We got it all wrong, wood shouldn't season more than a year.

[swagler85]

An older man from our church burns as well (outdoor burner). He had dibs on a few dead ash trees from another members yard. I asked him if he was going to go get them soon. He said no, I already enough for this year I don't want them. Told me that if i cut and split more than a year won't burn long enough even in his Brunco stove inside. He said if I already have enough for next year I should leave them in log length and not cut them up. I kindly explained that i am now up to three years c/s/s and my stove has performed much better with properly seasoned wood. He listened to me but concluded my stove must be different than his. Oh well I tried......

 

[Dune]

An older man from our church burns as well (outdoor burner). He had dibs on a few dead ash trees from another members yard. I asked him if he was going to go get them soon. He said no, I already enough for this year I don't want them. Told me that if i cut and split more than a year won't burn long enough even in his Brunco stove inside. He said if I already have enough for next year I should leave them in log length and not cut them up. I kindly explained that i am now up to three years c/s/s and my stove has performed much better with properly seasoned wood. He listened to me but concluded my stove must be different than his. Oh well I tried......

Happens all the time.
Wood that is too dry burns like paper.
All the heat is gone from that wood, that is why it is so light.
Etc.
Etc.
I don't bother much anymore.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Well Swagler, I'll tell you just what my old man always told me: "Boy, they's two things in life ya jest cant argue wif, intelligence an stupidity.'

 

[Beardog]

Your stove is different; it's cleaner

 

[firefighterjake]

I think it was Dennis who has pointed out on more than one occasion that water doesn't burn too well . . . in wood or in gasoline. That right there is the perfect answer for anyone who thinks that their firewood should be more on the "green" side.

 

[Wood Duck]

We learn to burn wood based on the condition of the wood we are used to. If you are used to burning wet wood you learn to add a lot of air, reload on a lot of hot coals, and expect the fire to progress a certain way. If you switch to seasoned wood but still burn the same way the fire gets too hot and the wood burns away too fast. I can understand why a person would think his stove is meant to burn unseasoned wood - it is because he has learned how to make it burn unseasoned wood.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Isn't wood supposed to have water hissing out the ends when burning it?

 

[Fod01]

Isn't wood supposed to have water hissing out the ends when burning it?

To protect the stove from over-firing..yes.

 

[bren582]

I just took delivery of a 2 cord special from a local wood guy. When he dumped the wood he commented on my nice neat covered stacks of weathered gray old looking wood and commented on how burning very old dry wood is bad, it burns to fast he said. I explained I burn last years wood this year and the wood he just delivered is for next year, He listed his wood as ready to burn in late January. Its mostly red oak with some Cherry and Maple mixed in. I split open a few of the red oak splits and didn't even bother to check it with the moister meter, I could see the water oozing from the fresh split.. Wood guy said it was split 6 mounts ago, logs down for over a year. I could never burn this in my clydesdale. would be a frustrating smoke filled affair. I plan on buying from this guy again as he gave me a good deal and really seemed like a nice guy but no point in trying to convince him that his close to seasoned wood is at a minimum a year away from being seasoned and ready to burn, well maybe it would burn in an open fireplace? but certainly not in my EPA-certified wood stove..

 

[begreen]

Ash is a different animal than oak. One year should be fine. If standing dead, maybe just a summer of dry out time after c/s/s should suffice?

 

[ScotO]

I've found that most wood, if standing dead for many years and the bark is gone (and the sapwood gone on oak), it's probably almost ready to burn. That is not ALWAYS the case, but I've cut, split and loaded straight into the basement many white oaks that had most likely been killed by the gypsy moth outbreak in the early 90's. They were barkless and had no sapwood at all left on them, and they were nearly bone dry when I split them. They burned great in my stove and left no creosote at all.....

Take that same tree and lay it on the ground, it's gonna need just as much seasoning time as green wood......

I think it's relative to the condition the tree is in, as well. Lots to factor in. If you question whether the wood is ready or not, get a moisture meter and end the guesswork......

 

[blades]

Over the years I've gotten seasoned wood, I just do not know what kind of seasoning they used on it, Jerky maybe?

 

[Dairyman]

Better no get to far ahead, it'll rot!

 

[Butcher]

As to the OP on the outdoor burner/ boiler, there are alot of folks using them in my neck of the woods. Out here in the flatlands we dont worry to much if at all about smoke. Everyone I know that has an outdoor burner burns and preferes green wood. Some, the greener the better and as big a hunks as can be picked up and thrown in the boiler. I know of at least 2 guys that have made thier own outta 500 gallon L.P. tanks. They burn RR ties, tires, the nieghbors dogs, you name it. As long as it heats the antifreeze going to the heat exchanger in the house it gets burnt. The biggest downside I see to and outdoor boiler is that when the power goes out around here as it often does is that your screwed.

 

[bogydave]

. He listened to me but concluded my stove must be different than his. ..

Stove definitely different.
Big part is you have to actually e willing to try something different. I have
conversations now & then that end up similar.

Different for sure : They "think" I'm wrong; I "know" they are wrong

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ash is a different animal than oak. One year should be fine. If standing dead, maybe just a summer of dry out time after c/s/s should suffice?

I am burning some ash that was dead when I cut it. That was in 2010. For the most part it is okay but another year would have really made this wood nice. Normally I would have been burning the wood cut in 2008-2009 which is a mix of soft maple and ash but I wanted the other wood out of the way so decided to burn it this year. I can really tell the difference in how this wood burns compared to the older wood. So some folks will burn ash in a year and some right away. Not in my house though! Sorry, but there is no shortcuts when it comes to good dry wood.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've found that most wood, if standing dead for many years and the bark is gone (and the sapwood gone on oak), it's probably almost ready to burn. That is not ALWAYS the case, but I've cut, split and loaded straight into the basement many white oaks that had most likely been killed by the gypsy moth outbreak in the early 90's. They were barkless and had no sapwood at all left on them, and they were nearly bone dry when I split them. They burned great in my stove and left no creosote at all.....

Take that same tree and lay it on the ground, it's gonna need just as much seasoning time as green wood......

I think it's relative to the condition the tree is in, as well. Lots to factor in. If you question whether the wood is ready or not, get a moisture meter and end the guesswork......

You are right Scott. We can cut dead elm (and cut after the bark has fallen off) and burn the top half of the tree but that bottom half is full of moisture. You mentioned white oak. We picked up some white oak this year and if anyone is curious and has a MM, I welcome them to come test the wood. I won't split it until next spring but I'm guessing it will still take 2 years before that stuff is ready to burn. Oh, and it was cut 10 years ago.


On teaching others: Sometimes it just does not pay to confuse them with the facts if their mind is already made up.

 

[BobUrban]

Dennis - After 2+ and 3+ yrs CSS'd does ash create less "ash"?? I find that even though my stacks have been sitting in the wind for over a year(mostly dead standing ash) I get a lot of ash from ash. Mind you I do not have or want a MM and go with the "Dennis" school of thought - get ahead, way ahead and it will be fine. I know it is at or under 20% by the way it burns but it still creates more ash than elm or cherry. I have yet to burn any oak in this stove because I do not have much and it all needs a couple yrs to be ready.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Bob, I've heard of others having this problem but have to admit that we have never noticed it. For example during the fall months we burned nothing but white ash and I think it was about 6 weeks before we took any ash out of the stove. For sure it is sooner now but probably 2 weeks and bear in mind that we have a small firebox. So perhaps you are onto something. The wood we are burning right now was cut in 2009-2010 and I can tell you there is a big difference in this compared to the wood cut in 2008-2009. The latter is better. But as for ash, as stated, we just do not notice more ash with this.

 

[BobUrban]

Thanks Dennis - that is what I was expecting and that is also good news going forward. I have so much ash and access to so much more I will be burning it for years to come but as I get further and further ahead I will be burning 2/3/4+ yr CSS'd wood. I will be reporting my finding here as I I get out more than one yr. and beyond

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Bob, I am amazed every year just how much ash we still have to cut. I knew we had a lot of ash before this bug problem hit but once you start cutting, you then realize just how much you had. Our woods is looking pretty thin now but will get worse. Sad, but at least it will keep us warm.

 

[BobUrban]

Agreed - there is still a ton of it standing dead out there. I have a friend who owns a golf course and there are tons of ash trees he wants removed as soon as we get a real winter(ground freeze) so we can take equipment out there. Will be nice cutting on the course though. Drop the trees into the fairways and buck.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I thought perhaps we'd have some frost in the ground after this past week. There might be in some areas but not much. I tried to pull a log out but could not get traction. Made 4 nice holes to go through though. Had to change an area where I was hauling out wood because of mud. Crazy for this time of the year but on the other hand, I can live with it.

I'm curious because many years I've noticed that January 10 tends to be the big day. That is, Jan 10 is when the really cold weather hits us. Looks like we'll have very little snow by then so we might get a good freeze up this year. Certainly did not last year.

 

[Pallet Pete]

An older man from our church burns as well (outdoor burner). He had dibs on a few dead ash trees from another members yard. I asked him if he was going to go get them soon. He said no, I already enough for this year I don't want them. Told me that if i cut and split more than a year won't burn long enough even in his Brunco stove inside. He said if I already have enough for next year I should leave them in log length and not cut them up. I kindly explained that i am now up to three years c/s/s and my stove has performed much better with properly seasoned wood. He listened to me but concluded my stove must be different than his. Oh well I tried......

Its common sense really why do people us dry kindling ?

Pete

 

[Paulywalnut]

These wood delivery guys can't all have dry wood. Somebodys going to get stuck
with "unseasoned" wood. They're not letting hundreds of cords of wood dry stacked
up somewhere,