Beech wood

[noremi]

Is there any difference in blue beech wood and regular beech wood? I have access to lots of regular beech wood and was wondering if it would make good firewood? I see a lot of positive posts about beech but wondering if they might be referring to blue beech since I saw the BTU rating for blue beech quite a bit higher.

 

[mercer_me]

I love beech it's my favorite wood to burn, but it's wicked stringy and it splits hard. But it burn for a long time.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

Beech is your firewood friend

Beech is some of the best firewood IMO. Around here we call blue beech, iron wood, and the trees dont get very big that I have ever seen. Blue beech burns excellent but is super hard, the sparks fly when cuttin.

 

[Joshlaugh]

They are a different species of tree.

Blue beech is also known as American Hornbeam, muscle wood, and ironwood(At least here in Ohio). The tree has smooth gray bark but as the ripples in it like a muscle under skin. They don't get very tall or have a big DBH. Mostly an understory tree. I have burned some and it does burn hot and long.

American Beech is the tall smooth gray barked tree that can hollow out in the middle over time. I have not had the opportunity to burn any but there are lots of guys here that have.

 

[lmbeachy]

I burn a lot of Beech, I like it just as good as oak.

 

[PA Plumber]

American Beech is good stuff.

Have been letting it season at least a year.

Nice flame and needs minimal draft.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

Also american beech does not last long on the ground, tops will go doughty after about 1 year and bigger stuff (stalk wood) wont last much longer, 2 years max. if your lucky.

 

[lfnh]

They are a different species of tree.

Blue beech is also known as American Hornbeam, muscle wood, and ironwood(At least here in Ohio). The tree has smooth gray bark but as the ripples in it like a muscle under skin. They don't get very tall or have a big DBH. Mostly an understory tree. I have burned some and it does burn hot and long.

American Beech is the tall smooth gray barked tree that can hollow out in the middle over time. I have not had the opportunity to burn any but there are lots of guys here that have.

American Beech cut in the winter, opened up, stacked and covered is a good fuelwood. Like TS said, left on the ground it gets punky quick.

Blue Beech (4-6"dbh is a good stem) dried for year plus is a favorite.

 

[willsaw4beer]

American Beech is good stuff.

Have been letting it season at least a year.

Nice flame and needs minimal draft.

I agree. It's in a class above red oak and sugar maple.

The only woods that heat better are the smaller rarer trees like hornbeams, hedge, etc.

 

[Steve NW WI]

They are a different species of tree.

Blue beech is also known as American Hornbeam, muscle wood, and ironwood(At least here in Ohio)

Just wondering how this tree is related to the Eastern Hophornbeam, which we call ironwood here, and since I joined AS, has become more of a prize for me than "that 6" fencepost sized trash that always tips over my trails in the woods"

EHHB is heavier than damn near anything wet, doesn't lose much weight after drying, and burns as good as if not better than white oak. The only problem is that a "monster" might be 12" DBH, average of 4-6", takes a lot to make a load. I now cut every one I see tipped over, and save it for those 30 below nights.

EDIT: We don't have much, if any beech in this neck of the woods. Red Oak, some White Oak, Maple, Elm and Birch are the dominant species around here, and of course that $^%& Boxelder in every fence line.

 

[willsaw4beer]

Eastern Hophornbeam is my prized firewood.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

Just wondering how this tree is related to the Eastern Hophornbeam, which we call ironwood here, and since I joined AS, has become more of a prize for me than "that 6" fencepost sized trash that always tips over my trails in the woods"

They are all in the birch family, which includes hop-hornbeam, blue beach, several birches, and several alders.

 

[Steve NW WI]

They are all in the birch family, which includes hop-hornbeam, blue beach, several birches, and several alders.

Hard to believe a tree that hard is in the same family with soft stuff like birch, but now that you mentioned that, I remember seeing that on a tree ID site somewhere as well. Kinda like the 5'6" skinny kid with the 6'3" 350 lb brother!