I call BS on ash!

[Marc]

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.

Wierd, Whitespider. I normally agree with you on things like this, but I've found the exact opposite. Splits easier than almost any other hardwood around here, burns fine, coals up fine.

Burning experience could differ based on our differing appliances, but I can't imagine anyone wanting to split elm over ash. I've had ash split so easy all I've only had to look menacing holding the maul and it splits. On the flip side of the coin, I've had elm absorb half the maul head, spit it back out, laugh at me, and then kick dirt in my face. Only thing I'd rather split less, maybe, is shagbark, and apple, depnding on the size. Not a huge fan of yellow birch either.

 

[sunfish]

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.

I'd MUCH rather process and burn Ash than American Elm!!!

 

[Dalmatian90]

The four woods I burn the most are Red Maple, Red Oak, White Ash, and !@#$ing Boxelder.

Ash by far burns the best green (and I've burned about four cords green x six(?) years now). I would take it every day of the week, but for now I'm letting the Ashes that I have live, they'll die soon enough between EAB and Ash Yellows. My stove can burn green wood just fine (I get about two cups of creosote and ash every year in the chimney), and it wouldn't burn much less seasoned wood because it's an old design that uses a LOT of air.

Financially it doesn't make sense, but I was hoping this year but now next year I'll replace it with an EPA stove just to cut down my required labor from handling four cords a year down to only two. Probably more then saving time with the cutting, bucking, splitting what I'd really like to save is to have the supply of wood I can keep inside last twice as long. I hate snowy winter days when I'm sick as a dog with snot dripping from my nose and I'm outside loading up the wood cart because I can barely keep a five day supply in the house. Having ten days of wood would let me ride out more storms and sick days and restock when I feel like it.

 

[farmboss45]

I burn almost nothing but ash, but like any other wood, it needs to be seasoned or dry. A lot of standing ash is dead or dying, but that does not mean it is ready for the stove. I look at the bark or lack of bark, if the bark is popped off and is tan, it is not quite dry enough, but if it is popped off and gray, burn it! The part of the bark I am talking about is the "under layer" or part exposed when the raised portion of the bark is gone due to the exit hole of the adult borer.

 

[Coldfront]

The fact remains that fresh cut green Ash has much less moisture content than just about any other fresh cut green wood. So if you are desperate and have only fresh cut green wood to burn Ash is best.

 

[Dalmatian90]

The fact remains that fresh cut green Ash has much less moisture content than just about any other fresh cut green wood. So if you are desperate and have only fresh cut green wood to burn Ash is best.

One thing you'll notice is they are among the last leaves to get leaves in Spring and first to drop them in the Fall.

I assume that's related...but I don't know enough about tree physiology to be sure. Trees don't need leaves to move water -- that's why sap flows first in the spring, but my understanding is the leaves increase the volume being moved up the tree as water evaporates from the leaves (which is one of the ways trees cool the forest!)

 

[NDtreehugger]

I burn a lot of ash,

In the winter after all the leafs have fallen and the tree has gone dormant the tops of the tree will burn fine, in late winter after long freeze and the process of sublimation has taken place the branches burn and the tops burn better. The trunks will burn if you split them and let them set 2 or 3 months.

I ran out of wood in early spring 5 years ago, I fell and burnt ash, the top and small branches burnt fine, the bigger branches I set next to my stove while the smaller ones heated the house, after a few days in the house bigger branches then burnt well. I also put the split trunk in the house for a few days and they too burnt fine.

Ash if handled correctly can keep you warm when fresh cut.

But,,,,

If you can store ash you will get a better burn

I have some ash that has been stored for years, 2 years in my shop and at least 5 in dead tree form off the ground. It’s some of the best long burning coal producing firewood I have ever had.

 

[stihly dan]

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



Makes a difference. Always consider the dynamics.




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.

Pot is not boiled, its smoked.

 

[Whitespider]

Wierd, Whitespider.

Well let me correct myself… rather than experience(s), it’s more like experience. I’ve only cut and split one ash, one White Ash. It was a blow-down, about 20-inches DBH, busted off about 10 feet up with most of it held off the ground. It had been like that for over a year when I worked it last winter. The grain was twisted, gnarly, full of knots any didn’t split any easier than most of the elm I cut… certainly just as stringy. I burned some in the fire pit late this summer and now I’ve burned some in the furnace… I ain’t near as impressed as most seem to be.

After a summer of seasoning, comparing it to elm by volume (i.e. holding two splits of the approximate same size), the ash weighs only about half, and compared to two-year seasoned Bur Oak it weighs only about a third (if that). The weight translates into burn time about the same… the same size pile of elm burns twice as long, and oak about three times as long. Near all the fires in my pit are used for cooking during the summer, and I tried the ash a few times… finally gave up. The coals are so short lived I can’t cook much more than a thin steak… forget about anything like pork or chicken.

I gotta’ say, it seems we don’t have any straight-grained, easy to split wood growing out here on the plains (except Box Elder and the occasional Red Oak), it’s all beat-up by Mother Nature’s wind… twisted, gnarly, knotty and tough. Even the Sugar Maple I did last winter fought me during the splitting (actually worse than a lot of the dead elm)… which is why I use hydraulics. Keep in mind, both the maple and ash was not “fence row” trees, they were deep in my woodlot. (By-the-way, my standing-dead elm is heavier and denser than the Sugar Maple also, must be a regional thing) For the most part I don’t have a lot of trouble splitting standing-dead American Elm (with hydraulics), some of it will even “pop”…. And standing-dead Red Elm can often be split with a maul fairly easy. But green (live) elm is a different animal, I don’t cut green elm… that stuff is way too much work to split, even after it’s been given some “sitting time”.

 

[oppermancjo]

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.

I've been burning a majority of Ash for the past few years primarily because it is everywhere. If I don't burn it, it is just going to rot on the forest floor.

I do believe the location of the tree will greatly affect your experience with it. The ones that I take out of the forest that are tall and straight and have very few if any low branches are great. Straight grain and split easy. Trees like that I will often take the maul to as it is almost faster than using the splitter. I did take some Ash down last winter that were growing in a fence row. They had plenty of light so they grew laterally as opposed to vertically. These had branches and knots from top to bottom. Quite a pain just to get them down and bucked up but splitting was about as bad as Elm. I haven't burned any of that yet, matter of fact I think I sold it all... I would expect that it would burn well though as I haven't had any issues burning Ash.

I guess what I'm getting at is that you can have two identical species of trees growing in different conditions and then you will of course have a different experience with it compared with someone else.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

Whitespider, was the ash you cut from wetter ground? Sounds like green ash to me. There is very little difference in appearance between white and green ash, green is even marketed as white ash in the timber industry. There is a big difference between white and green ash when splitting and burning it. Green ash is way more stringy and doesnt have the btu's that white ash has.

 

[Whitespider]

No...
It was from one of the higher spots in the woodlot. I have a few dozen ash trees in the woodlot, all White Ash.
I've just recently been teaching myself how to identify the two different ash trees in my area of the state, White is the most common, Green is relatively rare except along river bottoms. All the ash in my woodlot have the "smiley" leaf scar... positively White Ash.

 

[angelo c]

Pot is not boiled, its smoked.

Can anyone say "bong"....hehe

 

[blackdogon57]

I bought several cords of fresh cut ash from a guy the other day. He said most of it was dead standing and was split a couple of weeks ago. I still have some left and had some time today so I decided to throw a couple of pieces in the stove. Outside temp here today is about 40F and it is supposed to go below freezing tonight. This fire was started with very dry red pine then I added two pieces of ash. It was a little slow to take off but has now been chugging away for an hour and a half. My house was 65F to start. It is now 78F and climbing and i have opened windows to avoid cooking.

 

[Michael M]

You got something besides Ash then.

Are you serious? You don't know your ash from a hole in the ground! I've cut thousands over the years.

 

[Michael M]

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.[/QUOTE]

Desperate? I wasn't trying to heat my home man. I was splitting some wood and grabbed a torch from my truck and started a
fire in an outside fire ring just to see if the old tale was true. Just screwing around.

 

[bbxlr8]

+ White ash

I have to come down on the side of loving it (white ash). I started buring for real three seasons ago here in PA and it was great. Now I am lucky in that I do have a lot of blown downs in a big section of unmolested old wood mixed forest and these got me through until I learned how to get ahead. Cut some today and have some in the stove right now from 4' sections just split. Cleaned flue begining of this week because had many other things to do at the end of last season and had VERY minimal build up. Still one of my favorites next to hickory or seasoned oak!

 

[PEKS]

The White Ash I have, splits with ease and burns great..
I do not recommend to burn green Ash, but have done so to test it out, if the fire has a good base green Ash burns well (much better than any other green wood out there..)

 

[Festus]

I've been burning mostly white ash that was recently cut, standing dead. I just put a wood stove in last winter and have not caught up with seasoned wood. Although I have a lot more oak to clean up in my woods than white ash. If I put a pile of white ash on a hot bed of coals, it's usually starting to burn good by the time I shut the stove door. And it splits easy. If white ash is all I'm working with, I don't even bother setting up the log splitter, it's faster just using the X27. It does seem to leave a lot of ash to clean out though.

 

[Iron Head]

Green Ash does burn better than any green wood.
But green Ash doesn't burn better than any cured wood.
You need to compare apples to apples.