This is my first year with a wood stove. I have been burning up wood that was in my opinion junk. It was soft wood, partially rotted and what not, stuff that was standing dead that I scrounged. Well I just switched to some locust that has seasoned for 2 years. Wow, I cant believe the difference. I was upset with how my stove was performing and heat output. Not to mention burn times. Well it seems almost all solved now with this hard dry wood. I am really surprised at the difference it makes. Is there really any need for soft wood in a wood burners pile? I have thrown big chunks on small amount of coals and still the stuff takes off well. I have cherry and apple for next year, that should be good to burn right? Is 10 months enough for hard wood to season if its been split for the entire time?
Seasoned hard wood makes the difference!!
- Thread starter firebuckeye
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Martin Strand III
New Member
firebuckeye said:
I burn (black) cherry all the time. It's not as highly BTU rated as beech, ash or oak but it does just fine. Good to cook with too.
Apple is one of my "dream" hardwoods I cannot get enough of. Hard, aromatic and a premier cooking wood. You are a lucky man!
Most any wood split and stacked in sun and wind will season in 10 months, unless you're living high on Kaua'i (the wettest place on earth) or water your pile regularly.
Aye,
Marty
Cool, so no need to have a 2 years supply ahead then. It really is fully dry in 10 months? I heard some people say 2 years for oak. Is this at all true?
wg_bent
Minister of Fire
Marty's right, Apple is great. I must say though the best wood I've burned yet is the locust. Longest burn and best coaling properties for long overnight burns. Not enough good solid apple to say...the stuff I got was a touch punky.
In practice though, the best logs I've burned: some have been locust, some have been elm, some oak. According to the numbers I should not be putting the elm in with the oak or locust, but I do, only because of the shape and size of some of the peices I've burned. For my stove, the best logs are those that are nearly the size and shape of 1/2 of the firebox.
Yeah, seasoned is the key, and also as Marty points out, sun and air space are the primarys. I've learned a lot this year about my stacking technique, and how I need to adjust it. The stack I'm burning right now is really good on the outside, but in the inside of the stack, the wood is o.k., but not perfectly seasoned. I have 4 pallets all in a big square that make up about 2 cords. The other mistake I made on that pile was not stacking each layer 90 degrees to the previous. In this stack I used nylon cord embedded in the stack to keep it from falling over. A technique Eric mentioned last year, but in practice, doesn't work for the way I stack wood due to my stacking on pallets with no airspace between the rows. Eric stacks in rows with airspace between them. Next bunch of wood won't get stacked quite so tight. My learning continues big time
In practice though, the best logs I've burned: some have been locust, some have been elm, some oak. According to the numbers I should not be putting the elm in with the oak or locust, but I do, only because of the shape and size of some of the peices I've burned. For my stove, the best logs are those that are nearly the size and shape of 1/2 of the firebox.
Yeah, seasoned is the key, and also as Marty points out, sun and air space are the primarys. I've learned a lot this year about my stacking technique, and how I need to adjust it. The stack I'm burning right now is really good on the outside, but in the inside of the stack, the wood is o.k., but not perfectly seasoned. I have 4 pallets all in a big square that make up about 2 cords. The other mistake I made on that pile was not stacking each layer 90 degrees to the previous. In this stack I used nylon cord embedded in the stack to keep it from falling over. A technique Eric mentioned last year, but in practice, doesn't work for the way I stack wood due to my stacking on pallets with no airspace between the rows. Eric stacks in rows with airspace between them. Next bunch of wood won't get stacked quite so tight. My learning continues big time
seaken
Minister of Fire
You've just found out what I am often commenting on with my customers. The fuel can make all the difference. The better the fuel, the better the results.
Yes, most wood will season in about a year when split and stacked, covered, and air dried. Some species do take a little longer, some a little less. Oak can take longer than a year depending on how it is stacked and dried. But be careful about drying for too long. I've had several cases this year of wood that is too dry. I recommend seasoning between one and two years. Optimum for most modern wood stoves is 20% moisture.
Yes, most wood will season in about a year when split and stacked, covered, and air dried. Some species do take a little longer, some a little less. Oak can take longer than a year depending on how it is stacked and dried. But be careful about drying for too long. I've had several cases this year of wood that is too dry. I recommend seasoning between one and two years. Optimum for most modern wood stoves is 20% moisture.
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