Soft vs. hard maple seasoning

[Bushfire]

I had a mix of hard (sugar) and soft (silver, I believe) maple which I was trying to keep separate, but failed to do so. Should I expect a major difference in seasoning times for the two? It's in a stack that likely won't be used until 2017/18 season, so maybe I don't need to worry too much?

I've been trying to keep my stacks species specific so I have go to's for certain times of the burning season. It's worked so far (keeping things separate), but a bunch of things caused me to mix the maples up this time.

I've started keeping a map of my stacks to help keep everything straight, which has helped a lot.

 

[kennyp2339]

I don't think you will see a major difference in seasoning, maple in general seasons pretty quick in the grand scheme of things because the wood it "open cell type" Soft maple is generally ready under ideal conditions between 6-8 months using 4" wide split size, I would expect it all to be ready within a year under ideal conditions.
Good conditions - all wood splits off the ground on pallets or racks, single stacks, or cribbed on pallets, in the sunniest / windiest part of the yard. The jury is still out as far as top covering (I prefer doing that after 6 months, others immediately, some do none)

 

[English BoB]

I had a mix of hard (sugar) and soft (silver, I believe) maple which I was trying to keep separate, but failed to do so. Should I expect a major difference in seasoning times for the two? It's in a stack that likely won't be used until 2017/18 season, so maybe I don't need to worry too much?

I've been trying to keep my stacks species specific so I have go to's for certain times of the burning season. It's worked so far (keeping things separate), but a bunch of things caused me to mix the maples up this time.

I've started keeping a map of my stacks to help keep everything straight, which has helped a lot.

You have no worries, it will be ready for 17/18.

bob

 

[Bushfire]

Sounds like I'm all set. It's stacked with some cherry, so I should be nicely set for the 17/18 season, unless we have a doozy next winter and I have to dip into these stacks.

 

[heavy hammer]

I do not believe you will Be able to tell the difference between the two with that much time seasoning. As said earlier maple in general seasons relatively quickly, I bet you will be fine.

 

[Chuck the Canuck]

I'm very surprised to hear you guys talking about hard maple (sugar maple/rock maple) seasoning just as quick as silver maple.... Any rock maple I've dealt with is generally very heavy and dense and in my limited experience if you want to be burning rock maple with only 1 year of seasoning you're going to have to be splitting it mighty thin, elseways you're gonna be getting a whole lot of sizzling in your stove..... just saying......

 

[kennyp2339]

Rock maple - different maple family I believe, I think going by the posters location were talking about sugar maple & Norway maple. I could be wrong but that's what I was going on.

 

[Chuck the Canuck]

Rock maple - different maple family I believe, I think going by the posters location were talking about sugar maple & Norway maple. I could be wrong but that's what I was going on.

Oh sorry man, I guess I thought that sugar maple was hard maple, and I thought that hard maple was the same as rock maple.... although I'm starting to feel confused just trying to frame this reply Carry on!

 

[kennyp2339]

Oh sorry man, I guess I thought that sugar maple was hard maple, and I thought that hard maple was the same as rock maple.... although I'm starting to feel confused just trying to frame this reply Carry on!

Did a little morning reading - Sugar maple slang name is rock maple, there are 15 different species of maple in North America, some are invasive (like Norway maple - the soft maple)
I have burned both sugar and Norway and honestly I could not tell the difference in seasoning or burn times, the one thing that really stands out with maples is the difference between yard / field maples and forest maples, forest maples have a great strait grain (ease of cutting and splitting) while yard / field maples tend to have a grain that twists horribly due to prevailing winds (my two maples I took down in my yard looked like tornadoes hit them every month for 60 years)

 

[Bushfire]

There was a distinct difference in weight between the silver (not Norway) and sugar maple, sugar being noticeably heavier per similar sized split. The silver also split a lot more easily. My sugar maple had also grown up in the open so exhibited some of that twist that Kennyp mentioned. It also had a large number of crotches due to a large number of branches, so some pieces were a real pain to split. In fact, some I haven't even bothered with as I'm not short of wood and hitting a lump of wood 20 times to harvest a handful of splits it's not my idea of fun. Those will decompose over time in the woods or find their way to the campfire pile.

 

[Sprinter]

Oh sorry man, I guess I thought that sugar maple was hard maple, and I thought that hard maple was the same as rock maple.... although I'm starting to feel confused just trying to frame this reply Carry on!

Okay, carrying on, then, there is also our "Big Leaf Maple" in the PacNW, and I have no idea where it fits in with this whole thing, except that it seems to take forever to season (and it seems pretty hard).

Carry on...

 

[wolfe64]

Rock maple - different maple family I believe, I think going by the posters location were talking about sugar maple & Norway maple. I could be wrong but that's what I was going on.

Sugar maple is also known as Hard Maple and Rock Maple. I like to season it for at least 1 full year.

 

[kennyp2339]

Sugar maple is also known as Hard Maple and Rock Maple. I like to season it for at least 1 full year.

Did a little morning reading - Sugar maple slang name is rock maple, there are 15 different species of maple in North America, some are invasive (like Norway maple - the soft maple)
I have burned both sugar and Norway and honestly I could not tell the difference in seasoning or burn times, the one thing that really stands out with maples is the difference between yard / field maples and forest maples, forest maples have a great strait grain (ease of cutting and splitting) while yard / field maples tend to have a grain that twists horribly due to prevailing winds (my two maples I took down in my yard looked like tornadoes hit them every month for 60 years)

 

[heavy hammer]

Give it a year try some in the stove or with a meter if good use it if still wet let it season longer. Just put it in a good sunny windy spot it will dry.

 

[PWash]

ive burnt some bigleaf after a year and it was at 18-20% MC. seasons slower than alder or fir, but still doable.

... there is also our "Big Leaf Maple" in the PacNW, and I have no idea where it fits in with this whole thing, except that it seems to take forever to season (and it seems pretty hard).