I call BS on ash!

[Michael M]

Ash wet or Ash dry A king shall warm his slippers by! Hah, I posted a few weeks ago about a major wood score, About 70 or 80 nice ash trees that I got paid to clear and got all the poles. Anyway I didn't plan on using any or selling any this year but I was spitting some this evening and it's beautiful, not punky at all. Anyway I spilt a few extra small pieces and grabbed a few bigger ones and tried starting a fire in my outside fire ring WITH PROPANE TORCH! and it took about a half hour to get it going! This stuff has been standing dead for almost two years. So for all those that say you can burn green ash I'm calling BS

 

[flatlandr]

+1 I've found that to be true also. Although I was able to burn one that was split in half by another tree falling on it.

 

[ss~zoso~ss]

I've always been skeptical about that as well, probably should go in the 'wood myths' thread!

All the wood we burn ends up being ash anyways... ZING!!!:msp_rolleyes:

 

[Ductape]

Take the old folklore with a grain of salt. It still needs to be seasoned to burn well, just not as long as most hardwoods. I wouldn't try to burn Ash in my stove without splitting it and allowing it to dry through the summer.

 

[Butch(OH)]

People around here who like to cut their wood 2-3 days in advance of actualy needing it hunt down Ash green dead or whatever like trophy game. Maybe differing types? but it isn't all lore. You can cut it green and take it in the house and throw it in the stove, LOTs do it in these parts. Not saying it is best, just saying it is done. Actualy no need to cut green ash at the moment as there is plenty of dead standing Ash due to EAB.

 

[Arbonaut]

Ash wet or Ash dry A king shall warm his slippers by! Hah, I posted a few weeks ago about a major wood score, About 70 or 80 nice ash trees that I got paid to clear and got all the poles. Anyway I didn't plan on using any or selling any this year but I was spitting some this evening and it's beautiful, not punky at all. Anyway I spilt a few extra small pieces and grabbed a few bigger ones and tried starting a fire in my outside fire ring WITH PROPANE TORCH! and it took about a half hour to get it going! This stuff has been standing dead for almost two years. So for all those that say you can burn green ash I'm calling BS

You got something besides Ash then.

 

[ss~zoso~ss]

People around here who like to cut their wood 2-3 days in advance of actualy needing it hunt down Ash green dead or whatever like trophy game. Maybe differing types? but it isn't all lore. You can cut it green and take it in the house and throw it in the stove, LOTs do it in these parts. Not saying it is best, just saying it is done. Actualy no need to cut green ash at the moment as there is plenty of dead standing Ash due to EAB.

yea and they're burning green wood! :msp_biggrin:

and probably cleaning their chimney 4x a year

 

[Butch(OH)]

yea and they're burning green wood! :msp_biggrin:

and probably cleaning their chimney 4x a year

believe it or not some pretty 'tupid people around here heat with wood,,,:msp_w00t:

 

[Turkeyslayer]

Standing dead white ash from woods to woodstove the same day, no problems. I have done it more than twice

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

standing dead debarked anything from stump to stove.
I think the OP was commenting on the folklore tale of cutting green ash in the middle of winter from stump to stove.

I've tried it, just because, and it was white ash, not black or the other variety whose leaves turn purple in the autumn, anyways, it burnt, threw some heat but not much, but in a pinch I guess it would be best.

2 year sugar maple for me thanks

 

[sunfish]

Helps to have a good bed of coals first.

But I only burn seasoned wood.

 

[woodbooga]

fwiw, the OP is describing lighting a campfire - and not kindling a stove blaze.

 

[flatlandr]

Actually it was more like shattered. I just had to cut it to length and it was pre-split. That one burned pretty good.

 

[CTYank]

White ash, green on the stump, is very low in MC (moisture content), but can pretty easily improve a lot with basic air-drying. Dead on the stump, the lower stump will have much higher MC than the outer limbs.

Burning it right after cutting is a desperation move. Relax.

 

[Streblerm]

I recently split some ash that was cut green and then stacked in logs approximately 4' long. It has been sitting, stacked off the ground, for about a year. When split it was just as wet (Over limit on my moisture meter) on the inside as every other piece in the pile.

My neighbor swears you can burn silver maple green. I guess you can burn any green wood. I prefer to let it dry first. Even standing dead.

 

[AIM]

There are different varieties of ash. Green, white, and blue.
The ash that I get right beside my house burns great the same day I cut it.
The ash I get from another woods that I cut at needs a month or two till it burns good.

 

[Arbonaut]

Standing dead white ash from woods to woodstove the same day, no problems. I have done it more than twice

Yup. Why do you think they call it Ash? I burn 150 LB chunks in the Heatmor.

fwiw, the OP is describing lighting a campfire - and not kindling a stove blaze.

Makes a difference. Always consider the dynamics.

White ash, green on the stump, is very low in MC (moisture content), but can pretty easily improve a lot with basic air-drying. Dead on the stump, the lower stump will have much higher MC than the outer limbs.

Burning it right after cutting is a desperation move. Relax.

Starting fire with a torch desparate, too. A watched pot never boils. Let it breathe. Ash is some of the best all around for wood workers and burners.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Yup. Why do you think they call it Ash? .

I thought it was because of all the trips you have to make with a full ash can when burning it? Only Sycamore is worse among the array I burn.

 

[greendohn]

In days of old, I ran an old insert and burnt lots of Ash that had been recently cut. Good hot fires and hi-flu temps kept my chimney clean enough,,,I guess. I ran into trouble when I was "choking" the stove down in milder weather.

After discovering the "Marvels" of well seasoned wood,,I quit the amateur behavior of burning green fire wood. Ash or not,,your stove will be happier burning well seasoned wood.

 

[Whitespider]

So far, going on my experiences with (white) ash, any of the things proclaiming what a fantastic firewood it is (green or seasoned) has been BS.
There's dozens of other types of wood out there that make ash a "lesser" choice in my book... it doesn't split easily, it doesn't burn all that hot, it doesn't burn all that long, and it doesn't coal-up all that well. I'd rather burn American Elm. It does make for good kindling though... a couple splits will get other wood(s) a-goin' pretty fast.