why 2 year old/seasoned wood for BK?

[2fireplacesinSC]

I was looking at the manual for the Sirocco 25 and it says I should use s/s wood (out of the rain) seasoned AT LEAST 24 months! Is that common for Blaze Kings? Seems a little exorbitant. I thought I have read where some people are able to season wood adequately in 6 months or less for use in a BK. Is there something different about the Sirocco 25?

 

[bholler]

I was looking at the manual for the Sirocco 25 and it says I should use s/s wood (out of the rain) seasoned AT LEAST 24 months! Is that common for Blaze Kings? Seems a little exorbitant. I thought I have read where some people are able to season wood adequately in 6 months or less for use in a BK. Is there something different about the Sirocco 25?

You need to be 20% or less for some people that will take 2 years some more some less it all depends on species size of splits location of the stacks relative humidity ect. I easily hit 20% or less in under a year but many cant.

 

[jharkin]

2 years? I wish. Where I live it can take 3 years to get heavy hardwoods like oak under 20%


6 months is a pipe dream for anything but pine split small. Doubt you read 6 months on here....

 

[webby3650]

Bout the same here. 2 years to get oak and hickory to 20%. Most manuals should say this in my opinion, maybe a few people would get closer to having seasoned wood.

 

[PA_Forester]

I was looking at the manual for the Sirocco 25 and it says I should use s/s wood (out of the rain) seasoned AT LEAST 24 months! Is that common for Blaze Kings? Seems a little exorbitant. I thought I have read where some people are able to season wood adequately in 6 months or less for use in a BK. Is there something different about the Sirocco 25?

I doubt it, I'm guessing that the 24 month figure is a very safe bet for all of North America. Our summers in PA are quite humid but I have no issue getting to <20% in a year (though I guess I should add that most of what I cut is standing dead, often barkless, and mostly white oak). I've always seasoned my wood two years, but my occupation puts me in contact with tons of wood so I'm never pushed to burn things a little early.
Get a moisture meter and check your wood, I'm sure you'll find many of your stuff is just fine so long as it is split and stacked well.

 

[Poindexter]

My Ashford 30 runs best with cord wood at 12-16% MC per handheld gizmo. How fast you can get your wood that dry, or however dry your stove in your install in your weather prefers is up to you.

 

[JA600L]

6 months may be possible if the wood is cut very small and single row stacked in the sun and wind.

 

[mellow]

Larger splits of hardwood will burn longer, they also take longer to season (2 years for me) unless you kiln dry them.

 

[tarzan]

Just my two cents but I have found the BK will happily keep my home warm with wood up to 25% moisture. This was a surprise to me since before I owned a cat stove, practically everything I read suggested that cat stoves were picky compared to tube stoves as far as moisture content.

Before anybody starts beating up on me, I don't make a habit out of burning wood that moist, just saying I could.

The big issue though, may be cat life.

Poindexter could probably tell you the moisture content of wood with great accuracy by just throwing it in his stove but his heating needs are much greater than the majority here.

 

[St. Coemgen]

AT LEAST 24 months!

To dry assume one year per inch (2.5 cm). So for most cut hard wood splits which are often (average) 5 cm thick or more ( 2 inches), you need two years (i.e. 24 months).

But that 24 months is really just 2 summers of drying, since wood does not dry much in the winter.

As others already stated, given more ideal conditions and thinner splits, the wood can dry to burning condition faster.

When in doubt, just buy a moisture meter and check your wood (but remember to check the interior of a fresh split).

 

[2fireplacesinSC]

Great info. Thanks. The 6 months was someone in Alaska with softwoods (but I repeat myself), or really just one season of drying. But their 1 season is like 20 hours of sun a day for many months if I remember correctly. I think my pine will dry well in the 1 season where I have it. My oak is just getting there but it's 12-14 months seasoned now. I'll know for sure though this winter.

 

[BKVP]

This thread has a great amount of comparisons taking place. How many of you are using a Delmhorst J2000? Perhaps you are using a different brand with a greater or lesser margin of error.

How many are checking the moisture content using 1/2" pins or 3/4" or 2" pins? How many are checking the end of the log versus splitting the log and taking the reading from the face of the fresh split?

Perhaps someone is measuring wood from the pile and it's 40 degrees or lower? Others could be checking the moisture content from a piece that has been in the house for 24 hours.

The point I hope I am making is there is little need for comparisons if we are not speaking from equal processes.

I would invite two or three contributors to develop a process, call it the HDC Method for measuring moisture content. Then when a new visitor to this site or contributors address this topic, we can all be speaking in an apples to apples comparison.

Otherwise, all bets are off....

 

[BKVP]

Here is the correction chart from Delmhorst.

 

[mwhitnee]

I have a BK King. I will say that my wood was not up to their MC specs and my stove did fine. When I threw a load in did I see white smoke spewing out the chimney when it was cold? Yes at times I did. Sometimes I used Envi Blocks, sometimes I didn't. I also had some water at the bottom of my chimney. I do not yet have a liner in as well. People have heard me say this multiple times here that my venting setup is "less than ideal".

It heated my house great and it really didn't complain, even on start up. I removed the cat after my first year of burning (last year, around 3.5-4 cords) with the stove and it was perfect.

Just my 2 cents, If BK stoves only took wood with that moisture content (really), they would be out of business.

 

[tarzan]

This thread has a great amount of comparisons taking place. How many of you are using a Delmhorst J2000? Perhaps you are using a different brand with a greater or lesser margin of error.

How many are checking the moisture content using 1/2" pins or 3/4" or 2" pins? How many are checking the end of the log versus splitting the log and taking the reading from the face of the fresh split?

Perhaps someone is measuring wood from the pile and it's 40 degrees or lower? Others could be checking the moisture content from a piece that has been in the house for 24 hours.

The point I hope I am making is there is little need for comparisons if we are not speaking from equal processes.

I would invite two or three contributors to develop a process, call it the HDC Method for measuring moisture content. Then when a new visitor to this site or contributors address this topic, we can all be speaking in an apples to apples comparison.

Otherwise, all bets are off....

That's a good point but I've got to say, count me out!

I have a good idea what it takes to safely keep my family warm but long ago gave my moisture meter away, whatever brand it was. I now season wood for two or three years and don't worry much about it beyond that. The bottom line is, that's as much as I'm willing to do or have space to do so it will have to do.

 

[DUMF]

Let a seasoned lurker jump in on this. Ours is a no central heat home, wood heated for so long (sic) using from 3-8 cords ( the VT. real cord )
a year.
Tarzan and the BKVP nailed it: too many variables with or without a meter to tell the "when" it's right seasoned wood for ANY stove, cat or non.
When you get those years under your belt seriously heating with wood, you'll know when that firewood is ready. BeGreen and others here have posted how without the moisture meter. Who has that kind of OCD time to stick that meter into every piece of firewood anyhow ?
Test to come:
1. The splits gray/weather
2. the splits show end splitting
3. The splits 'ring' when banged together (wet splits 'thud' )
4. They feel light(er) than when you cut and split them
5. Your piles shrink ( no, not that )
6. And, you know that firewood is unseasoned when you hear and see and smell the sizzle.
7. Fires are difficult to start without heavy accelerant (sp.) or the whole Sunday NY Times.
8. You get sick of looking at that 3+ years old stack.
...and you didn't build that wood shed, did you ?

 

[ohlongarm]

I was looking at the manual for the Sirocco 25 and it says I should use s/s wood (out of the rain) seasoned AT LEAST 24 months! Is that common for Blaze Kings? Seems a little exorbitant. I thought I have read where some people are able to season wood adequately in 6 months or less for use in a BK. Is there something different about the Sirocco 25?

Most of my wood is two years but I had some red oak that had direct sun most of the time and it dried beautifully in 17 months,will burn some this year. I don't get too anal with moisture meters and such,but basically rely on color weight and the resounding crack when two pieces are whacked together.This will be my sixth year with a BK,five with the Ultra. The parlor has never been fired up yet,and hopefully won't be until late October.Here's th pile that get alot of sun. shown is two piles 100 feet long each,four feet tall.Some ash on the end,but mostly red oak. Sunshine is at a premium back in these woods.I wouldn't be bothered by 20%25%if that's all I had the BK will handle it.

 

[2fireplacesinSC]

No on the wood shed. Pallets with tarps

But I've got 7 pallets stacked high and drying, with my oldest wood 3+ years out. Probably half pine, half oak that's 1 year out. I'm a newbie and just getting started. Limited time and lots of shade.

The post though was really why BK says at least 24 months seasoned out of the elements, and then also specifies the 25% or lower reading on the moisture meter. Seems the group consensus is that's for non moisture meter users and just to be on the safe and ideal side of burning efficiently.

I don't have a sirocco (yet, but hopefully). I was reading the manual getting install and clearance info when I came across this tidbit. Thought I'd ask since I hated to get into a stove that requires 2 year seasoned wood.

 

[branchburner]

I think it's great that BK suggests using two-year wood. Can you get good results with less-seasoned wood? Of course. But if they suggested seasoning wood for 12 months, what would many people do? Try to get away with burning wood seasoned only 9 months, or 6 months.

There is something I call the "iron law of owner's manuals" which essentially states that people who even bother to thoroughly read them (very few to start with) make their own biased decisions on what information to take as gospel and what information to alter, or to ignore altogether (including a lot of CYA liability stuff).

If you assume the slowest-curing wood, like oak, in the slowest-curing climate of a humid or rainy few years, then the 24-month suggestion might actually be insufficient. My own guideline is about 18 months minimum for most species, and I double that for oak... simply because I CAN. Sure, two-year oak burns fine... but three-year oak burns BETTER. Who doesn't like better?

As for moisture meters, if you get ahead on your seasoned wood supply they are a needless waste of time. Why would I ever need to bother, other than for the sake of academic curiosity, what the exact moisture content of my three-year stack is? My stove is very good at telling me the cold, hard truth of what a moisture meter tells me in theory.

I have to imagine many meters have told people their wood is good to burn, and their stove told them otherwise... and many meters have told people their wood is NOT good to burn, and yet their stove made no complaint. I trust the stove over the meter, and my stoves (several different EPA models of different burn technologies) have repeatedly told me that one year of seasoning is often not enough for optimal performance.

 

[branchburner]

just to be on the safe and ideal side of burning efficiently.

Exactly.

Which is a tribute to BK, as it shows they have the best interest of the end user in mind. Consider the opposite: a company that told end users they could burn green wood with no ill effect. A way to fool people into buying the stove, which could bring a short-term boost in sales... and a long-term boost in confused and unhappy customers.

 

[Highbeam]

Exactly.

Which is a tribute to BK, as it shows they have the best interest of the end user in mind. Consider the opposite: a company that told end users they could burn green wood with no ill effect. A way to fool people into buying the stove, which could bring a short-term boost in sales... and a long-term boost in confused and unhappy customers.

So I've got a few BK years under my belt now and I think they were being overly cautious with the 24 month requirement. I recommend ignoring that but respecting the moisture % numbers. Even local laws require wood under 20% moisture. It just so happens that a great way to get wood this dry is to let it season for 24 months.

Also, this concept of covered (out of the rain) for the entire drying period is often debated on this forum. I certainly cover up the coming year's wood while it is very dry in the summer.

In the attached photo is 3 years plus of wood for me. I cover the wood that I plan to burn this year only which is those first three rows (just under 4.5 cords) plus I'll soon cover one more for a safety net.

Yes, a wood shed would be better. Yes, I can get softwood under 20% in 6 months of summer. Yes, getting three years ahead is a great feeling.

 

[edyit]

yes it is a great feeling, explaining to the wife that the 2 full cords in the garage because the woodshed is full does not make me a hoarder is not such a great feeling.

 

[Highbeam]

yes it is a great feeling, explaining to the wife that the 2 full cords in the garage because the woodshed is full does not make me a hoarder is not such a great feeling.

So explain it like this, wood needs years to season properly. Also, if you become injured or sick you may not be able to process wood one year and having that fuel stored means you will have high quality fuel to stay warm. Sometimes you just run into a great deal where you've got to get it while it's free or cheap, the opportunity may not come back.

Finally, it's a hobby. Instead of processing fuel you could be out at a bar causing mischief and spending money.

 

[edyit]

oh she gets that it needs to be seasoned, we both grew up on wood heat, she just thinks that the 6 full cords in the shed is enough that we didn't need 2 more in the garage, but when burning starts here in a few weeks all talk of too much wood will cease

 

[branchburner]

explaining to the wife that the 2 full cords in the garage because the woodshed is full does not make me a hoarder is not such a great feeling.

Ya, it would be easier to admit you ARE a hoarder.

My wife wants me to get even further ahead in the wood department. Makes me wonder if she knows something I don't, regarding my future.