Help: Storing Paper/White Birch for the Year

[Joe Homeowner]

Like most of the unfortunate "homeowners" or "weekend warrior" class, we burn and harvest what's around us.

This Downeast woodlot has a majority of spruce/fir and Paper/White Birch and Red/Soft Maple for firewood that's used for the 6-8 cords/year for 24/7, 99% wood heat ( LP space heater used for those winter getaways up north for climbs and XC ).

With the economy in the tank ( please vote, it's your duty, that you owe to the country BTW ) pulp is not worth the effort to harvest here in Maine now. So firewood it is.

The S.O.P. is to cut now into winter with hard, dry ground, bring the 18"-20" butts to a stack, then split in the spring. The Birch that is ~50% of the firewood begins to punk up ( "pooched" ) even in the few months of open stacking. Yes, we score the bark before bucking which helps some. But the Birch still begins to rot on the ends.
With at least 2-4 cords of stacked butts there is no chance of covering.

Suggestions from experience ? WoodBooga ? Zogger ?

 

[ponyexpress976]

get it split asap and above all, get it off the ground.

 

[zogger]

Ain't no way around it, got to be split and stacked. Birch is OK wood, but it has to be processed soon after cutting.

Not much birch around here, a few odd "river" birch? Might be what it is. I miss seeing birch-y woods though. And the blue jays. Got a few of those guys here, but not too many.

 

[Whitespider]

Like zogger says, ain't no way around it.
Paper Birch has to be split ASAP... even the small stuff!
Don't cover it still in the round! That will only accelerate the rotting process.
Keep it off the ground, split ASAP (preferably the same day it's cut), stack it off the ground and don't cover it until its had time to dry some... Oh, and did I mention ya' need to keep it off the ground?

 

[Joe Homeowner]

get it split asap and above all, get it off the ground.

Ain't no way around it, got to be split and stacked. Birch is OK wood, but it has to be processed soon after cutting.

Not much birch around here, a few odd "river" birch? Might be what it is. I miss seeing birch-y woods though. And the blue jays. Got a few of those guys here, but not too many.

Like zogger says, ain't no way around it.
Paper Birch has to be split ASAP... even the small stuff!
Don't cover it still in the round! That will only accelerate the rotting process.
Keep it off the ground, split ASAP (preferably the same day it's cut), stack it off the ground and don't cover it until its had time to dry some... Oh, and did I mention ya' need to keep it off the ground?

Now Spider, we get it. We get it. ( As said: not covered. Stacked, as said, in the open. ) Asked and answered......

Too much to do in the winter harvest to split and stack; not part of the S.O.P. So maybe an adjustment of the process is in order. Anyone here also score the bark before bucking Birch ?

 

[Somesawguy]

Get some pallets to keep it off the ground, and split it. Birch rots fast.

 

[Garmins dad]

Around here we find off the ground and split and under cover with out getting rained on. keep it dry, dry, dry...

 

[Steve NW WI]

Hey Joe, notice a theme here yet?

Split it, and stack it off the ground. Make the time to do it, or just leave it to rot in the woods. White birch is good firewood, done right.

 

[GVS]

Like most of the unfortunate "homeowners" or "weekend warrior" class, we burn and harvest what's around us.

This Downeast woodlot has a majority of spruce/fir and Paper/White Birch and Red/Soft Maple for firewood that's used for the 6-8 cords/year for 24/7, 99% wood heat ( LP space heater used for those winter getaways up north for climbs and XC ).

With the economy in the tank ( please vote, it's your duty, that you owe to the country BTW ) pulp is not worth the effort to harvest here in Maine now. So firewood it is.

The S.O.P. is to cut now into winter with hard, dry ground, bring the 18"-20" butts to a stack, then split in the spring. The Birch that is ~50% of the firewood begins to punk up ( "pooched" ) even in the few months of open stacking. Yes, we score the bark before bucking which helps some. But the Birch still begins to rot on the ends.
With at least 2-4 cords of stacked butts there is no chance of covering.

Suggestions from experience ? WoodBooga ? Zogger ?

MUST be split else it will rot in the bark. Indians made canoes of the bark because it is watertight!

 

[BrokenToys]

..and keep it off the ground ....

 

[snowdingo]

Out here white birch is one of the better options for firewood, but to make it worthwhile you have to go through the extra effort to cut and split as soon as possible and stack to dry. Once it goes punky, it's worthless.

I cut and split my birch a year in advance to ensure it has had a chance to dry properly.

 

[Joe Homeowner]

OK, as the man with the patriotic bra said: ..."notice a theme". opcorn:
So it's scored, bucked, of course stacked OFF THE GROUND for later splitting.

So:
1. Cover the butts ? ( Not simple. The 6-8 cords for this winter are in the wood shed. Tarps are PITA's. Maybe steel roofing sections from fallen barns ? )
2. Split sooner ? ( Winter is a busy time for handling the wood stoves, harvesting for the next season, volunteer responsibilities, recreation. Hey, we deserve it. )

Scoring doesn't do enough to prevent the Birch from starting to rot even in a few months in the open.

Thanks.

 

[Steve NW WI]

2.

Find the time, it will be well worth it in the end. You don't really need to split em to final firewood size if you're real pressed for time, just open em up, halve the smaller ones, quarter the bigger stuff, and come back for final splitting later if that works for you.

I CAN show ya a piece of white birch that's not rotted without splitting or scoring, but it's spent the last 50 years as a roof stringer, 7' off the ground and under a roof the whole time. Other than that, your odds are pretty poor of keeping it around a while.

For inspiration, here's a chunk of 1 year aged white birch (out of the woodshed though, don't have any stacked outside right now):

 

[Joe Homeowner]

They have those bras for sale in Green Bay Steve ?
They come with cheese hats ?
Sizes ?

Covering and partially splitting makes sense...good suggestion.

 

[woodbooga]

Not much left to say but to offer words of agreement. That bark is like a big hug that holds in what rots it. Unsplit birch of most any variety is like a bad marriage of good firewood and moistness. In the interest of all parties, the divorce lawyers from Dewey, Splittum & Howe should be called in to intercede.

 

[Joe Homeowner]

Not much left to say but to offer words of agreement. That bark is like a big hug that holds in what rots it. Unsplit birch of most any variety is like a bad marriage of good firewood and moistness. In the interest of all parties, the divorce lawyers from Dewey, Splittum & Howe should be called in to intercede.

Booga, you got to get the law firm name correct from our friends @ Click & Clack:

DEWEY, CHEATUM, AND HOWE.

A short story about the Car Guys. That sign is still written in gold on their 2nd floor office in the center of Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA . The guys had a garage nearby--The Good News Garage-- in the less tony sections of Cambridge where us cheap grad students could work on their cars. They rented specialzed tools ( e.g. balljoint remover, ring installers, engine lifts ) that you'd do in the now prohibited "pits". Anyone remember that garages used floor pits to work on cars ? The insurance requirements killed that garage fast way back in the late 70's-80's.

You're right about Paper Birch, even scored thru the bark, it starts to pooch in only a few months in the round. Appreciate the blast from the past.

 

[doobie57z]

I would think if you stored it indoors in a heated building it would decay less. But I wouldn't know for sure, because I'd just take some time and split it

 

[woodbooga]

Booga, you got to get the law firm name correct from our friends @ Click & Clack:

DEWEY, CHEATUM, AND HOWE.

A short story about the Car Guys. That sign is still written in gold on their 2nd floor office in the center of Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA . The guys had a garage nearby--The Good News Garage-- in the less tony sections of Cambridge where us cheap grad students could work on their cars. They rented specialzed tools ( e.g. balljoint remover, ring installers, engine lifts ) that you'd do in the now prohibited "pits". Anyone remember that garages used floor pits to work on cars ? The insurance requirements killed that garage fast way back in the late 70's-80's.

You're right about Paper Birch, even scored thru the bark, it starts to pooch in only a few months in the round. Appreciate the blast from the past.

Glad to oblige - I was just over to Maine today. Visited with my good friends, the Pinn brothers - Bobby and Roland.

jk - travels did take me out to out and around Tatnick, though.

 

[Joe Homeowner]

Glad to oblige - I was just over to Maine today. Visited with my good friends, the Pinn brothers - Bobby and Roland.

jk - travels did take me out to out and around Tatnick, though.

Need a full disclosure:
1. "Roland Pinn" ?
2. "Tatnick" ?

Some slow this morning Booga.

 

[Marc]

Need a full disclosure:
1. "Roland Pinn" ?
2. "Tatnick" ?

Some slow this morning Booga.

.... rollin' pin, bobby pin

Have 'nother cup a coffee, I just finished my first