Burning birch bark

[spudzone]

We've lost a ton of our paper birch trees during the last few years of severe drought in Northwest Wisconsin. So I now have a huge glut of birch firewood where as we burned red oak and maple mostly before.

It's surprising how much black smoke it gives off even when burned very hot and dry. Do you folks that regularly burn paper birch find that smoke from the bark contributes heavily to fouling and creosote build up, or is it more of just a sooty smoke that "burns off" once temps are up?

Thanks as always
Chris

 

[jburlingham]

Birch bark is great fire starter

 

[grapplermi]

yep, I burn it a lot, no problems. The bark is very resinous, but burns away to nothing with no build-up.

Matt

 

[KsWoodsMan]

You might be feeding to much bark in for the amount of air it is getting.

Black smoke indicates to rich of a fuel mixture. Cut back on the amount of bark going in at once. Though the fire is hot it is pyrolizing the wood bark faster than the stove can supply air to feed the fire for complete combustion.

I get that too when the kids will throw in an armload of kindling. Then try to choke it off after it really takes off.

I wish I was home more. I'd worry less about them trying to peg the thermometer on the stove outlet .

 

[woodguy105]

QUOTE=jburlingham;1818711]Birch bark is great fire starter[/QUOTE]

:agree2:[

 

[LAH]

Black smoke indicates to rich of a fuel mixture. Cut back on the amount of bark going in at once. Though the fire is hot it is pyrolizing the wood bark faster than the stove can supply air to feed the fire for complete combustion.

OK..........Man from the flint hills...........What is pyrolizing. This hillbilly wants to know.

 

[spudzone]

To clarify- birch with bark on

Some of the dead stuff "pops" it's bark off when splitting- especially those that were badly infested with borers, but most of what I split holds on to it's bark. But, it always pukes black smoke whether I'm starting up cold or if I chuck it into a really hot, mature fire. Yes, the birch is well seasoned at 2-3 years for this season's batch. I'm not too worried about it, just wondering what your experiences are.

It is a great species to add to spike your stove temps up though if you've got a bit of oak that just won't completely season.

Happy splitting!

Chris

 

[Steve NW WI]

I don't have an answer for you, but I go through about a cord of birch a year, mixed in with everything else. I haven't seen any trouble from it, but I know better than to throw it in first while loading the stove. Lots of black smoke, real fast, and some always gets out the door and stinks the place up. I add the other stuff first, then birch on top and shut the door!

Side question? I was always told that a birch with lots of black patches on the bark was about ready to die off. Any truth to this? Sorry, no pics right now, but could get some this weekend (gone to work all the daylight hours for the next couple months...grrr)

 

[spudzone]

Side question? I was always told that a birch with lots of black patches on the bark was about ready to die off. Any truth to this? Sorry, no pics right now, but could get some this weekend (gone to work all the daylight hours for the next couple months...grrr)

Perhaps black stains associated with sap on the bark. Bronze birch borers and their exit wounds are usually responsible. I think the patches and D-shaped holes are only indicators of the bbb presence. The damage is usually done at that point, and they're on borrowed time. About 40% of the mature birches on my land show significant crown die-back, bbb signs, and stump sprouting. A forester friend said stump sprouting is another strong sign of a highly stressed or dieing birch.

Sad to see them go. Even with the cool summer we had, I think we'll continue to see this pattern.

Chris

 

[KsWoodsMan]

OK..........Man from the flint hills...........What is pyrolizing. This hillbilly wants to know.

Basically, it is using heat to change a solid into combustible vapor, think firewood into smoke. It is the smoke that burns not actually the wood itself. OK so I misspelled it. I blame that on "it was morning".

 

[jburlingham]

OK..........Man from the flint hills...........What is pyrolizing. This hillbilly wants to know.

Pyrolysis is the chemical decomposition of a substance (bark in this case) through the action of heat, it is the only way that solid fuels can burn. Usually the cellular material (mostly carbon, is broken down and recombines with free oxygen molecules to make a variety of gases most notably CO.

 

[LAH]

I knew the vapor [for lack of a word on my part] burned and not the solid. Thanks for lining me out.

 

[mercer_me]

Birch bark is great fire starter

:agree2:When ever I can get some birch bark I bring it home and use It as a fire starter. It wotks wicked good.

 

[jburlingham]

:agree2:When ever I can get some birch bark I bring it home and use It as a fire starter. It wotks wicked good.

I love birch bark as a fire starter, but Pine cones have worked great too

 

[mercer_me]

I love birch bark as a fire starter, but Pine cones have worked great too

Some times I split my birch down realy small and use it for kindlen. Since the bark caches so quik and easy it works great kindlen.