# Blue flames from mystery wood



## fabsroman (Feb 25, 2013)

Well, I am burning some of the smaller splits of the mystery wood that people think is either locust or Siberian elm (the majority siding with locust), and I am actually getting blue flames around the logs that are sitting on a bed of coals. This stuff is slow burning, but it is really dense and throwing off some good heat. Was actually mesmerized by the blue flames tonight and spent a couple minutes watching them. Don't know if I have ever seen blue flames from wood, much less this blue.


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## ScotO (Feb 26, 2013)

That's a characteristic trait of locust. Long, slow burn, steady heat, pure blue flames, super hot coal bed.......
Makes it the best wood in my stacks.....I go out of my way to get it. I have two big splits of it in the stove now, it'll last me til 7:00am and the house will still be at 73 degrees......


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## fabsroman (Feb 26, 2013)

Scotty Overkill said:


> That's a characteristic trait of locust. Long, slow burn, steady heat, pure blue flames, super hot coal bed.......
> Makes it the best wood in my stacks.....I go out of my way to get it. I have two big splits of it in the stove now, it'll last me til 7:00am and the house will still be at 73 degrees......


 
You keep the house that cold. lol

It was 70 in the house when I started the furnace at 9:00 right before the kids went to bed and now it is 75. The damper should be closing here pretty soon and I doubt I am going to put anymore wood in the furnace tonight. Just too nice during the day for the house to lose much heat. Might go down there and stare at the blue flames some more though.


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## TimJ (Feb 26, 2013)

I hope your OK this morning fabs...................it's hard to come back when you stare at blue flames


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## fabsroman (Feb 26, 2013)

TimJ said:


> I hope your OK this morning fabs...................it's hard to come back when you stare at blue flames


 
Yeah, I barely made it back today. Those blue flames were beautiful. Notice that they just come right off the coals blue. I really do not remember seeing something like that. Don't know if I never paid attention until last night, or if it has to do with the wood being locust.


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## fireview2788 (Feb 26, 2013)

I'm pretty sure elemental copper burns a blue flame so it would interesting to know if that's what is the cause.


fv


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## Blue2ndaries (Feb 26, 2013)

Fabs--that's exactly what inspired my moniker.  A couple years ago I noticed a mezmerizing blue flame, almost like a lit cocktail drink, hovering ghostlike on the edges and in the secondaries.  Thus "Blue2ndaries" was born...   It never gets old to look at....


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## mudbug250 (Feb 26, 2013)

I am always amazed when I get the blow torch out of the end of a split when burning.


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## Redlegs (Feb 26, 2013)

Most of you guys are "back east" that amazed by locast...Have you had much experience with hedge or osage orange?


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## Paulywalnut (Feb 26, 2013)

Yep that blue flame is really cool. Mulberry will put out a lavender purplish
flame which is kind of neat.


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## Woody Stover (Feb 26, 2013)

Redlegs said:


> Most of you guys are "back east" that amazed by locast...Have you had much experience with hedge or osage orange?





Paulywalnut said:


> Mulberry will put out a lavender purplish
> flame which is kind of neat.


I've got a small stash of Hedge that'll be ready in a couple years. 
I've seen the purple hues with Mulberry in the Buck 91.


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## Redlegs (Feb 26, 2013)

I am not sure how far east hedge will  grow but it is an awesome firewood.  Blue flames like the locast.  Most times when you burn a (seasoned) 4-5in dia log, it will keep it's shape, and turn into one big glowing log shape ember, and will "clink-clink-clink" shatter like a crystal when you hit it with the poker.


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## Woody Stover (Feb 26, 2013)

Redlegs said:


> I am not sure how far east hedge will grow


I think they have some in MA, and it will grow as far north as IL. Apparently, it can't take much more cold than those places...


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## Jon1270 (Feb 27, 2013)

If you Google "non-luminous flame" you'll be able to read quite a bit about blue flame and the circumstances in which it happens, but relatively few pages deal with flame from wood. This Forest Service / Forest Products Laboratory paper is long and gets into chemistry that's over my head, but the first several pages offer a readable and unusually detailed description of the stages of wood combustion. From page 6:


> When the surface rises somewhat beyond 1000° C. (yellowish-red heat), carbon is consumed at the surface as fast as the reaction zones penetrate into the piece. The luminous diffusion flames give way, as the reactions of primary wood pyrolysis become exhausted, to the nonluminous diffusion flames of burning carbon monoxide and hydrogen.


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## Thistle (Feb 27, 2013)

I see bluish-white or all blue flames with Hickory,Honey Locust,White/Bur Oak quite often.Occasionally with Mulberry-its kinda purplish,rarely with Red Oak.


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## alex johnson (Feb 27, 2013)

fabsroman said:


> Well, I am burning some of the smaller splits of the mystery wood that people think is either locust or Siberian elm (the majority siding with locust), and I am actually getting blue flames around the logs that are sitting on a bed of coals. This stuff is slow burning, but it is really dense and throwing off some good heat. Was actually mesmerized by the blue flames tonight and spent a couple minutes watching them. Don't know if I have ever seen blue flames from wood, much less this blue.


that's the methane, there is a small amount of time towards the end that these blue flames turn into blue little fire flies, dancing around. those are the coolest.


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## alex johnson (Feb 27, 2013)

Woody Stover said:


> I've got a small stash of Hedge that'll be ready in a couple years.
> I've seen the purple hues with Mulberry in the Buck 91.


when you get that purple color, it's a mixture of methane, and the hydrocarbons, Blue methane and red hydro- carbons= the purple flames that you are seeing. Black locust, is the ultimate.


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## Boog (Feb 27, 2013)

Seeing blues and purples, getting mesmerized by little blue fire flies dancing around, methane and hydrocarbons................... for a moment there I thought I was back in the 70's,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, flashback there............


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## alex johnson (Feb 27, 2013)

Boog Powell said:


> Seeing blues and purples, getting mesmerized by little blue fire flies dancing around, methane and hydrocarbons................... for a moment there I thought I was back in the 70's,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, flashback there............


Why only the 70's, 5 years ago for me. lol


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## alex johnson (Feb 27, 2013)

fabsroman said:


> Yeah, I barely made it back today. Those blue flames were beautiful. Notice that they just come right off the coals blue. I really do not remember seeing something like that. Don't know if I never paid attention until last night, or if it has to do with the wood being locust.


Every wood will produce the methane flame, just some more than others. Locust, is dense has more energy stored in it.


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