# How Fast Does Maple Dry?



## lopiliberty (Dec 23, 2011)

2 hours ago I loaded 2 maple splits that where split in october and an oak split from last years wood and my lopi liberty took off like a rocket. Stovetop temperature went to 740 held there for 45 min and slowly started coming down. I noticed when I picked up the maple splits they felt light as a feather. Is it possible for maple to dry that fast? Or did I just find out my stove can burn green wood.


----------



## pen (Dec 23, 2011)

Sounds like you just proved that it is.

But I wouldn't bank on that happening with every split of maple in the future.

pen


----------



## remkel (Dec 23, 2011)

Would depend on the type of maple- a silver maple would dry a little faster in my experience.


----------



## NH_Wood (Dec 23, 2011)

Red maple can dry very fast. I just split about a cord within the last few weeks and hope it's nice and dry for next early shoulder season (1/2 cord is stacked tight so we'll see). Cheers!


----------



## Duetech (Dec 23, 2011)

If the oak is red and out lasts the maple (split size being equal etc. etc.) you have a lighter maple and it will burn faster. Hard maple has a little more btu than red oak and would take longer to burn as a rule or at least that is what I have found after burning wood for 34 years.


----------



## oldspark (Dec 23, 2011)

MM to the rescue, no not Mickey Mouse-moisture meter.


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Dec 23, 2011)

lopiliberty said:
			
		

> 2 hours ago I loaded 2 maple splits that where split in october and an oak split from last years wood and my lopi liberty took off like a rocket. Stovetop temperature went to 740 held there for 45 min and slowly started coming down. I noticed when I picked up the maple splits they felt light as a feather. Is it possible for maple to dry that fast? Or did I just find out my stove can burn green wood.



It sounds like the key here is the maple was light as a feather. I've cut lots and lots of both maple and oak and if that maple is that light already, it must have been dead when you cut it. As for the oak, you can do it but we will still wait the 2-3 years before burning it unless it too was dead. 

So to answer your question, no. It is not possible unless some other factor involved, like the maple being dead. Another thing you don't state is if you cut the tree in October of if this was wood that had been cut some time ago. If, for example, it were soft maple and the tree had been cut for some time but you just had not split the wood, it is very possible it was that dry. We cut soft maple regularly here and leave the tree laying in the woods. Within 2 years we can cut up said tree and all the wood is ready to burn then and is very light too. But soft maple is an anomaly. On the oak, you state last year's wood but that doesn't mean too much. What counts is time after being split and stacked.


----------



## oldspark (Dec 23, 2011)

BW's you dont have trouble with the soft maple rotting leaving it lay like that, I would think it would.


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Dec 23, 2011)

oldspark, we can usually get away with 2 and sometimes 3 years but after that they will be rotting. But you also have to remember that most of the tree is not touching the ground as we do not limb them; just drop the tree and leave it for the deer to browse off. I also think because we are on yellow sand that helps a lot because water just runs through this sand. On clay or loam, it could be a different story.


----------



## Woody Stover (Dec 23, 2011)

NH_Wood said:
			
		

> Red maple can dry very fast.


I got a couple Reds earlier this year, one down and one that was a live blow down. They're burning well now after maybe five months.


----------



## thewoodlands (Dec 24, 2011)

lopiliberty said:
			
		

> 2 hours ago I loaded 2 maple splits that where split in october and an oak split from last years wood and my lopi liberty took off like a rocket. Stovetop temperature went to 740 held there for 45 min and slowly started coming down. I noticed when I picked up the maple splits they felt light as a feather. Is it possible for maple to dry that fast? Or did I just find out my stove can burn green wood.



After getting a late start (on our wood) our first year burning we like our wood seasoned for one year in a high wind in a good sun area. 


zap


----------



## libertyridge (Dec 24, 2011)

my red maple if split small 2-3 inches and left in a nice sunny single row stack will be under 20% on MM- in 4 months.  Bigger pieces still need a year. If left on the ground, termites and mold will prevail


----------



## peakbagger (Dec 24, 2011)

In my covered wood shed with two sides open, my maple (mostly red and some sugar) is dry in 8 months but I try to keep ahead of it by about a year and a half. I do make sure that its split so that at least 3/4 of the exterior is bare wood (execpt for the small stuff).


----------



## red oak (Dec 24, 2011)

Around here maple dries pretty quick - again there is some variation in the type of maple.  I have some red maple that feels really dry and has only been cut and split for about 6 months.  If the tree was already dead then it could dry much sooner.  If it feels light then I'm betting it's mostly dry.  Oak after a year here burns okay if it was already dead when cut but it burns much better after two years.  If you mix the oak with drier stuff it usually works okay though.


----------



## lopiliberty (Dec 24, 2011)

I also have some oak that was split in october and I mix it in with my already dry wood to keep my stove from going nuclear and so far it has helped.


----------



## NH_Wood (Dec 24, 2011)

How well do you guys think this red maple will season by next October? Just split/stacked last week and stacked tight, but in direct sun and very good wind. Cheers!


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Dec 24, 2011)

It will be great.


----------



## NH_Wood (Dec 24, 2011)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> It will be great.



Excellent - I'm all oak right now for next year and the oak will be about 4 years in the stack, but I don't like oak for shoulder season burns - I want to use this pallet for October/November. Cheers!


----------



## Singed Eyebrows (Dec 25, 2011)

Around here sugar maple takes 2 years for large splits, 1 for small ones. This is not light wood even when bone dry, Randy


----------



## iskiatomic (Dec 25, 2011)

> Just split/stacked last week and stacked tight




I have learned my lesson on stacking tight. Don't do it! tight enough so it won't tumble, but not tight like you are making a puzzle fit.



KC


----------



## Woody Stover (Dec 25, 2011)

NH_Wood said:
			
		

> How well do you guys think this red maple will season by next October? Just split/stacked last week and stacked tight, but in direct sun and very good wind. Cheers!





			
				Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> It will be great.


I think so, too. The cross-stacked sides should let a decent amount of air through and most of the splits don't look real huge. If you've never burned Red before, I think you'll like it.


----------



## NH_Wood (Dec 25, 2011)

iskiatomic said:
			
		

> > Just split/stacked last week and stacked tight
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I don't mind stacking tight, because the stacks sit for about 4 years before burning (top covered after the first year) - it'll dry. Was just doing my thing, finished the stack, and realized I did want to burn this next winter - should have stacked more loosely this time!

Woody - burned a lot of red maple this shoulder season and still burning some on warmer days in mixed loads. It is a good species to have - good hot fires and takes off easy, just doesn't last as long. Cheers!


----------



## oldspark (Dec 25, 2011)

I dont think stacking tight in single rows is too much of a problem, especially if you are letting it cure for the one two or 3 years it needs, if you need to cure wood as quick as possible it might come into play. I very rarely have a row fall over because they are stacked fairly tight.


----------

