Sizzlin' Limbs

[midwestcoast]

There have been a few threads in the last few years talking about small rounds being slower to season than splits and why or why not. No real concensus as far as I see, but this year I've noticed it again.
I finally got sick of burning shoulder season wood and started burning 2 year seasoned Red Elm and 3 year seasoned Red Oak that is left over from last years stash.
All has been nice and dry Except I'v noticed several pieces of Oak sizzling after start-up. In every case it has been a piece from a small limb. Nothing new here, I've seen that before, but the funny part is it doesn't seem to matter whether it was split or not. I split nearly every piece of that Oak to help seasoning, even rounds of say 3 inches. It was in a Holz Hausen for over 2 years. I burned about 2 cords of this mix last season and it did fine (not perfect, the Oak could have been drier). Then I moved the leftovers to a single stack in March where it sat through the best Spring, Summer and Fall imaginable for drying firewood. I should add that not one of the bigger splits I use for overnight burns have sizzled.
So what gives? Anyone else see this? Is it possible that the smaller limbs are simply more dense than the big limbs and trunk, so they dry much slower? Could it be the growing conditions in my area? My neighborhood is built on pure sand from L. Michigan (leveled sand dunes), but these would all have been yard trees so you'd figure they got some extra water along the way...
It's not a problem for my burning, I'm really just curious.

 

[pen]

It might be a matter of timing also.

For example, the smaller pieces, split or not, heat up quicker in the stove and start spewing any moisture sooner and perhaps more rapidly.

Maybe the bigger pieces, having more mass, release their moisture slower so that the sizzling isn't as obvious even though it is happening?

pen

 

[midwestcoast]

Good Theory. I'll watch my bigger splits closely for a while.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Interesting. I've never noticed this.

 

[bogydave]

I know with birch, you at least have to nick or score the bark or even the small stuff will get punky.
Water tight bark holds the moisture in.

Red oak has hundreds of capillaries (miniature straws) & dries slow any way
& takes a long time to get the moisture out after it gets rained on.

I think red oak is a wood that after it's dried, needs covered & kept out of the elements. No science just , opinion.

 

[NH_Wood]

I had about 1/2 cord of red oak rounds - all small (2-3" diameter) for shoulder season this year. Stacked in wind and sun for 3 years - all burned excellent, but some still hissed, just not for long. Another year might have been even better, but still no complaints. I started single row stacking of small rounds to let the dry better (all of my splits are stacked in cubes on pallets). Cheers!

 

[midwestcoast]

Update: I was home all day today and kept an eye on every piece that went in the stove. From what I saw I think the sizzling is due to re-absorption of rain water.
More of the small red oak sticks sizzled, but I also saw 3 Red Elm splits sizzling on hot re-loads. In each case it was the outer (bark) side of the split when that was placed right against hot coals. Splits placed bark side up or not right on the coals did not sizzle. This stuff was stacked bark side up & I guess some moisture soaked in.
The small pieces obviously have more surface area to absorb water and also have more bark on them which can hold the water against the wood longer.
Thats my new theory anyway. I don't have the extra time or money to build a wood shed this year, but am now even convinced of how important they are to keep your wood dry. For now I'll just live with a little sizzle.