can find some of this dead ash, one year in the stack and it will burn great.