Wood burning recipe

[ckarotka]

This year I have a rather poor selection of wood. Quantity is fine but quality is low.
Pine
poplar
maple
cherry
oak

I have more poplar than anything and limited amounts of cherry and oak. So does anyone else make a recipe to load the stove like I'm planning on doing to conserve the good stuff.

Shoulder season= lots of pine and poplar (this ones a gimmie)
once I go 24/7= poplar and pine when I'm home then before bed or an outing 1 pine 2cherry and maybe 2 oak.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Save the maple, cherry and oak for when the Canadians send those northwesterlies whippin across that frozen lake. I would burn the pine and poplar exclusively until they aren't enough to keep the house warm.

 

[ckarotka]

Save the maple, cherry and oak for when the Canadians send those northwesterlies whippin across that frozen lake. I would burn the pine and poplar exclusively until they aren't enough to keep the house warm.

Sounds good to me. My dad thinks I'm crazy because I have all my wood stacked by species and I told him I would have and order to burn it in. He doesn't doubt the theory, just is very surprised how wood burning has advanced over the years, since he loaded a coal shoot as a kid.

My dad really has accepted change throughout his life, my uncle on the other hand, still burns kinda wet and to low fires no matter how much I try to educate him. He has to clean chunks from his stove pipe every two weeks. I've impressed the dangers of what he's doing with no real change in habits.

 

[smokinj]

I would try to keep cutting, Ash or beech would be a great find for you!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Poplar and pine will still heat you. You will just burn more of it. Keep collecting for next year.

Matt

 

[Backwoods Savage]

To keep it as simple as possible, one can just say save the best wood you have until January and February. If not enough to burn through those 2 months, then is it save the best wood you have until January and February nights.

Even during the coldest part of winter there are only a very few days we burn the best wood during the daytime hours. But on those cold windy days when the temperature struggles to get above zero or even up to 10 degrees, then we burn some really good wood during the daytime. Otherwise we burn the wood that won't hold fire as long. If we have to add wood a time or two extra during the day, that is okay because someone is usually in the house. If we are to be gone 3 or 4 hours, again there is no problem.

 

[firefighterjake]

Like normal I agree with Dennis . . . keep it simple. I don't bother segregating my wood, but during the shoulder season I tend to toss the better stuff to the side for use later on and burn the less desirable wood such as pine, poplar, etc. and keep the better stuff like maple, birch, ash, cherry, etc. for later. When I load up the woodshed if possible I'll stack the shoulder season further back (for the end of the season) and close to the front (for the start of the season) with the better stuff in the middle . . . but again, I don't get too hung up on having all the wood separated by species, coming up with the perfect mix of wood, etc.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

Save the maple, cherry and oak for when the Canadians send those northwesterlies whippin across that frozen lake. I would burn the pine and poplar exclusively until they aren't enough to keep the house warm.

That's always been my practice except I don't have any poplar, and the pine has always been more than enough to keep the house warm. However I do try to spice up the recipe a little with some Douglas Fir and some Walnut just so it doesn't get too boring.

 

[oldspark]

I have my wood seperated as best as I can because some of the woods are night and day difference, the wood for starting fires in the fall and spring are not the same as I use in the dead of the winter, it just makes it easier for me.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I segregate my wood also. It is not normally complicated because I usually process one tree at a time and so it gets stacked together. I also know by the order which is the oldest. I agree with keeping the best wood for January and Feb. I also think it is fine to mix the woods together and burn a little cocktail while you have a cocktail.