Ash? Not Impressed

[Whitespider]

I’ve been burning some of the ash in the fire pit, and I’m nowhere near as impressed as some of y’all. The tree blew over winter before last, I bucked it this past winter, and split it last month… some of it was plenty dry enough to use. First of all, it wasn’t any easier to split than a lot of the standing-dead elm I do. Heat output is decent, but not what I’d call great. It doesn’t make nice after-dark flames like I’m lookin’ for at the fire pit. It burns fairly fast, seems like I have to add wood to the fire more often than burning even elm. It doesn’t coal-up all that well, and what coals you do get are short lived… not much good at all for building cookin’ fires.

Maybe I’ll like it more in the furnace firebox this coming winter… but so far, not so much. Goin’ on what I’ve seen, I’d haf’ta say it’s (so-called) “shoulder season” wood at best… and not even as good as standing-dead elm for that purpose. With EAB on its way to my area I thought I’d be well supplied with excellent standing-dead firewood in my woodlot for the coming years… Now I’m not so sure. When dad saw me haulin’ it out of the woodlot he asked why I was wasting my time on that stuff… and when I told him it was supposed to be great firewood he just shook his head and said, “Boy, the only great firewood in that woodlot is the oak… but you’ll learn the hard way I guess. By-the-way, ya’ better be burnin’ that hard maple this comin’ winter, or it’ll be crap by the winter after.” I’m thinkin’ he’s right, as he always seems to be.

 

[blades]

Maple if its laying on the ground, yep it will bad, ifin ya got it split and stacked in the wind and up off the ground it will be fine. Nothing wrong with Ash, sure it aint Oak or Locust or Hedge ect. still keeps old man Jack Frost at bay.

 

[AIM]

I have noticed considerable differences between different varieties of ash. I can't yet tell one variety from another but the stuff I get from creek behind my house is great stuff. The ash I have gotten so far from a woods that I cut in is adequate at best. I think there are 3 different varieties.

 

[dsell]

Ash wood wet or ash wood dry, a King will warm his slippers by.

I don't do many open pit fires, but I'm not impressed with Green ash in my wood burner. Usually, a good part of the tree is rotten around here.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I have had Ash that burns like that, but the majority of it IS great fuelwood and burns very well; I think it just seems to happen from time to time that you get some that isn't impressive-I don't know if it is a certain species of it or if the tree is just "punky" but at times I've had trees like that that are supposed to be great but sucked-the last being a really big Black Locust that was unhealthy and a tree guy dumped it at the local stoveshop for us to use. It was just very "soft" and I was really unimpressed with it even though I've had Black Locust that kicked-ass; it just seems to happen from time to time that you get a "lemon", unless the Ash in your area isn't a good species for fuelwood?

I know you said it was split awhile ago but was it wet perhaps?

 

[greendohn]

I love ASH. We have bunches of it around here and I have been cutting it for years. It doesn't seem to put up with being on the ground for very long in most cases and usually splits easy,clean and straight.
I have had 'em where you really have to work to get 'em processed, but that's pretty rare.
Also had some in the wood pile for a few years, covered on top and off the ground, which had lost most of it's heat value. I try to get it burned within a couple years. Usually the 1st year i cut it.
They usually grow very large and straight with most limbs in the upper canopy.
It sure aint oak or hickory but the ease of cutting/processing,(in most cases) makes it one of my favorite fire woods.

 

[sunfish]

Come on man, everybody likes a little Ash!

Nothing as good as White Oak for me though!

 

[sachsmo]

White, Black, Green, Blue, and all sorts of other Ash trees. 60 some varieties.



Mostly White Ash around my woodlot, has wonderful bright orange flames, and splits very nicely.

Not the longest burning stuff, but it was prized by the Women Folk back in the days of wood cook stoves.

Easy to get going and very easy to knock down to stove size.

I LOVE Ash!

 

[aaronmach1]

its all white ash i think where im at. All killed by the eab. this is all ash ive got in the last month, the pile all from cutting last week.I hope it burns good! Got some splittin to do this weekend.stacks are 18 feet long and 5 feet high for referance.

 

[sachsmo]

Yup,

EAB done killed them all around here too.
I do some milling and love the way the bark peels off and leaves all the roving from the larvae.

Don't have much experience with other types of Ash, just the White. I think you will be pleased with those stacks next Winter.
Doesn't last like Oak and Hickory, but it flames up quick and puts out loads of heat.

Haven't got a clue what kind the O.P. was referring to, but if he thinks Elm is better, I'm glad we have White Ash around here.

 

[ShaneLogs]

its all white ash i think where im at. All killed by the eab. this is all ash ive got in the last month, the pile all from cutting last week.I hope it burns good! Got some splittin to do this weekend.stacks are 18 feet long and 5 feet high for referance.

I got some Ash just like what you got. Some of seemed to split fairly easy with the splitter. Some of the other Ash was a total pain to split and I just gave up trying to split it kept getting a bunch of 'uglies' in the wood pile so I gave up and started noodle cutting. The pieces that didn't have knots and crocks in them split fairly easily. Busted right open for me Got any pictures of you with your Ash ?

 

[A100HVA]

i pick out ALL the red oak,and ash that comes in. i keep the red oak for my self and sell the ash for dry wood if anybody wants it. i personally would not buy ash wood to burn for myself,the red oak is top shelf if you ask me!

 

[ShaneLogs]

Looks like nice wood. Do you keep the White Birch to burn for your self or do you sell that too ?

 

[Whitespider]

Haven't got a clue what kind the O.P. was referring to, but if he thinks Elm is better, I'm glad we have White Ash around here.

It’s White Ash, lots of it in my woodlot. The tree has been down for 18-19 months, bucked in February, split a month ago. What I’ve been burning ain’t wet… just ain’t no way wet wood will burn that readily and that fast. It also ain’t punky or rotten… nice solid wood. The bark is still clinging to most of it, but some of the upper branches had lost it (and that’s what I’ve been burning).

The reason I think standing-dead elm is better (and this is just going on the burning characteristics in an outdoor fire pit)…

1. Ash burns quick - elm burns longer… a lot longer.
2. Ash tends to pop and throw a few sparks - elm does not… ever.
3. Ash has a lazy, mono-colored flame - elm produces a dancing, colorful flame.
4. Ash doesn’t coal-up much, and what few coals there are produce little heat, burn-out fast - elm makes a big pile of hot, hot coals that last and last and last (we cook every night on the firepit).
5. I found ash to be just as bothersome (stringy) to split as a lot of the standing-dead elm I do (so no advantage there).
6. Even if cut “green” any elm sitting in rounds as long as that ash did would have had the bark lifting (meaning I would have left all the bark in the woodlot when I split it).

That’s comparing it to American Elm… ash isn’t even in the same league as Red Elm in my opinion (so far, anyway).

 

[Chris-PA]

Man, your description just doesn't sound like white ash that I know, and it is my primary firewood. I don't know about a fire pit, as I rarely bother and I only throw junk in there anyway. In a stove my favorites are red oak and white ash. I have very little green (Pennsylvania) ash, and most of that has been hit much harder by ash yellows and is rotten. I'm curious about the sparking comment, as that is not behavior I've noticed from ash. It may be that it does much better with secondary combustion systems than burning in the open. As for splitting, I've found white ash is just as easy as red oak - usually just whack it with a sharp 4-1/2lb axe and it falls apart in a couple of hits.

I will say that ash trees will get punky, and they do so gradually and it seems to extend though the wood evenly - there is a wide variation from clearly rotten to solid, but you can pick up an in-between log and it seems OK at first glance.

 

[Whitespider]

 

[A100HVA]

Looks like nice wood. Do you keep the White Birch to burn for your self or do you sell that too ?

nope, i ship the white birch out along with the yellow birch that i'm presently getting. sometimes i get black birch too...sure smells good in the spring when the sap's runnin' :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[haveawoody]

Whitespider,

Ahh your spoilt on standing dead elm now
Dito for me, good dry white ash and good dry american elm isn't a contest for firepit or woodstove.
Btu near identical but burn time for the american elm is much much longer.

Then again if you cut the elm green cure and compare it's a different ballgame.
I guess that is why so many people pick ash over elm.

Funny side story early this week.
Had a dead day so decided to go kiji huntin and see what i would find.

Found an add that said trees down in storm needed to be removed not far from home.
I arrived to a few white ash blowdowns and about 5 guys arguing over who gets what.
I also noticed a very big rock elm no one was interested in and said i will take that, with two people laughing about me taking it.

If they only knew that the 4 cords of rock i got was so much better than the 4 or 5 of ash they divided
Only thing i could think was (turnip truck) after my second trailer load LOL

 

[haveawoody]

Whitespider,
Please do tell how you got that spring loaded ash down?
Last time i saw that picture it looked like a crushing in waiting.

 

[aaronmach1]

wow you split it really small. doesit burn better that way?