White birch, Yellow Birch, Elm

[mainstation]

Just cut a bush cord of firewood with most of it being Yellow, White Birch and more Elm than I would have liked. Buddy clammed out a few grapples and I cut. Was supposed to be Maple and Ash, so the price will go down. What are your thoughts for heating with these three species. I have had good luck with White Birch before. There was two logs of Basswood--they are still there.

 

[smokinj]

elm and white birch are pretty good never seen any yellow but should be a lot like the white.

 

[LLigetfa]

Birch is my second choice when I cannot get Ash. It takes a little longer to season and the bark can be a PITA. Birch should be split right away and top covered to keep rain off it.

I find I get a lot more slivers handling Birch than I do from Ash so gloves are a must. Birch is harder to split than Ash but not nearly as bad as Elm.

 

[CT-Mike]

I think you will find that yellow birch rates at 23.6 MBTU's/cord, just below red oak at 24 MBTU's/cord. Very good firewood.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I think you will find that yellow birch rates at 23.6 MBTU's/cord, just below red oak at 24 MBTU's/cord. Very good firewood.

The Yellow Birch should be the best fuelwood out of the three, IMO. We were on vacation in Vermont years ago, and there were rounds that were cut down behind a hotel-being that it was Yellow Birch, and I don't see that here in PA., I asked them if I could have a round to take back home, and they said yes. It was damn fine fuelwood, better than White Birch.

I don't see much Elm here in my area, believe it or not. You'll like the Yellow Birch; wish I could score some down here....

 

[pybyr]

I like Yellow Birch very much as firewood-- far better than white birch. Yellow has a lot of heat content, seems to dry reasonably fast and well, and, in complete contrast to the white, will do a nice long burn with a good bed of coals. It can be pretty grim to split if you're dealing with trees that didn't grow straight or have a lot of large branches (internal grain can be wavy and stringy).

 

[peakbagger]

I will mirror the comment about yellow brich being difficult to split. Many a splitter has been challenged by the stuff.

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, I can thank Birch for finally getting a log splitter.

 

[Wood Duck]

I think all three of those species are good, with Yellow birch rising into the very good category.

 

[Wood Duck]

What is a bush cord?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Wood Duck, I do believe it is a standard cord; 128 cu. in.

 

[firefighterjake]

While I too would prefer ash and sugar maple . . . yellow birch, white birch and elm aren't bad woods to have. As mentioned yellow birch is pretty decent . . . and elm (while miserable to split by hand when fresh cut) burns fantastic as well. White birch is the least desirable of the wood . . . but it isn't anything to turn your nose up at . . . it burns well enough . . . doesn't have the BTUs of oak or some other species . . . but it still produces good heat.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Wood Duck, I do believe it is a standard cord; 128 cu. in.

That's a SMALL cord there Dennis....LOL!

 

[dougstove]

Yellow birch makes the best, most sustained coal beds of anything I burn (sugar maple, white birch, a bit of ash).
The burn properties are nothing like white birch, it is far denser and burns much longer.
But it sometimes has a crinkled grain, almost corrugated, that is difficult to split.
I know old timers around here used to use it for oxen yokes, for that reason.

I sometimes envy reading about some of you guys farther south, with all your variety and pictures of huge hardwoods.

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Elm smells bad, but yellow birch has a good scent (a bit mild compared to Black Birch, but still good)
Yellow birch is real good to have in your pile so is white birch.......I save the smaller stuff (makes great kindling)


WoodButcher

 

[FireAnt]

Been burning white birch and oak here. I would take white birch anytime.

 

[mtarbert]

Elm is a B@@@@ to split by hand. Not worth the trouble but, if you have a splitter I have found that after it is split burns well and dries out rather quickly.

 

[CrawfordCentury]

It's in the vicinity of 40° today and white birch is filling the stove - no need to go with the denser woods which would be a waste on such a mild day.

Yellow is some fine wood. Haven''t had the problem splitting it that others here have had. I find black birch to be more of a challenge.

Usually I don't even fuss with splitting elm. Noodle it into quarters and be done with it.