How does one keep logs at 20% at this time of year ?????

[difflock]

Well I pulled a few smaller split Sitka from beneath the stove, between 6 and 9%, then pulled a couple from the box I brought in 24hr earlier, about 10 to 12%, and the ones from the logpile in the shed, were showing 12 to 15%.

And based on how easy any of these logs are to kindle, with scrumpled up newspaper/cardboard, I could believe these figures.

They were all end grain readings without splitting afresh.

I appreciate my meter could be a bit optomistic, but my gut feeling is it cannot be far wrong, since I bring in random sizes from the logpile, and use the finer split bits to light the fire, generally after letting them sit 24 hrs squirrelled away beneath the stove.

But if the wife has squandered my carefully hoarded kindling stockpile I have bytimes simply picked up fresh brought in cold sticks and used them, with no signs of dampness being evidenced when doing so to light the fire.

m

[Woodworks]

10 hours ago, sime42 said:

That's interesting I've not heard of mob grazing until now, sounds good all round. It's within the same concept of nature regulating itself. Reminds me of how grazing works on the African Savannah.

I was listening to this earlier. Very much in the theme of what's wrong with our current agricultural systems.
 

English Pastoral by James Rebanks - Episode 3 - BBC Sounds

WWW.BBC.CO.UK

---

The pressure to squeeze more out of the land intensifies as the farm risks ruin.

 

Had a listen. Sounds like a pretty fair description of the changes over the years. Change for the good is happening though. One of our good friends runs a successful dairy farm based on mob grazing. They are planting up shelter belts and increasing the carbon in the soils. Their stock are more productive and from what we see very content to boot. Old and new practices combined for a more sustainable, productive and diverse farm landscape. 

[sandspider]

I try and bring mine in a day or two before I use them, and also try and sit them in front of the burner for an hour or so before I put them on, just to get rid of any lingering moisture before they go in the stove. Even logs that I've dried for 9 months in a polytunnel before burning can still seep a bit of moisture when stood in front of the fire. I presume that's moisture they've reabsorbed in the damper winter months as I'm pretty sure they were fully dry at the end of summer. I do live in a damp Welsh valley though.

[cessna]

11 hours ago, sandspider said:

I try and bring mine in a day or two before I use them, and also try and sit them in front of the burner for an hour or so before I put them on, just to get rid of any lingering moisture before they go in the stove. Even logs that I've dried for 9 months in a polytunnel before burning can still seep a bit of moisture when stood in front of the fire. I presume that's moisture they've reabsorbed in the damper winter months as I'm pretty sure they were fully dry at the end of summer. I do live in a damp Welsh valley though.

Thats exactly what I suggest to my customers, just common sense really .   

[openspaceman]

On 20/01/2021 at 20:37, difflock said:

They were all end grain readings without splitting afresh.

That by implication answers my question that you use a probe of some sort. I've never owned a moisture meter so use oven drying until I see a comparison I'll not know which basis the moisture meter uses.

[Doobop]

You can't. 
 
My 2 year split and seasoned (1 year stacked outside, 1 year stacked in a wel ventilated, completely protected from rain shed) ash, which came originally from dry windblown trees, is sat at 21.5%. 
 
Sub 20 is impossible in Devon in winter as the equilibrium moisture content is higher than 20%. 
 
The regulation needs to change to sub 25%, rather than 20%. 20% is fine and doable on the continent, with the drier and colder winters, but it doesn't take account of our maritime climate.

Most things are impossible in Devon![emoji23]

[Woodworks]

On 20/01/2021 at 11:48, openspaceman said:

 

 

 

Now if the example of 21% moisture content being in equilibrium with air at 90%RH is based on moisture as a percentage of dry weight  then that equates to 17.4% wet weight basis. Also look down the chart for cities in america, are they all seriously dryer than UK as not one of them shows an EMC of higher than 18%. I'd like to see a real experiment of a log of moisture content determined by oven drying suspended in free air under cover outside.

 

Hi Andrew. I spilt some ash that was reading between 20%-22% with little difference from inside to outside so I am presuming its in equilibrium with the outside RH. The split piece weighs 383g and then 315g when fully oven dried. By your wet weight bases what do you make that as I dont really understand how to do the calculation? Thanks

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Woodworks said:

Hi Andrew. I spilt some ash that was reading between 20%-22% with little difference from inside to outside so I am presuming its in equilibrium with the outside RH. The split piece weighs 383g and then 315g when fully oven dried. By your wet weight bases what do you make that as I dont really understand how to do the calculation? Thanks

See corrected calculation further down the posts

 

wet weight 383 minus  oven dry weight 313 gives water content 70. Water content 70 divided by wet weight 383 gives fraction of wet weight that is water 0.182767624 which is 18.28% Moisture Content Wet Weight Basis (mc wwb)

 

Water content 70 divided by oven dry weight 313 give the moisture content expressed as a fraction of the dry weight which is  0.2236421725 or 22.36% Moisture Content Dry Weight Basis (mc dwb)

Edited January 22, 2021 by openspaceman
Misread dry weight figure correction added in later post

[Stere]

 

Quote

I'm beginning to notice this game is the same as window cleaning. To make good consistent money then you need a good expensive system in place. I just thought you would need a big barren with open ends. Store the logs in it and let the wind dry them out naturally. Once money comes in then you build another barn and do the same and the cycle continues until sales begin to fall.

 

I season logs in a polytunnel can gets over 45C in there in summer even with both end doors open.

 

Look up about solar kilns if your interested....

[openspaceman]

30 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

wet weight 383 minus  oven dry weight 313 gives water content 70. Water content 70 divided by wet weight 383 gives fraction of wet weight that is water 0.182767624 which is 18.28% Moisture Content Wet Weight Basis (mc wwb)

 

Water content 70 divided by oven dry weight 313 give the moisture content expressed as a fraction of the dry weight which is  0.2236421725 or 22.36% Moisture Content Dry Weight Basis (mc dwb)

Sorry I misread your dry weight as 313 rather than 315

 

383-315=68

68/383=17.75% mc wwb

68/315=21.59% mc dwb

 

So your moisture meter looks accurate for this sample and seems to measure mc dwb