Just about go time

[jrider]

Just as the title says. It's just about go time for firewood processing. As per usual, I didn't get done as much as I hoped during the winter and spring so it's going to be a busy summer. Pictures include the logs to be processed, some wood I cut today, what I was able to get cut/split so far, and a picture of my small hop yard.

 

[Mustang71]

I try to get all my tree work done before the leaves are on the trees. I'm splitting and stacking now and cutting any left over logs that didn't get cut this winter. I try to stay a year or so ahead on the cutting too. But I only use 2 and 1/3 cords or 7 face cords. I think those are the same lol.

 

[muddstopper]

Just as the title says. It's just about go time for firewood processing. As per usual, I didn't get done as much as I hoped during the winter and spring so it's going to be a busy summer. Pictures include the logs to be processed, some wood I cut today, what I was able to get cut/split so far, and a picture of my small hop yard.View attachment 583290View attachment 583291View attachment 583292View attachment 583293View attachment 583294View attachment 583295View attachment 583296View attachment 583297

You make your own beer? or sell hops

 

[svk]

Looking good.

IIRC you had some shoulder or back issues last fall, are you feeling better now?

 

[cuinrearview]

You make your own beer? or sell hops

This. Also, do you hand harvest all of those? We have a commercial farm locally that will process for local farmers.

 

[jrider]

You make your own beer? or sell hops

Both but most of them get sold...not much money in it but I enjoy it.

 

[jrider]

Looking good.

IIRC you had some shoulder or back issues last fall, are you feeling better now?

Yes last summer I dealt with a herniated disk in my lower back. Suffered most of the summer until I got a cortisone shot in the disk and have been virtually pain free since. I'm a little nervous about putting it to hard use just about every day but I've also learned it's ok to hire out more of the splitting aspect of processing which means a lot less lifting for me. I have around 100 -110 cords which is less than normal but I'm ok with scaling things back some.

 

[jrider]

Hand harvest. I've had a brewery come out with a bunch of guys from a homebrew club and have a picking party. Eat, drink, pick, drink, maybe pick, drink, and eventually it all gets done.

 

[cuinrearview]

What varieties are you growing? Are you brewing with extract or all-grain?

 

[jrider]

What varieties are you growing? Are you brewing with extract or all-grain?

There are 100 cascade plants and 40 Chinook plants. I have brewed both extract and all grain and because I like to brew and forget it, extract is more my style. I have brewed some incredibly good beers and some incredibly lousy ones through the years but I don't get to brew as much as I would like these days.

 

[cuinrearview]

I had one extract recipe that I could never replicate with all-grain, but otherwise I liked the control that AG gave me. And the cost. I had seven different varieties back when I was brewing and growing, but only 12 total plants. No way I'd try to hand harvest 140 plants! Holy Smokes JR!

 

[muddstopper]

My son grows cascade and something else. He has his set up on a pulley system. When it comes time to harvest, he just cuts the vines loose at the ground and lowers the top wire down..

 

[jrider]

My son grows cascade and something else. He has his set up on a pulley system. When it comes time to harvest, he just cuts the vines loose at the ground and lowers the top wire down..

Baby steps...that's in my plan. The telephone poles were a new addition this year. I still need 7 more (got my hands on 14 this year) I am currently using rope from pole to pole but my neighbor works on elevators and can get all of the cable I want for free so when I get that, I'm going to arrange pulleys so I can access everything from the ground.

 

[jrider]

I had one extract recipe that I could never replicate with all-grain, but otherwise I liked the control that AG gave me. And the cost. I had seven different varieties back when I was brewing and growing, but only 12 total plants. No way I'd try to hand harvest 140 plants! Holy Smokes JR!

Yeah, picking time isn't fun if you tried on your own. Group picking and drinking is the way to go. Plus, I did ok having homebrewers come out and pay to pick their own because there is nothing else like that around here.

 

[muddstopper]

Hopps need lots of water. My son planted his in a swampy area between a creek and a seep. Ground stays soft and damp year round. He is mostly growing root stock to transplant later. I dont know any of the ins and outs about how its supposed to be done, but there are a lot of micro breweries popping up around here, so if he can grow them there should be a market for them.

 

[kyle1!]

Now back to the firewood. To save what is left of your back you need to have a skid loader or tractor with bucket bring those rounds to the splitter so you don't have to pick them up off the ground all the time. That alone will probably get you to your 100 or 125 cord goal by saving the wear/tear/effort that is required to pick those rounds up.

For some reason I am concerned and I can feel it in my back looking at all the those rounds.

 

[Guswhit]

Looking good!

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Looks good!
What splitter are you using this year?
I see a four way wedge laying there.

 

[jrider]

Looks good!
What splitter are you using this year?
I see a four way wedge laying there.

Same ole splitter as before...Iron and Oak 22 ton with the 4 way. Splitter was in the garage getting a much overdue oil change.

 

[jrider]

Now back to the firewood. To save what is left of your back you need to have a skid loader or tractor with bucket bring those rounds to the splitter so you don't have to pick them up off the ground all the time. That alone will probably get you to your 100 or 125 cord goal by saving the wear/tear/effort that is required to pick those rounds up.

For some reason I am concerned and I can feel it in my back looking at all the those rounds.

I have a tractor with forks or bucket but it just slows things down too much. The bigger rounds get tag team lifted, rolled up a 2x6 onto the beam, noodled or for the monster ones picked up with the forks and lowered onto the beam but that's a 2 man job. Thankfully, I don't have a lot of stuff that is big this year. Last year I hired out quite a bit of the splitting and plan to do more of the same this year.