Whats oozing out of my wood ?

[kwikrp]

I took a split and resplit it. Tested with a moisture meter.(new but I think its junk (now after this)) got an 18% reading put split in fire and after a few minutes maybe 15-20 minutes I noticed some white bubbly stuff on the end of one of the splits. It looks like the foamy head on a beer ? not much just a few spots less than the size of a dime. Is this water ? or what ? Is my wood not seasoned seems to be burning well and some good heat.

 

[Todd]

Yep, that's water, your probably right about your meter. Most of my wood is at 20% and there is no sizzling or foaming. Maybe you can test some other splits and find a common moisture level that doesn't sizzle?

 

[BucksCoBernie]

Sounds like a personal problem lol. Does it burn when you pee?

 

[savageactor7]

kwikrp try testing a few more splits and toss them in and observe... if you say the wood is burning like seasoned wood that's the real gold standard. From what I've read here splits@18% should be good but we all know that seasoned wood doesn't weep moisture so I dunno. A mystery for sure.

 

[Pagey]

I've got some pine that tests out between 10-20% from a fresh split, and the ends of it still boil out a little moisture. The oak I have tests from 20-30%, but I never see any moisture from it. Go figure.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Are you sure that pine isn't boiling out sap? It's neat when that happens- super flamable.

 

[Pagey]

Are you sure that pine isn't boiling out sap? It's neat when that happens- super flamable.

It very well could be. I've seen pieces of that pine let out a "whoomp" and just go up in flames. Good times!

 

[xjnuttier]

LOL it soundslike my "seasoned" wood I got..LOL I'm not the only one, it is probally moisture, Do you hear it sizzle, when you open the stove? or steam for that fact... what kind of wood of doing this, the pine? I have been having these issues with my white oak that has been down for over a year and split since the latest June... Hey, was that moisture meter, the centec, from harbor freight, the yellow one? I was going to get that one as well...

 

[savageactor7]

^And that would also be a bad thing if you can hear it sizzle...down where you are should be burning coal rather than buying wood. Maybe you could grab and tear some old pallets and mix it in?

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Thank GAWD you bought that moisture meter!

 

[xjnuttier]

LOL the stove is the true moisture meter..LOL, even if it looks and maybe even sounds(hence the cracking sound when banged together) like seasoned wood it may not be..lOL I have found that out..