kiln dried cord wood!

[basswidow]

Hot Stiks (kiln dry firewood) is probably the largest operation on the east coast. Here's an article about their factory:

(broken link removed to http://multitekinc.com/app/newsletter/article_pdf/25.html)

They run non stop using 4 multitek 16 way processors and their kilns use sawdust as fuel to heat the logs to a final 8 -12 % moisture content in less than 48 hours. It's an incredible business. But it's a convience product for the occasional fireplace user. I swear - they are so dry you can lite them with a single match.

I agree that it would not be cost effective. And I believe the moisture content is too low. When I've used kiln dry, I mix it in with other wood. If I filled my box with KD - even on the lowest air setting, it would burn out of control - too hot and may damage my stove.

$ 250 a true cord delivered for kiln dry does sound like a good price.

Last year, a guy was selling pallets of KD from Estonia that was kicked back from the stores for having mold. Seems they put the pallets in shipping containers while it was still hot and then the cold sea air caused condensation and mold. He was selling them $ 100 for a pallet. I got one and mixed it in to extend my wood supply. It was good stuff for the price. Easy to just go pick it up here in NJ. They loaded on my pickup with a fork lift. I ran alittle short last year - so it came in handy. The mold was pretty bad.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Hot Stiks (kiln dry firewood) is probably the largest operation on the east coast. Here's an article about their factory:

(broken link removed to http://multitekinc.com/app/newsletter/article_pdf/25.html)

They run non stop using 4 multitek 16 way processors and their kilns use sawdust as fuel to heat the logs to a final 8 -12 % moisture content in less than 48 hours. It's an incredible business. But it's a convience product for the occasional fireplace user. I swear - they are so dry you can lite them with a single match.

I agree that it would not be cost effective. And I believe the moisture content is too low. When I've used kiln dry, I mix it in with other wood. If I filled my box with KD - even on the lowest air setting, it would burn out of control - too hot and may damage my stove.

$ 250 a true cord delivered for kiln dry does sound like a good price.

Last year, a guy was selling pallets of KD from Estonia that was kicked back from the stores for having mold. Seems they put the pallets in shipping containers while it was still hot and then the cold sea air caused condensation and mold. He was selling them $ 100 for a pallet. I got one and mixed it in to extend my wood supply. It was good stuff for the price. Easy to just go pick it up here in NJ. They loaded on my pickup with a fork lift. I ran alittle short last year - so it came in handy. The mold was pretty bad.

Interesting. Thanks for the link. Sounds like this outfit is responsible for most of those plastic-wrapped bags of firewood supermarkets and convenience stores carry.

I agree 8-12 percent is way too low for a woodstove. The place I've used has similar equipment, also fueled by sawdust, but they dry only to 20 percent for their bulk firewood sales. You can't quite light it off with a match, but it doesn't take much of a coal bed to get it going, a definite advantage in a very small stove. I have some nice 3 to 4-inch rock maple splits that have been stacked outside in full sun and wind for three years now, and the kiln-dried rock maple is definitely easier.

Firewood from Estonia?? Wow. That's a head-banger.

 

[spirilis]

I did roll up to their operation (Hot Sticks), it was a big lot and a good distance away from the main route too. It was definitely a serious operation. And yeah the firewood burned fast in my stove (I had bought several packages to try in my Jotul 8 downstairs, and used it occasionally when my wife and I watched movies down there). Cleaned the glass up nicely once it turned to coals. Haven't bought any this year but it is mostly sold at supermarkets/convenience stores. I do wonder if there are any other local vendors here selling KD firewood in the <=20% range...

 

[Battenkiller]

Mine here in VT was $250 a cord plus a $30 delivery charge for about a 30-mile distance. This isn't "furniture grade," they aim for 20 percent moisture as the best for woodstoves, and when I split and checked a few pieces they delivered, darned if it wasn't 20 percent pretty much on the nose.

VT is a small rural state, and as a result people have the habit of honesty because if they cheat you, word spreads fast and they're out of business. You'd want to be more suspicious in a metro area and really check out the operation and its reputation as thoroughly as possible, and take your maul and moisture meter to check out what they have on hand.

That's an awesome price for perfect firewood. You get a lot of extras with that stuff over a cord of green. Number one, the wood will burn now. It will have shrunk slightly in the kiln, so you will get about 8-10% more wood than if you bought green. The wood will throw out more heat than green wood, and it has no bark, further increasing the amount of burnable wood fiber in the load. I got a load of locust this year. It was standing dead, and plenty dry, but the bark was still loosely attached. I peeled the logs before bucking them and there was a surprisingly large pile of thick, corky locust bark left when I was done.

The only downside for you, Gryf, is that you can't feed your little stove the steady diet of black birch I remember you like so much. How's that KD rock maple working for you? I'm hoping it's not enough heat so you can go ahead and get a bigger stove and sell me that sweet little Tribute. :cheese:

FWIW the only honest firewood dealers near me live in the Argyle, NY area... just this side of the NY/VT border.

 

[LLigetfa]

The wood will throw out more heat than green wood, and it has no bark, further increasing the amount of burnable wood fiber in the load. I got a load of locust this year. It was standing dead, and plenty dry, but the bark was still loosely attached. I peeled the logs before bucking them and there was a surprisingly large pile of thick, corky locust bark left when I was done...

LOL you are opening yourself to that debate again? Many will argue that there are BTUs in the bark although they cannot quantify just how many BTUs there are. I read where one guy would call up his wood monger to come clean up the mess of bark that fell off the wood he paid good money for and to replace it with an equal quantity of wood.

Taking the bark off and burning it in the kiln makes sense. I'm not going to touch the shrinkage comment.

 

[gyrfalcon]

That's an awesome price for perfect firewood. You get a lot of extras with that stuff over a cord of green. Number one, the wood will burn now. It will have shrunk slightly in the kiln, so you will get about 8-10% more wood than if you bought green. The wood will throw out more heat than green wood, and it has no bark, further increasing the amount of burnable wood fiber in the load. I got a load of locust this year. It was standing dead, and plenty dry, but the bark was still loosely attached. I peeled the logs before bucking them and there was a surprisingly large pile of thick, corky locust bark left when I was done.

The only downside for you, Gryf, is that you can't feed your little stove the steady diet of black birch I remember you like so much. How's that KD rock maple working for you? I'm hoping it's not enough heat so you can go ahead and get a bigger stove and sell me that sweet little Tribute. :cheese:

FWIW the only honest firewood dealers near me live in the Argyle, NY area... just this side of the NY/VT border.

Oh, this is glorious stuff and I've become quite spoiled. With finances as rocky and erratic as they are these days for someone who's self-employed, it's been a struggle to have enough dough on hand far enough in advance for the stuff to season. So it's a huge relief to have this source of immediately burnable wood when push really comes to shove.

But even this perfect rock maple doesn't throw off enough heat to get my stove past about 325. I was able to recognize and pull out a few days' worth of beech from it and have that stashed away for those really awful days/nights of midwinter. I've also got a couple cords of not quite seasoned beech in mostly very large splits, which I'm struggling to cut down far enough to burn. No black birch this year, alas. I'm still trying different firewood suppliers, but I think from now on I'll go back to the guy I got the BB from last year, though he charges on the high end for green wood around here. The one disadvantage to the kiln operation is that you can't ask for specific types of wood. You get a mixture of whatever they're cutting that day.

I just popped for that little 4-ton electric splitter Northline Express is having a great deal on, so that will make life much easier.

I hope never to have to try to do business with firewood dealers. You get a much better deal and a for sure nicer relationship with the many guys around here who just cut a few extra cords from their woodlots to sell every year, and no worries about mistakenly being taken for a sucker.

 

[Battenkiller]

LOL you are opening yourself to that debate again? Many will argue that there are BTUs in the bark although they cannot quantify just how many BTUs there are.

I'm going to touch the shrinkage comment.

Black locust has a very light and corky bark. It has about 1/4 of the density of the locust wood itself, maybe less. No room in my stove for it, certainly wouldn't want to pay for it if given the choice. Shagbark hickory bark, OTOH has lots of BTUs. It's real thin as well, so it don't take up much volume- in the stove or on the wood delivery truck. All of my shagbark this year had loose bark. I pulled it off to dry and use it a piece at at time as kindling. I'll tell you this, you wouldn't want to torch a box stuffed full of hickory bark. It burns fast and very hot.

And not one soul is going to make a snide remark about wood shrinkage? C'mon, what happened? Everybody sober up after the Holiday?

 

[LLigetfa]

And not one soul is going to make a snide remark about wood shrinkage?

LOL... I just noticed I left out a word so suffice it to say I agree with the 10% figure. George Costanza was in the pool and might claim much higher percentage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cUNNKzj_Nc

 

[woodchip]

All of my shagbark this year had loose bark. I pulled it off to dry and use it a piece at at time as kindling.

Best thing to do with loose bark, though some of the standing dead trees over the back of us have had the bark stripped by squirrels, so my next wood collection may well be barkless.
I suspect collecting standing deadwood now is about as good a way to acquire next winters woodpile as anything, although I would buy some kiln dried if it were $250 a cord here, we are lucky to see it green at that price, and it would save quite a bit of storage space

 

[fraxinus]

Just to clarify a bit. Within a radius of 30 miles from my house there are three dealers (probably more that I don't know about in other areas) selling kiln dried firewood. All add a per mile delivery charge if they have to go more than 25 miles one way. Price at the moment is $309, $305, $315 per cord. All three were in the 275 to 285 range this past summer. One discounts orders of more than 2 cords. All are supplying genuine kiln dried (15-20% moisture content), not just heat treated wood. Each year, according to the one dealer I know pretty well, all three of them see a significant increase in demand. At least two have built bigger, more fully automated kilns this past summer. Dealer says it's a fantastic word of mouth product -once people try it they're sold - like me - and tell others about the difference.

Now a question. If the average relative humidity is, say, 60%, at what point is equlibrium reached for air dried wood?

 

[oldspark]

gyrfalcon posted "But even this perfect rock maple doesn't throw off enough heat to get my stove past about 325"
That is not right, just a few pieces of crap wood should get it above 325.