Wet ash firewood

[ValleyCottageSplitter]

It "may" burn OK toward the end of the heating season, let it season for another year, and you'll be much happier with the performance.

Sure, I've also got 1 cord of ash, red maple and sycamore CSS sep 2017, 1 cord of oak/beech CSS May 2017 for next year. Since it seems I'll be stuck with a fireplace again I might start into this ash around Jan/Feb if I run out of the 1/4 cord shed wood, but wasteful to use any more.

I think the real statement is that ash is one of the best woods to burn green (lowest starting MC@36%) but it is far from properly seasoned. So if you are making a campfire and don't have seasoned wood, ash might be a good bet. Here is a nice table of different starting MCs:
http://mb-soft.com/juca/print/firewood.html

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

I've burned countless cords of ash. In summer live one's have plenty of moisture and need at least a year CSS to season. In winter they tend to hold much less water than most other hardwoods, typically less than 30% fresh split. Although some have been in the low twenties, most are between 25%-30% give or take 1-2%, which means a few freshly felled would do fine while most other trees would be burnable, but not optimal. Toss in the new epa stoves as previously stated and it gets even worse. So imo the old adage holds true occasionally/rarely, but is nothing to live by. Now dead ash is a whole other story. Every year I replenish my stacks with some dead ash and the tops consistently check 15%-20%, trunks 20%-25%. I burn the tops within days. The only caveat is if there is bark left on, which soaks up rain water. The bark can register 40%, while the wood itself 20%!

 

[Sodbuster]

I've burned countless cords of ash. In summer live one's have plenty of moisture and need at least a year CSS to season. In winter they tend to hold much less water than most other hardwoods, typically less than 30% fresh split. Although some have been in the low twenties, most are between 25%-30% give or take 1-2%, which means a few freshly felled would do fine while most other trees would be burnable, but not optimal. Toss in the new epa stoves as previously stated and it gets even worse. So imo the old adage holds true occasionally/rarely, but is nothing to live by. Now dead ash is a whole other story. Every year I replenish my stacks with some dead ash and the tops consistently check 15%-20%, trunks 20%-25%. I burn the tops within days. The only caveat is if there is bark left on, which soaks up rain water. The bark can register 40%, while the wood itself 20%!

I'm in SW Michigan, and there hasn't been a live Green Ash around here for at least 10 years. When I've run short, or usually, when i don't want to use my premium good wood for Spring shoulder season, I'll take the tractor out in the woods and cut a 6" Ash, that can go directly into the stove. If it has no bark, there is no sizzle, and it burns beautifully. With bark, like you said Woodsman, it will sizzle a bit as the bark holds home moisture, but that is short lived.

 

[jwfirebird]

burned a lot of ash, I used to stack it in tight piles, like I a shed or against it, but it would never dry, or the top would and that was it. started putting it in long piles open to the wind separated four or five feet, that makes it dry way faster, and the whole pile

 

[AbrK]

Got a moisture meter today and re split a bunch of splits ash that’s sitting outside under cover is anywhere from 20-22% oak is 30-37% and hickory is 25-33 % all the same wood sitting in a shed in all about 5% more moisture


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