Anyone Burn Hackberry?

[jdonna]

I have a cord or two to harvest yet at the FIL farm. All hangers from last years ice storm. I do think it leaves a bit more coals than some other hardwoods, but I cannot say one way or the other when it finishes out at 12-14% moisture.

I stack single row in the corn crib after a year of seasoning outside, its an efficient wood drying shed!

 

[Sharkman]

Okay, this is all good information, and I appreciate it. Now, I have an OT, but similar question.
In the past, I have used most any wood available, for firewood. Typically, it was Walnut, Maple, Eucalyptus, Avocado, some type of citrus, or some form of conifer. I simply burned whatever was available. That was in suburban Lost Angeles. I had a couple of avocado trees on my lot, had a walnut that was taken out, from my lot, years before, and a neighbor, at one time, gave me a half cord of maple, from a tree that he had, on his lot, that died.
All that said, it is clear that I am a novice, at the use of wood, for primary heating.
On my property, I have 3 sizable elm trees, that have fallen, and would be normally used for burning. But, the locals here, tell me that the common name for it is (excuse the vulgarity) "Piss Elm", supposedly, due to its "aroma" when burning. But, in looking it up, on the web, I have found several folks who say it is good wood for firewood. Someone tell me the truth, please. I have already cut up one of them, figuring to burn it, with all of the twigs in the burn pile, after cutting up the red oak, and a couple of large branches of the hackberry. It is set to burn in the middle of the pasture, where it's "aroma" is unimportant. But, if it is good fireplace wood, after all, I can easily place it in the seasoning wood stack.
Help, please?

 

[jdonna]

Cut that elm and split it when its frozen. Use a good hydraulic splitter and you will be fine. I have burned almost exclusively on elm in the past. Maybe not the highest btu out there, but it seasons nice.

 

[firefighterjake]

I've found that American elm when fresh cut is a bit smelly . . . but it's nothing that a little bit of two stroke exhaust smell won't cover up.

When standing dead with the bark falling off it, there is little to no smell.

In my first year of burning elm was the majority of the wood that I burned since that was the driest stuff I could get . . . it isn't a top dog burner like oak or black locust, but is a decent middle of the road wood. When fresh cut, it can be miserable to split by hand . . . when dry your experiences may vary and it may be "not so bad", "easy" or "miserable" to split. A hydraulic splitter makes things much easier regardless of whether it is fresh cut or standing dead.

My own opinion . . . if you need the wood, don't just burn it in the field.