# Pine sap?



## ckitch (Feb 28, 2015)

I have come into allot of pine in my stacks ( a little early for shoulder wood but oh well). This wood was log length on the ground for couple years I split and stacked early spring last year. I thought it would be good by now it seems very dry (don't have a moisture meter, I know ,I know) Question is when I put it in the stove it will boil out some yellow liquid at first, this liquid immediately ignites and burns like gasoline, is this just sap or is this stuff still a little wet


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## Lumber-Jack (Feb 28, 2015)

Hard to say, some types of wood can hold pockets of pitch even after they are properly dried, but the only way you'll know for sure is to get a moisture meter and try it.
Douglas fir can ooze pitch for years after it has dried, but it generally just oozes out in small pockets, it doesn't "boil out" yellow liquid when you burn it.


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## ckitch (Feb 28, 2015)

I guess boil is the wrong term ooze is a better description, and yes not everywhere just pockets typically where there is a knot or branch


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## TheRambler (Feb 28, 2015)

Seeing as how water doesnt burn... I would say you are seeing pitch oozing out as the wood heats up. If it oozed out but didnt "burst into flames" i would say it was still wet.


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## ckitch (Feb 28, 2015)

Lol, good point. Just wasn't sure if it was water and sap mix. But your post kind of makes me feel stupid now haha


TheRambler said:


> Seeing as how water doesnt burn... I would say you are seeing pitch oozing out as the wood heats up. If it oozed out but didnt "burst into flames" i would say it was still wet.


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## Poindexter (Feb 28, 2015)

I suspect you are fine.  With my local spruces I like them dry enough that they don't ooze but do burn like gasoline.  

You could try splitting one open.  If it feels dry on the inside and just a little damp/sticky at the ends you are ~~PROBABLY~~ fine.

Pics or a moisture meter to be more confident, but I would probably burn it from what you are describing.


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## Seanm (Mar 1, 2015)

I burn lots of pine and also own a moisture meter. Most if not all is harvested as standing dead lodgepole pine beetle wood. Knots will ooze pitch so dont worry about that. If you are looking in your stove and see the face pushing liquid out then I would worry but as you say its being observed in the knots.



ckitch said:


> But your post kind of makes me feel stupid now haha


Nope, very good thread


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## Dune (Mar 1, 2015)

ckitch said:


> I have come into allot of pine in my stacks ( a little early for shoulder wood but oh well). This wood was log length on the ground for couple years I split and stacked early spring last year. I thought it would be good by now it seems very dry (don't have a moisture meter, I know ,I know) Question is when I put it in the stove it will boil out some yellow liquid at first, this liquid immediately ignites and burns like gasoline, is this just sap or is this stuff still a little wet


That's tree juice. Water doesn't burn like gasoline or like anything for that matter. Water is non-combustible.


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## jatoxico (Mar 1, 2015)

Seanm said:


> Nope, very good thread



I agree.

I have had some pine (especially White) that puts out enough sap to create a sheen across the whole surface. I thought it must not be dry enough but the liquid burns like kero.

It was almost like what some have described with ultra-dry wood that outgasses all at once and burns dirty because the secondary burners can't cope with all that fuel.

So I am curious to keep hearing others thoughts on this.


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## Hoozie (Mar 1, 2015)

I've had some knotty pieces that had huge chunks of pitch on the outside start dripping, then burning, soon after I light it 

I've also gotten a few splatters on the inside of the glass when the pockets heat up and pop.


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## Wood Duck (Mar 1, 2015)

The fatwood you can buy as fire starters will leak a flammable liquid when it burns. I assume that stuff is fairly dry, although I admit I haven't tested it. It sounds like your pine is leaking the same liquid.


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## mopar440_6 (Mar 2, 2015)

Pine sap contains terpenes which are natural hydrocarbons. Gasoline and kerosene are refined hydrocarbons. Once the water is evaporated from the wood, you're left with a mixture of minerals, organic compounds, and terpenes. If the fluid oozing from the wood is igniting and burning like gasoline, then I would say the wood is plenty dry and you've got some high test cord wood on your hands.  Your best bet would be to mix a few splits of the pine in with some slower burning hardwoods like oak, locust, or hedge. Then when the pine burn is slowing down the other stuff is just getting going. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terpene


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## TreePapa (Mar 2, 2015)

We have about 1/4 cord of what I call pitch pine. I'm not sure the actual variety of pine, but it was from the bottom, or near the bottom, of a 100 year old pine tree and it burned really hot and smokey in our fireplace (once ... one 4" or so split) when still fairly green. After that, I let it season a year and only used as fatwood. These days, I cut the splits to about 8 inches, split it ridiculously small, and add one or two pieces when starting a fire. If I had an EPA stove w/ a CAT or secondary burn, it would be great, but for fireplace or pre-EPA stove, it's a creosote generator. It's seasoned now for at least four years and doesn't drip anymore, but some pieces are still quite orange and it all burns REALLY hot (in the tiny pieces I use for fatwood). I also use a little larger (16" x 2") pieces in our outdoor fire pit. On the rare occasions we actually use the fire pit.

Anyone in So Calif need 1/4 cord of fat wood? I'd hold back maybe 6 or 8 splits to have a lifetime supply of fatwood. I tried cutting and splitting to fatwood size to give as gifts, but we don't know all that many people who (a) have fireplaces (no one we know around here has a wood stove), (b) actually use the fireplace, and (c) use it correctly. And it's a lot of work to make it into small fatwood pieces.


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## j7art2 (Mar 3, 2015)

Hot fires don't create creosote regardless of wood species. Moisture creates creosote. Research has shown this to be true. 

I'm about to put this research to test, as I've gotten 10 heaping truckloads of various pine species recently.  Everyone thinks I'm nuts. I look at it as 5 free cords of wood. I've burned 3 pine trees this year along with my hardwood. My flue has been spotless. Pine is awesome for first thing in the morning, and when I want a hot fire to burn out creosote, that's what I go to.


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## firefighterjake (Mar 3, 2015)

j7art2 said:


> Hot fires don't create creosote regardless of wood species. Moisture creates creosote. Research has shown this to be true.
> 
> I'm about to put this research to test, as I've gotten 10 heaping truckloads of various pine species recently.  Everyone thinks I'm nuts. I look at it as 5 free cords of wood. I've burned 3 pine trees this year along with my hardwood. My flue has been spotless. Pine is awesome for first thing in the morning, and when I want a hot fire to burn out creosote, that's what I go to.



I was right with you ... until the last half of the last sentence. "Burning out the creosote" is not widely practiced by most folks ... instead burning seasoned wood (regardless of species) and inspecting/cleaning the chimney on a regular basis is the preferred method of keeping the chimney clean.


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## j7art2 (Mar 4, 2015)

I guess I should clarify. There are NO SUBSTITUTES for regular cleaning and inspection of your chimney. It's something I do on a fairly regular basis, and I do NOT suggest you try and simply burn it out instead of scrubbing. 

I often try and burn a super hot fire first thing in the morning to burn off what possible build up I have made the night before by choking off the intake and damper. There have been numerous times where I've seen bits of what I can only describe as 'flaming spiderwebs' start and web out, which are bits of creosote catching and burning up. I don't see it often, but I do see it occasionally. 

By no means am I suggesting this over good burning practices using seasoned wood and regular chimney cleaning and inspection. I utilize all of the tools at my disposal to prevent chimney fires, this is simply one of many.


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## peakbagger (Dec 22, 2016)

If you look into history or strategic materials you will find the term "naval stores" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_stores there was quite a trade and value in pine sap as there were many uses. It was commercially harvested.


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## Montanalocal (Dec 22, 2016)

I have burned Pine almost exclusively for over 20 years.  When I come across a piece loaded with pitch and sap, I am very happy and set it aside to burn overnight.  It has more heat and burns longer than regular.  Burn away.


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## firestorm (Dec 24, 2016)

Don't have much experience with pine locally due mainly to the abundance of hardwoods but On a hunting trip in western Montana, the guide showed us what he called heartwood. He explained after a standing pine died the pitch would migrate towards the center and bottom of the tree concentrating there. He said the wood would not rot because of the low humidity. In camp he cut those trees to use for fire starters and to burn as well. The wood was noticeably a different color and much more dense. I brought a box full home and am still using it start fires, burns like a candle.


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## osagebow (Dec 24, 2016)

What firestorm said. Split the heavy sticky icky stuff into fatwood firestarters. I use about a 5 gallon bucketful a year, and have even gifted them.a pics the size of a cellphone can be split into 4 pieces or so.


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## Destructor (Dec 25, 2016)

I burned a lot of pine/cedar this fall in my fireplace. I throw the very sappy pieces in when I have a good hot fire established. My father's stove also comsumes alot of pine. Neither of our chimneys accumulate much creosote. It's always been well seasoned or dry construction scraps, which can also have alot of sap.


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## Rockey (Dec 25, 2016)

We moved into a log home constructed of kiln dried logs (douglas fir) when it was built 14 years ago. I sanded down an interior wall a couple months ago and it oozed pitch in a couple places. The logs are fully dried and in equalibrium with the environmental humidity so I think it is common for the pockets of pitch to exist long after the log has dried.


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