Bulk Firewood Drying.

[jeff1632004]

Im just curious how some of you guys are drying your bulk firewood. Im in the logging business and interested in doing firewood but don't know how to dry several hundred cords without taking up a huge amount of space.

 

[STLfirewood]

I just throw my in a big pile. The pile will get 15ft tall or so. Wood s going to tak up the space it takes up.

Scott

 

[JackD_ME]

get a conveyor! The guys up here use them and their piles are 20+ feet high and 100 yards long.
I wish I could get that much ahead but it sells green faster than I can cut & yard!





I need a skidder, I need a skidder, I need a skidder. LOL

 

[jeff1632004]

Do the piles get stirred up every so often so the wood on the bottom drys better or do you just let them sit there for 6-8 months. thanks

 

[JackD_ME]

Just let them set. But when you sell it, make sure you tell them it's "seasoned" not DRY after six months. Dry wood has usually been split for a year.

 

[pacman]

wow

Just let them set. But when you sell it, make sure you tell them it's "seasoned" not DRY after six months. Dry wood has usually been split for a year.

I didnt know it was a difference in dry or seasoned . I thought seasoned was dry wood .
I use to stack my wood but I pile mine on pallets now . Seems like the big guys who sell alot pile theirs . I thank all of you on this site because I have learned alot .

(stil green )

Michael

 

[blackdoggy]

Do what I can't do, I have seen where a company further up north was using 40Ft overseas containers that were slightly modified to become drying barns. Now if you can get your paws on one of these long steel tobacco drying barns that uses propane the all you need to do is neatly stack your wood into carts and let it cook a few days or until your moisture content is at the level you want it.Let me know how my idea works for youopcorn:

 

[computeruser]

Just let them set. But when you sell it, make sure you tell them it's "seasoned" not DRY after six months. Dry wood has usually been split for a year.

Good point. I bought some seasoned-in-a-pile wood a few years ago. It was far from dry, despite having been cut and split for some time.

I have yet to see any wood that can be ready to burn after 6 months cut/split, at least in our climate here in Michigan. The stuff that's been cut and split for 1.5 years burns a LOT better. Oak will take at least 2 years to get to a proper burning state, in my experience.

 

[jeff1632004]

I use about 3 cords per year for my own personal use, if I stack it in one single row where the sun and the wind can get to both sides of the wood in early april, the wood will be ready to go in November, and its alot dryer and burns better than most of the stuff I have bought in the past although i have never checked it with a moisture meter. The fire wood that dries in a pile is a mixed bag of wet and dry firewood.

 

[motomedik]

My humble opinion is that if it's seasoned and piled, it will need to be stacked under cover at least a few months, to burn well. I too have only recently learned that there is a difference between seasoned and dry.

 

[MattB]

Drying is all about air flow.

Piling is better than stacking because there is more air space.

A truck load of hand tossed wood is lighter than the same truck bed stacked tightly...because of the air space.

Make your stacks in high, thin, wind rows at 90 degrees to the prevailing winds to maximize air flow through the piles.

Tarp the wood in the rainy season and take it off when it's dry.

Give it time.

 

[CRThomas]

I just pile mine up in logs or chunks how ever I get it to the yard then as I need it I split put it in my kiln the next day it's cooked dry but I only sell Ash as a business wood wood I end up with a bunch of trash wood I split it up in a pile $35.00 a pick up load as is you load pay cash before you load. Half of my wood is free because it cost $50.00 a load to dump so if trash wood gets bad I don't care. My Ash now I take care of it real nice that's my bread and butter. For drying wood a kiln is the only way to go I think well it works for me. I built a 40 kiln sold it was more than I needed and got good money for it my 20 ft also. Now I am looking for a 10 by 8 shipping container. That is going to be the right size Put my 2 rank of wood in the turn on the LNG run the temp up to a 160 with the right air flow with a 1 pound pop off value I can cook the water and sap out in 12 hours. Now that is only Ash Wood. My customers wood has to be 16 inch long straight grained and no bark wrap in what ever color they want. Took care of Xmas . Merry Xmas Arborites

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I don't sell dry wood. Not worth the extra work, people won't pay extra.

Log, processor, truck, customer. I do about 500 cords a year.

 

[Locoweed]

Had a day in late spring when it was 104 & 2% humidity. Add in some wind & everything dries out pretty quickly.