Oak Issue

[Wood Scrounge]

Over the summer I whacked up 3 oak logs that had been on the ground ~3 years. THere was about 3/4" of spongy wood and the rest was is great shape. I cut, split and stacked it in a shed so it has been very dry. The problem is the stuff just won't burn. I throw a piece is surrounded by sweet birch and maple it just gets black and forms a few coals. The log is there all day before it finally slowly burns away.
What the heck? I can't imagine it's not seasoned enough and it has been in a try environment for 4 months. I am going to whack it up into smaller pieces to see if it burns any better.
I have burned oak many times in the past, can't understand this though???

 

[Festus Haggen]

Might not have had enough time to dry completely. I let the hard maple that I cut season for at least 2 full years, then it actually burns nice. One year and it does what you describe, is it hissing or bubbling at all in the stove? Either that, or your draft is set too low if it's a non-EPA stove, and it's just smoldering. I have that problem sometimes when logs don't settle down into the coals and get hung up, suspended in the stove. House is cold, and there's just a few black logs smoldering in the stove, 4" off the grates.

 

[curdy]

Is there a lot of air flow? If its a closed shed, I'd say its not dry enough. I have a similar batch of oak with a 1" spongy layer. I had it stacked where there was lots of sun, and I thought wind. Been there for 1.5 years. Still not dry.

 

[Deadman]

I'd say its wet. Thats what happens with wood thats been on the ground, it soaks up moisture like a sponge.

I'm sure splitting it will help, but it really just needs time to dry.

 

[JBinKC]

I know what you are going through. The problem is noted when you burn partially deteriorated oak rounds from limbs(especially white oak where the heartwood is smaller). The wood is tough to burn very hot for an extended period even if it is bone dry. It also tends to burn dirtier. That spongy outer layer must NEVER see moisture to burn acceptably and it seems to act as an insulator to the heartwood.

If it is a larger round I would split it so the heartwood is exposed. It will lengthen the time for the flame combustion.

My only suggestion is to avoid using it as an overnight cold night wood because the combustion period for it is too short. Use it when you are able to tend the fire and occasionally poke the pile it seems to help extending the flame combustion.

 

[goblin]

Here's a good one on oaks.....I had a huge one blow over last week in a storm. It slightly kissed the goat shed on the way down, hanging up on a paddock fence, so I had to be a little careful cutting it up over the past few days to get it entirely on the ground. Middle of winter and this oak tree had new leaves on it (which the goats are presently cleaning up). Anyways, the entire base of this tree had been hollowed out by ground squirrels. When I get to cutting it up, I notice how dry it is inside, like seasoned wood. I'm guessing that the hollow base somehow contributed to the tree not getting enough water, even though we've had about 5 inches of rain in the past few weeks. Which likely contributed to it blowing over too.

The stuff burns great right off the bat. Weird.

I've also had standing dead oak that is a few years gone, and upon dropping it discover its as wet as if it was still alive.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I've also had standing dead oak that is a few years gone, and upon dropping it discover its as wet as if it was still alive.

This same thing happened to me last year with a dutch elm. The tree was standing dead for two years, leafless and naked as a jaybird. Even the bark was falling off. I cut it down thinking it was dry as a bone, but the limb wood simply would not burn without a mix of other seasoned wood to help it out. I set it aside and waited three months. Finally it would burn hot.

Conclusion: the roots were still alive, pumpling water into the "dead" tree.

 

[Geez]

This same thing happened to me last year with a dutch elm.

Actually, that was an American elm. No such thing as a dutch elm. American elms get dutch elm disease, which was imported from Europe.
Sorry if this sounds nitpicky, but back when I was treating elms for the disease, I heard that so much it's become an ingrained response.:deadhorse: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Dok]

That behavior sounds like Water Oak to me. Water Oak takes a long time to dry out- one year really isn't enough, two years is better. Last week I put a piece in that had been drying since early last summer and it just charred, never burned. I am burning some that is two years old and its burning fine, but sure does weigh less than dry white oak. Water Oak earned its name!
Dok

 

[Wood Scrounge]

I figured it out I was confusing rocks with oak.
no,I split it all much thinner (2") and it is burning nice now

 

[allthegross]

i had come across a cord and a half of white oak that was cut into 18 inch lenghts last feb i split and stacked it about four months ago. every so often i was trying to burn it and it was just to wet. within the past week or so i have noticed the ends are very cracked and it is now burning well. unless your shed is well ventilated i think you will have trouble drying it. most people i talk to say to let oak dry for two years so i plan to wait till next year to burn mine unless i start running low on wood. im down to about 3 cord including that oak so i imagine i will be burning most of it this year.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

I have 18 acres full of red and white oak that has fallen and I have the same problem as you, sort of. It is difficult to burn this wood in my fireplace, I have to have a really hot coal base to get it going, and then it needs constant stirring to keep it going.

But in my OWB this stuff just burns phenomenally. Everyone that I let take some home says the same thing, they just love how hot the stuff burns. In my OWB it burns very hot and leaves me very few ashes. If you can save this wood for a wood stove it is really worth the effort.