Oooo Oooo that smell...........

[greengiant]

I've been searching for old threads, but can't seem to come up with anything on this topic. I love the aroma of wood burning on a crisp winters' day (from someone else's chimney that is!). I don't know what kind of stove, or wood, or anything about where that smell comes from, but what I do know, is that no matter what kind of wood, or how seasoned it is, or how my air control is adjusted, my exhaust from my chimney never smells good.

For the basics-it's a fireplace extroidinair insert-7 years old, ss liner straight up about 12', with a cap. Burning 18 month + covered splits of white and red oak, maple, and ash this year. The stove doesn't have one of those catalytic things, but does have secondary burn tubes. It has a baffle that forces exhaust to the front and back over the top before exiting.
It only smokes for a short while after reloading. I clean the chimney and get around a quart of soot after a full year of burns.

When the wind is right and I'm out with the dog, the exiting fumes/smoke just don't have that aroma as almost every other wood burner in my neighborhood.

So what's the problem? None. We are very happy with the way it works, but I am just too curious to not want to know what's going on.

 

[myzamboni]

Start burning pine, spruce, or cedar and you'll notice it

 

[dingeryote]

Cherry, Hickory, Red Oak as well as pine all smell great!

No matter what, Elm, box elder, silver maple, all smell like an outhouse fire, so burn that stuff at night. Sorta like a neighborhood "Who farted" game.

What are you burning now?

Stay safe!
Dinegryote

 

[Steve NW WI]

I'm burning some apple right now that was gonna be cook wood, but got some mold growth on it (note to self: STACK APPLE IMMEDIATELY AFTER CUTTING/SPLITTING) Got some nice aroma coming out of the chimney at the moment.

I'll add birch to Dinger's "stinky" list, at least till the bark gets burned up.

 

[turnkey4099]

I'm burning some apple right now that was gonna be cook wood, but got some mold growth on it (note to self: STACK APPLE IMMEDIATELY AFTER CUTTING/SPLITTING) Got some nice aroma coming out of the chimney at the moment.

I'll add birch to Dinger's "stinky" list, at least till the bark gets burned up.

Yep, stack it right away. I ran into a chunk of apple this winter. Solid, no mold, etc. I don't know when I cut it but it was in a stack of stuff cut back in '96....hmm...maybe not. I recall I moved some wood from a pile cut back in 2005 - it may have been in there.

Harry K

 

[benp]

LOL -

I say this all the time about the boiler. Everyone else's stove smells good but ours.

Ive noticed that if Im out in the woods and smell of the stove its alot different than when up close.

But like others have said it's the wood.

Paper birch seems to smell the best out of my stash.

 

[Streblerm]

Cherry, Hickory, Red Oak as well as pine all smell great!

No matter what, Elm, box elder, silver maple, all smell like an outhouse fire, so burn that stuff at night. Sorta like a neighborhood "Who farted" game.

What are you burning now?

Stay safe!
Dinegryote

To each their own. I think (seasoned) silver maple smells very nice. It reminds me of sandalwood incense. I prefer it over the smell of any species of oak.

To me, almost any wood fire with seasoned wood and adequate combustion air smells ok. When the wood is wet or the combustion air is choked down too far you get that thick acrid smoke. I don't care what kind of wood it is, it stinks.

I think other fires smell better because you are farther away from them. The lower concentration makes it more palatable.

 

[cnice_37]

Whiskey bottle, brand new car.... Oak tree - you're in my waaayyyyy

 

[CTYank]

Start burning pine, spruce, or cedar and you'll notice it

Very little of those on hand here. As others have noted, a proper dry wood fire (high enough temps, plenty of secondary air feeding good secondaries) and the smell downwind will be subtle.

You will notice apple, hickory, black cherry among others. Great stuff- good idea to mix in small amounts of those to serve as flue-pipe Air-Wick. Neighbors will love it too.

 

[IthacaMan]

I think other fires smell better because its like smelling some strange... No seriously,I always load a mix of wood in the stove cherry,oak,maple,ash.Ash by itself seems kinda stinky.

 

[greengiant]

Cherry, Hickory, Red Oak as well as pine all smell great!

No matter what, Elm, box elder, silver maple, all smell like an outhouse fire, so burn that stuff at night. Sorta like a neighborhood "Who farted" game.

What are you burning now?

Stay safe!
Dinegryote

Been burning a mix of red oak, white oak, ash, and sugar maple all season. It's some of the nicest, driest stuff I've ever had to burn, so a bit overkill for a mild winter like this one.

 

[greengiant]

LOL -

I say this all the time about the boiler. Everyone else's stove smells good but ours.

Ive noticed that if Im out in the woods and smell of the stove its alot different than when up close.

But like others have said it's the wood.

Paper birch seems to smell the best out of my stash.

I did wonder if it was from being in close proximity and having a greater concentration of it in the air. My house is on a bit of a knoll, so I only get a whif when there is a downdraft. Sometimes that is from the wind currents, but also is more likely when I have the air throttled down half or more, thus a slower exhaust from the chimney that tends to 'sink'. It past years however, I have almost always run wide open fires because the house was always cold till I got some new windows and did some insulating.

I've got seasoned (1 year) white birch I can try, and have some spruce drying now that will be ready for next year. Thanks for the input everyone.

 

[ancy]

Smells good before it's burned

 

[CrappieKeith]

"That Smell"

I saw someone started...I'll finish..
Whiskey bottles, and brand new cars
Oak tree you're in my way
There's too much coke and too much smoke
Look what's going on inside you
Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you

Angel of darkness is upon you
Stuck a needle in your arm
So take another toke, have a blow for your nose
One more drink fool, will drown you
Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you

Now they call you Prince Charming
Can't speak a word when you're full of 'ludes
Say you'll be all right come tomorrow
But tomorrow might not be here for you
Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you

Hey, you're a fool you
Stick them needles in your arm
I know I been there before

One little problem that confronts you
Got a monkey on your back
Just one more fix, Lord might do the trick
One hell of a price for you to get your kicks
Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you
Ooooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooooh that smell
The smell of death surrounds you


...and the video of the song
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...xIZ453ko7vqyuzJ2w&sig2=tnAsn-OHDoyH3UA6FY2utQ

 

[Whitespider]

Lynyrd Skynyrd and needles... How many of ya' know this tune?


Thirty days, Lord, and thirty nights
I'm coming home on an airplane flight
Mama waiting at the ticket line
Tell me son, why do you stand there cryin'?

It was the needle and the spoon
And a trip to the moon
Took me away
Took me away

I've been feeling so sick inside
Got to get better, Lord, before I die
Some doctors couldn't help my head, they said
You'd better quit, son, before you're dead

Quit the needle, quit the spoon
Quit the trip to the moon
They gonna take you away
Lord, they gonna take you away

It was the needle and the spoon

I've seen a lot of people who thought they were cool
But then again, Lord, I've seen a lot of fools
I hope you people, Lord, can hear what I say
You'll have your chance to hit it some day

Don't mess with a needle or a spoon
Or a trip to the moon
They'll take you away

Lord, their gonna bury you boy
Don't mess with the needle
Now I know, I know, I know, I know, I know

The Needle And The Spoon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1974

 

[IthacaMan]

Lynyrd Skynyrd and needles... How many of ya' know this tune?


Thirty days, Lord, and thirty nights
I'm coming home on an airplane flight
Mama waiting at the ticket line
Tell me son, why do you stand there cryin'?

It was the needle and the spoon
And a trip to the moon
Took me away
Took me away

I've been feeling so sick inside
Got to get better, Lord, before I die
Some doctors couldn't help my head, they said
You'd better quit, son, before you're dead

Quit the needle, quit the spoon
Quit the trip to the moon
They gonna take you away
Lord, they gonna take you away

It was the needle and the spoon

I've seen a lot of people who thought they were cool
But then again, Lord, I've seen a lot of fools
I hope you people, Lord, can hear what I say
You'll have your chance to hit it some day

Don't mess with a needle or a spoon
Or a trip to the moon
They'll take you away

Lord, their gonna bury you boy
Don't mess with the needle
Now I know, I know, I know, I know, I know

The Needle And The Spoon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1974

Nice,you and Keith should do some karaoke for us.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Arbonaut]

One More From the Road.

I like the picture of Artimus Pyle on the One More from the Road album where Artimus is picking up an armload of drumsticks he threw out in the crowd, but the audience was too stoned to pick them up. In that picture, Artimus was wearing those old 1970's gymshorts like White Spider always wears to the grocery store.

Green Giant are you sure you aren't smelling anthracite burners? I think all the wood we burn smells great with enough airflow to the grates. But nothing smells better than anthracite, it is like sugar. A lot of people in NY heat with that.

Crappie Keith, I always thought they said, " Can't speak a word when yer full of balloons."

 

[Whitespider]

...those old 1970's gymshorts like White Spider always wears to the grocery store.

Yeah, but mine are cool 'cause they're red 'n' green checkered plaid with a smiley face on the butt.

 

[Marc]

Yeah, but mine are cool 'cause they're red 'n' green checkered plaid with a smiley face on the butt.

Huh. I was guessing purple velour with something like "princess" or "hot stuff" written across the butt.

 

[Whitespider]

Naw... no "Hot Stuff"...

But I do have these for special occasions.