Time to burn the good stuff, whats your preference?

[boostnut]

We're in the single digits here and will be below zero for the next few nights. Its our first real cold snap of the season (that I can remember) so I thought I'd get into the primo fuel. Shagbark hickory, WOW! Its my 5th year burnin and this is the first time I've had any hickory, this is by far the best stuff in my stash, wish I had a bunch more. We're blessed with a great variety of hardwoods here in the midwest but shagbark has really impressed me, it'll make me walk right past the stacks of ash, oak, locust, and mullberry on a night like this w/single digit temps.

So, now you know my preference. Whats yours?

 

[aandabooks]

I'm right here in Central Illinois too and while I don't currently have any hickory in the stack, my go to wood for this cold snap is some of my 3 year seasoned under the woodshed white oak. The elm is staying outside until it warms up somemore. I'll be bringing in another trailer load of the oak tomorrow.

 

[fredmc]

hedge apple

 

[hardy steve]

I'm here in IL also.Not quite that cold where I'm at but cold as well.Red Oak mixed with locust.When it really drops.Hedge and Locust or oak will be mixed

 

[unclemoustache]

My my, the Illinoisians really are hopping tonight. I prefer oak. I'm also burning a bit of cherry right now, as well as a bit of elm, but I'll take oak any day, mostly because of the low ash it leaves.

 

[chucker]

-17 here in north centeral mn at 9:10 and droping to -30 for the ambeint temp... the red oak and ash is coloring the stove a amber glow which should turn a light red by early morning..... sure feels great to sweat again now ,being as it heats twice from last spring puting it up ... keep warm friends!!!!

 

[Wood Doctor]

Pull out the stops

(1) Ash (2) Red Elm (3) Oak (4) Hackberry (5) Locust (6) Mulberry (5) all other elm to keep 1 through 6 going.

That's my preference, but when it gets this cold, I burn anything I can get my hands on and that includes cottonwood, basswood, and soft maple. Do you blame me?

They are predicting -18 F wind chill tonight. Gasp!

 

[crowbuster]

I go for hedge as well, been stacked 3 years and use it sparingly. I ad some white oak when not nasty cold or windy. Good lord willin and the fields don't thaw I'll be cutting some more tomorrow, have not cut a stick yet this year as the weather has not been kind and have some fence rows to clear. Have enough wood for next year but I need to be cutting, It's what I wait for winter for, must cut wood when cold, been having nitemares ha ha ha.

C.B.:greenchainsaw:

 

[Ductape]

I Call It My 'January Wood'

About two cord ..... heavily oak and hard maple. Its been stacked in my barn for three years. Its the pile a draw off of when the snow is so deep it's a pain in the wazoo to walk out back to the wood pile. Hopefully i don't burn it all this year, but if i do.... i do. I'll just replenish it in the spring with equally nice wood for next 'January's Wood'. Part of me hates to burn it...... its so damned nice looking, but i like the heat.

 

[mizzou]

It's 6 F now and supposed to be sub 0 F in the morning. My preference for these temps is 1) hedge 2) black locust 3) white oak 4) anything else that burns. Used to cut and burn a lot of standing dead red elm, but not much left around here. Always thought it was about perfect firewood.

 

[clinchscavalry]

I like to burn red oak, well actually I like to cut and split red oak, but I'm using a good bit of pecan right now. It does very well with little ash left.

I have always read that beech is best for btu output. Never tried it myself. I'm curious though, have any of you ever burned beech, and, if so, how does it work out ? I might have to go find one just for an experiment.

 

[logbutcher]

I like "January Wood"---nice.

Got a serious case of O.E. = Oak Envy. The little oak we got is also saved for the singles and below that already have hit. No Hickorys. No Hard Maple. No Ironwood. No "warming" here.

When we built here, a " storm woodshed" was a must; an open shed near both stoves and attached to the house that holds ~ 1/2 cord.

 

[pwoller]

Natural gas, but thats all I have. I'm so jealous of you guys. I think I can actually hear the money leaving my account.

 

[clinchscavalry]

I like "January Wood"---nice.

Got a serious case of O.E. = Oak Envy. The little oak we got is also saved for the singles and below that already have hit. No Hickorys. No Hard Maple. No Ironwood. No "warming" here.

My heart goes out to you and others who live in the frozen north and have nothing but conifers to burn. Y'all would be astounded at how much primo firewood is pushed into piles and burned or simply left to rot on log decks around here.

Sometimes life isn't fair. We have an endless supply of the finest firewood anyone could want, and no one really needs it except for a brief time.

BTW, it's supposed to get cool around here in the next few days dropping down to the teens. Yep, I know that's lame compared to the minus 30 some of you see, but the ole wood stove feels pretty good anyway.

 

[dingeryote]

I broke into the war chest today for the first time.
Elm mixed with Red Oak and a bit of Cherry.

The slop pile is down to about 2 Cords of Walnut, Boxelder,Cherry, and poplar.

I have some half green Red Oak piled up and waiting in case I underestimated the season, and it's looking like I did.

It's funny you guys down south are gettng the Cold this year.
We havn't been below zero yet!!
Granted we got a ton of Lake effect slop so far, but it ain't cold!!
It's like 20 right now..and I plowed the farm drives in a long sleeve T-shirt and jeans today. I might just start working on a snow Tan tomorrow!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[julian 1973]

I am in the south suburbs of Chicago, which is in single digits right now, and am burning lots of osage mixed with white oak and mulberry. Nothing beats osage for the btu's.

 

[jerryw66]

-26 farenhieght outside now, and 72 in the house, the furnace hasn't run since xmas vacation started, kids & I put 200 splits of ash in the basement this after noon when it warmed up to about 4 below, about all the good wood I get is ash, maybe some oak and locust, but probably about 90% ash. Might want the furnace tomorrow morn, if I'm too tired from the new years eve party, to get up at 2am and feed the stove.

 

[J.W Younger]

hickory is my jan-feb wood,so far i've stayed out of it.I have about 3cords,with some more mixed in with my red and white oak.

 

[barkeatr]

SUGAR maple is my favorite. red hot coals last forever and let me be lazy in the morning. they will start the next fresh load easily. The maple fires also burn hot and dont have a lot of that nasty blowback in the face when loading..

sounds like some cold is headed east.

barkeater

 

[dingeryote]

I am in the south suburbs of Chicago, which is in single digits right now, and am burning lots of osage mixed with white oak and mulberry. Nothing beats osage for the btu's.

Crap.

That will be here in about 4 hours...only colder.
Got another 4" of snow since 10pm.
Still 74 in here,and on the same load I put in around 7pm.

Might just grab some Sassafrass for the morning..

Stay safe!
Dingeryote