Please weigh in... the waste is killing me.

[Andy S.]

Sooo... I've been lucky to have some really nice tree service scores. My father and brothers are wood burners. I'm the only one that reads Hearth.com. All but me need the wood that we have been processing since August. Everyone knows what they know, are sure of it and are doing what they do. I'm hoping responses here can be used to sway opinions since son/brother direction isn't doing the trick.

 

[Seanm]

I voted Pine only because I think it burns ok with a higher moisture content. The only other wood on that list that has been in my stove is poplar and it was bone dry. I would think that a wood that is less dense would have a better chance of throwing some heat but I could be wrong on this.

Everyone knows what they know, are sure of it and are doing what they do

Aint that the truth. You see it all the time. You cant teach many of the people out there about changing their wood philosophy because they've been doing it that way for decades. I think it must be a validation issue. Who wants to be told that what they've done for years is wrong!

 

[Woody Stover]

Even split now, I think the Poplar will dry as fast as the Pine. It burn up quicker, worse if they have old smoke-blower stoves. They could always stack half a cord in the living room like I did a couple years ago with fans blowing on it. Ash split small went from 25 to 20% in a couple weeks. But my wife goes along with some of the crazy stuff I do, YMMV. The Oak is the last thing I would try to burn. That's gonna be an uphill fight just to get it lit, not to mention wasting wood that could be a dream to burn, and give the most heat, in a couple years. Burn up the lesser woods now.

 

[KindredSpiritzz]

is 2-5% MC really going to be a big deal? I voted ash, a tad bit wetter but it will burn longer and probably hotter once it cooks for awhile.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

I voted Ash, but I'd try to find a dealer who has real seasoned wood.

 

[homebrewz]

Ash, and mix it in with bio bricks from your local farm and garden store.

 

[Woody Stover]

is 2-5% MC really going to be a big deal? I voted ash, a tad bit wetter but it will burn longer and probably hotter once it cooks for awhile.

Yeah, and it'll get a bit drier by Jan, when you really need it.

 

[Soundchasm]

I agree with Woody that if protected from the elements Ash will continue to improve all winter. Compared to many, Ash starts with less water and gives it up fairly easily. The smaller/shorter the split the faster it's ready.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Poplar now and ash later.....

 

[CenterTree]

the Ash.

 

[Smoke Stack]

Definitely the Ash.

 

[Charlie2]

Based on the BTU output for different wood species vs the small amount of additional water going up the chimney, the ash is a hands down winner. Hmmm, whats the difference between a hands down winner or a hands up winner?

 

[maple1]

You paying for this stuff, or ?

If I had it all in my yard, I'd start with the driest.

If I was buying, I'd buy the ash.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Andy. I have to ask. What are you doing now so you don't have this problem next year and next year and........

You really need to get more NOW so that this is the last year you are in this predicament....get three years ahead ASAP....

 

[rdust]

Anything but the oak you have posted will burn fine. The 20% holy grail posted all over the place is silly. My guess is the stuff at 24% would be in the 20% range if you oven dried the full split. Anything less than 25% on a meter will get you through just fine. Remember m/c is the full split, not just the reading in the middle.

 

[smokedragon]

They could always stack half a cord in the living room like I did a couple years ago with fans blowing on it. Ash split small went from 25 to 20% in a couple weeks.

That is my vote. I have never burned ash, but poplar and pine dry quick. If you stack them in your stove room, they will get lower quicker. Still low 20's isn't that bad. Definitely would leave the 30+% stuff alone for a year.

 

[Applesister]

I'd sacrifice the poplar to give the other stuff more time. And set up a facecord or 2 in the stove room. Of pine and Ash.
I would leave the Oak completely for another year when I run out of the lesser woods, and then simply buy fuel oil.
Interesting post. Interesting answers.

 

[PDXpyro]

Oak: fuggedaboudit for this burning season, natch.
Poplar: meh... maybe next year if I needed it.

As for the pine and ash: the pine is both slightly drier AND unsplit. If you split and stack the pine in a good location right now, it'll drop below 20% very quickly, since softwoods generally season faster and splitting will greatly speed that as well. So, I'd do that and mainly burn the pine for a few weeks, splitting small and resigning myself to frequent stove loading. At the same time, I'd also re-split some of the ash smaller to hurry it along, and gradually start mixing it in with the pine as temps get colder and nights longer. The larger splits of ash may be quite burnable along about Jan/Feb., depending on storage conditions.

 

[Andy S.]

You paying for this stuff, or ?

No. I hooked onto a tree service that dropped a dump body full of rounds from a dead standing Pine, a couple of cords worth of Maple logs (not yet processed), 2 cords of Ash (most of it C/S/S), 2 cords (or so) of a random length mix of Black Walnut, Beech, Poplar (some of which is cut, split and piled but not stacked) and Elm, and the rounds from a big dead standing Oak that I measured at 32%.

Andy. I have to ask. What are you doing now so you don't have this problem next year and next year and........
You really need to get more NOW so that this is the last year you are in this predicament....get three years ahead ASAP....

I am ahead, Ram. That is what is so frustrating. The good stuff is for two years from now for me. They're taking the Oak to burn right now!

 

[blades]

You will be warm they will be freezing and going through wood like no tomorrow and of course blame it on the stove as they are doing what they always have. Education can be quite painful for some and some never can be.

 

[olliek]

Oak: fuggedaboudit for this burning season, natch.
Poplar: meh... maybe next year if I needed it.

As for the pine and ash: the pine is both slightly drier AND unsplit. If you split and stack the pine in a good location right now, it'll drop below 20% very quickly, since softwoods generally season faster and splitting will greatly speed that as well. So, I'd do that and mainly burn the pine for a few weeks, splitting small and resigning myself to frequent stove loading. At the same time, I'd also re-split some of the ash smaller to hurry it along, and gradually start mixing it in with the pine as temps get colder and nights longer. The larger splits of ash may be quite burnable along about Jan/Feb., depending on storage conditions.

Just my uneducated question: I always thought pine needs longer because of sap/resin? I bought wood from a new supplier this yesr and so far thoroughly disappointed about 1/3 of all logs burned so far is hissing like there is no tomorro (my moisture meter is broken, so can't tell you the exact damage). I am desparately trying to get ahead of the game but at 250 the cord there is only so much I can buy any given year.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Just my uneducated question: I always thought pine needs longer because of sap/resin? I bought wood from a new supplier this yesr and so far thoroughly disappointed about 1/3 of all logs burned so far is hissing like there is no tomorro (my moisture meter is broken, so can't tell you the exact damage). I am desparately trying to get ahead of the game but at 250 the cord there is only so much I can buy any given year.

I'm sorry to hear this and to say that your going to have a tough burning season, 1/3 hissing says to me you shouldn't be burning this wood, get a new meter and sort through your wood. I can't stress enough that you should bite the bullet now, load up on hard woods now, for the future or else you will continue on this same direction. My first 2 years I struggled with operator error and inferior wood quality, I learned my lessons and I am having great results now. Try a different supplier you might luck out.......

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Also you can try resplitting the wood you do have, stack it in the sun and wind criss crossed with large air gaps between each piece of wood.....

 

[olliek]

Thanks -That's what I did, stacked and exposed to wind and sun. there is always hope. I am about a cord ahead of the game, but thought about saving the real seasoned cord til january february when it gets real cold. I used about 4 cords last year

i also have about a cord, not split, that i cut down last october (2013). so I might be actually two cords ahead next year. I also try to have a quarter in the stove room. i am looking at new suppliers. I found a supplier that wants 100 a cord but haven't looked at the wood yet. that might be the ultimate solution going forward. but he doesn't deliver, is 15 miles away and all I have is a minivan. ha.

 

[blades]

compress wood bocks - various brands mixed with not so hot splits will get you bye.