Seasoned Wood

[boisblancboy]

Hey guys, I am about to get myself a moisture gauge to check my wood stacks, mostly cause it would be interesting to see what content they are at after sitting a year. I know that one year of sitting is considered seasoned wood, but here is my question.

Most people like buring wood that is under 20% moisture correct? What is the lowest moisture content you are realistically going to see without having it inside drying for a long time?

Also, how much difference in burn time can notice or expect with wood dried at 20% vs 10%, based on the same type of wood?

Thanks.

 

[Pagey]

Lowest I've had is some standing dead pine that was split and stacked for a few months - 15% to 20% depending on the split. Not sure on your other questions, sorry.

 

[boisblancboy]

Anyone else have any info?

 

[smokinj]

Anyone else have any info?

once it gets very dry its going to burn faster but put out more btu's just depends on your stove where the balance will be. Give and take I like the very dry for the cold months and less dry shoulder season. I not use a mm so its off what I know the type of wood and the season we are in.

 

[boisblancboy]

Well here is my thinking, correct me if I am wrong.

1. The dryer the wood, the more you can close the air control on the stove and still get the same stove temps?

2. Dryer wood should mean you would need less wood in the stove burning to get the same stove temps?
For example 5 pieces of wet wood burning hard to get the same temps as maybe 3 pieces of dryer wood?

Maybe my thinking is off, but that seems like sense to me, lol of course. What do you guys think?

 

[savageactor7]

I go by heft...seems the lowest I remember seeing posted here was 20. But yeah it would seem to get a few points lower.

 

[PNWBurner]

I have some two year old Doug Fir that doesn't even register on my meter. The lowest mark is 10%.

The four month old fir is about 28%. The dry stuff burns waaay better.

 

[Bootlegger]

When I first got my MM I put it on a stud and it measured 6%. The lowest I've measured on wood I've processed myself is 15%.

 

[smokinj]

Well here is my thinking, correct me if I am wrong.

1. The dryer the wood, the more you can close the air control on the stove and still get the same stove temps?

2. Dryer wood should mean you would need less wood in the stove burning to get the same stove temps?
For example 5 pieces of wet wood burning hard to get the same temps as maybe 3 pieces of dryer wood?

Maybe my thinking is off, but that seems like sense to me, lol of course. What do you guys think?

I would say that holds water.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

When I burn 5-6 year old or more wood I can get the fire going and turn the draft completely off. I did this the last two nights; that is, close the draft completely and our stove ran as high as 600 or a little above for hours.

 

[Tony H]

Well here is my thinking, correct me if I am wrong.

1. The dryer the wood, the more you can close the air control on the stove and still get the same stove temps?

2. Dryer wood should mean you would need less wood in the stove burning to get the same stove temps?
For example 5 pieces of wet wood burning hard to get the same temps as maybe 3 pieces of dryer wood?

Maybe my thinking is off, but that seems like sense to me, lol of course. What do you guys think?

Works for me when I have a little wetter wood I open the air up and it burns well.

I do have a moisture meter and use it once in a while , to the person measuring a stud it should be 0 as should all kiln dried wood.

 

[LLigetfa]

I do have a moisture meter and use it once in a while , to the person measuring a stud it should be 0 as should all kiln dried wood.

I don't own a moisture meter but that I very much doubt. When I build with kiln dried lumber it is nowhere near 0%, never. There is a big difference between kiln dried studs, joists, rafters, etc. and suff like cabinet grade lumber or flooring. Even your premium cabinet grade lumber won't be 0%.

That said, I lift my firewood splits to gauge MC. By lifting it in the air and catching it I get a good sense of the weight to mass ratio and can tell if it is for "now", "later", or "much later". Sometimes I split a piece and hold the fresh face to my cheek/nose to sense how much moisture it has.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I have wood ring by my fireplace that I keep reloading. Rarely do I ever get to the bottom before I reload. I did make it after several months and was curious of the moisture content on the bottom pieces of cherry. It was all the way down to 8 percent. The wood almost burned too good. With the air shut the whole way down it burned and flamed somewhat rapidly. I think 8 percent may be a little too low for optimal burning. It was pretty to look at the flames filling the box.

 

[Jake]

I burn a lot of kiln dried hardwood (6-9% mc)

there is no comparison,
WAY HOTTER, WAY more BTU's