Finally managed to get soot on my glass... @#$&#@ wet poplar

[cbrodsky]

After two years owning this stove, I finally managed to burn wood crappy enough to get soot on the glass of our Fireview.

We cut down a huge poplar tree last fall that was rotted out at the bottom (pics were posted somewhere on here of that operation...) - it was right next to my woodshed. In fact, it was quite the job to not take out the woodshed. So even though it's not hardwood, it was just too darn convenient I thought to haul it away, so I split it up and have had it drying for the summer. I didn't stack it neatly or use up woodshed space for this, but it gets great sun. My plan was to burn this in the fall when I don't need good coaling for restarts and get it out of the way before winter without dipping into the woodshed.

Even the pieces on the very top that feel like they weigh next to nothing are still hard as hell to get started and hiss like crazy for the first hour or so. Some stuff deeper in the pile feels even wetter - better than when I cut it, but not all that dry given it's been split up for months in the sun. Does anyone else ever burn this stuff, and does it ever really dry? I just moved it all down to my long-term drying area and figure I'll give it more time.

The good news is that all my other wood is older and drier than anything I've burned yet and boy is it awesome! Real easy starts and hot clean burns.

-Colin

 

[Todd]

Usually Poplar dries out pretty quick. Maybe it will be ready by the end of the burning season. You gota watch out for thermo shocking the cat with wet wood. Good thing you have the patients to wait for it to dry.

 

[slofr8]

I cut up two poplar trees that blew over last year and after a year of drying I love the way it burns this time of year. No hissing at all. Matter of fact I cut up a cord of it for next year. Clean, light, easy to split, and I have a lot of it. I also have a lot of beech and maple that I burn and even the odd fir but I was surprised and impresed by the poplar.
Dan.

 

[cbrodsky]

Good to hear - then I am glad I went through the trouble to drag it down to the sunny field and restacked it for use next year. After a summer down there, it should be great stuff for fall. I was starting to wonder if I was wasting my time not just making a big bonfire with it

-Colin

 

[BrotherBart]

The first two years in this house most of our heating was with Tulip Poplar. The builder knocked over some huge ones. Pop burns clean with no coals but the upside is there isn't anything left as far as ash goes. With the old air-tight with over the glass secondary air I could get five to six hour burns from a firebox full of seasoned Poplar. The EPA stoves I have now would probably make short work of it though.

 

[gpcollen1]

JUst to nitpick...tulip is not a poplar, even though it is called American Tulip Poplar by some. Burn is similar and I think you can cut tulip down and burn it in the same day.

 

[BrotherBart]

JUst to nitpick...tulip is not a poplar, even though it is called American Tulip Poplar by some. Burn is similar and I think you can cut tulip down and burn it in the same day.

Just to nitpick, you ain't gonna burn Tulip Poplar, Tulip Magnolia, Liriodendron Tulipifera or whatever ya wanna call it in the same year much less day. The stuff is soaking wet for months after it is cut. I have a couple of hundred of them on the place up to eighty feet tall.

 

[jpl1nh]

JUst to nitpick...tulip is not a poplar, even though it is called American Tulip Poplar by some. Burn is similar and I think you can cut tulip down and burn it in the same day.

Just to nitpick, you ain't gonna burn Tulip Poplar, Tulip Magnolia, Liriodendron Tulipifera or whatever ya wanna call it in the same year much less day. The stuff is soaking wet for months after it is cut. I have a couple of hundred of them on the place up to eighty feet tall.

We all get hung up on "how does it burn, how do you dry it", etc, but tulip poplar is just plain a beautiful tree. Its big, handsome, has beautiful flowers, unique shaped leaves that stay a nice green, and pretty fall foliage, . So it doesn't dry fast and burn well, those aren't a tree's only redeeming qualities.

 

[BrotherBart]

I know what you mean. The suckers are gorgeous in the spring. For weeks it rains tulips around here.

Now, if they didn't have that bad habit of breaking in half and landing on things like my garden tractor they would be perfect.

 

[Corey]

Have a little bit setting in the wood pile right now. Took down a 1/2 dead tree from the yard earlier this year. It kind of reminds me of newspaper burning both in smell and just the way it burns. I haven't really noticed it taking any longer to dry than any other wood, though. I guess you cut the tree AND split the wood last fall? Because just cutting the tree doesn't count for much in the way of drying.

Corey

 

[wg_bent]

Warren's wondering if Colin was cooking pizza's in his living room this time of year after turning on his stove. or is it 50 degrees colder in Millbrook?
LOL you musta been cooking Colin!!

 

[cbrodsky]

Warren's wondering if Colin was cooking pizza's in his living room this time of year after turning on his stove. or is it 50 degrees colder in Millbrook?
LOL you musta been cooking Colin!!

ha ha - it was actually a week or two ago when it was getting into the high 30s that I tested out some of my woodpile... spent this fine weekend cleaning up the chimney. It's way too warm for October.

-Colin

 

[MikeS]

OK, I am confused--replace the word "poplar" with "aspen" everywhere below. Sorry if i confused anyone!

i don't like poplar, and I am in Colorado where it should dry quickly. I cut down some dead ones and logged it out. it split easily-explodes when hit. but the bark is like a 1/2" thick, never-drying sponge. Even with the logs showing deep cracks on the ends and splitting like dry wood, the bark was still holding tons of water. sugary watery bark--that is probably why the elk eat the stuff! after a LONG time some of the dryest pieces would still show moisture if I pushed my thumbnail into the bark. if brought inside, it smells bad. some of the pieces I would score with a knife along the bark to see if they would dry faster. no help. after 1.5 to 2 years, when the bark finally starts coming off, it has more hope. in my opinion, it is best piled where you won't see it and "discvered" after 4 or 5 years.

the other common "fuel hardwood" we have around here is cottonwood. I cut up a giant 30" diameter one that blew over in a neighbors yard. after 6 months, the logs were cracking on the ends so I split it and it was pretty dry. I stacked it and covered it for another couple months and now they are "bone dry" and make a crisp "crack" if banged together. I don't have a moisture meter but I think they are dry. much bigger pieces than the poplar, and they dry faster. I am pretty sure my climate is doing its job and the poplar is just being a pain.

We don't have any "high density hardwoods" like the easterners. our closest things with high density that are still botanically hardwoods are the ash and locust. hardly ever get big pieces of those, just "maintenance cuttings." there are some maples around, but again, rarely chopped up for burning...

 

[DriftWood]

After two years dirty glass, Great stove operation!! Check the door and glass gaskets could be leaking air causing the black stuff on your glass. Gaskets ware out.