Alder logs

[Martin Jenkins]

Hi, I'm new, first post. Been happily reading for a while.

 

Six months ago I moved from Bristol city out to Somerset, little cottage with 8 acres, of which about 4 is wood.

 

I want to be as sufficient for wood off the land as I can.

 

There's loads of ash, hazel that clearly used to be coppiced, but nobody has done it for 20 years + - not a problem, and lovely firewall (I read).

 

However there is also a shedload of alder, which everybody including the person from whom I bought the place says "that's rubbish".

 

Well my wife wants rid of it from some places, for amenity, and pigs and the like, and I hate to throw stuff away, so I'm cutting and splitting and stacking it under some fir trees (pretty dry under there, pretty good ventilation), and I'm hoping that it will at least burn.

 

What it so bad about alder as firewood? will it just NOT burn? will it stuff up my wood boiler stove? will it burn really quickly? will it burn slowly and cold?

 

...if I am really wasting my time completely then I suppose I should know, and maybe I should be letting it rot down somewhere, or something.

 

...I did read that alder makes good charcoal, but that's too much hard work and time for a hobby-farmer like me.

 

Thank you,

Martin

[Mr Ed]

HAHAHA! sorry for the laugh - Welcome to the forum.

The reason for my laughter, Alder is one of the best firewoods you can get. Its always entertained me that people think its bad. They probably tried to burn it wet.Dry it like you would beech or sycamore, and it will burn long and hot.

Even better if you can dry it european style. Cleft it into 1m billets and stack in walls with some tin ontop.

The reason it was used for charcoal making was for gunpowder - alder charcoal carries the highest specific calorific rating, and grinds down the finest.

 

Have no fear, you are sat on the finest firewood available.

[Paul Smith]

If its a wood burning stove you have you can put anything in it!

[Martin Jenkins]

That is really good to hear Mr Ed.

 

Are you suggesting that all those sites that rate firewood, and e.g. say "oak, ash, hazel are grade 4; alder is a grade 1 - and makes poor firewood" - are all perpetuating a myth?

 

Just I well that I coppiced the alder then, instead of razing it - I coppiced it because I read somewhere it is good at fixing nitrogen.

[yaxleylad]

Alder is also a fantastic wood for carving treen utensil's as it is easy to work, light weight and relitiively stable when its dry, its been used for that purpose in England for hundereds of year's. If theres any spoon carvers or bowl makers near you they might pay well for it especially if theres some thicker pole's. Its a queer wood, it is extrememly durable; when its wet and sodden-even more so, it was used for pilings in docks and jetties etc as it lasts for years, also was used for clog sole's

[Martin Jenkins]

Durable - that's another thing then; I asked somebody on a different forum if I could use alder poles (I have very many very straight 15 meter long ones, up to 18 inches diameter) for temporary buildings, and I was told that alder would rot very quickly

 

...is that not the case?

 

you're not all winding me up are you, and then will say "hehe, alder is rubbish after all!!" - I wouldn't have thought so

[yaxleylad]

Its durable for utensils but they arent out in the extremes of weather, alder is durable if its permanently sodden as in driven into a river or lake bed, it will last a long time then, dont ask me why alder lasts a long time under those conditions but it does. If you did the same with ash it wouldnt last more than a year or so. Elm lasts a long time, I think they found elm water pipes from the 1600's buried in London and they were still sound. I know someone as used alder poles to make peg bay's for his carp lake's. Its no good for fence posts or rails or joists rafters or studs (as far as I know) stick with chestnut or oak for them!

The big ladle in the centre of my avtar pic is made of alder

[treedave]

I did some charcoal work for a local coppice merchant a couple of years back - it was all alder and the kiln was more than 50% with cracking charcoal after each burn. This was with alder that looked like it was past its best. Coppice it and watch the rate it grows the next year, especially in the wet spots. The nitrogen fixing is in the form of nodules created on the fine roots. Sounds like a cracking project, good luck and welcome.

[Al Smith]

It doesn't make any difference what you burn in a stove as long as it's dry .All wood has the same btu's per pound ,not by volume .

 

You could get just as warm burning balsa wood as you could burning hard as a rock American red oak .Of course burning the balsa you would have to tend the fire more often .

[Chris Sheppard]

I'd never had anything to do with alder up until a couple of years back. Wasn't looking forward to "being stuck with it" as I just assumed it would be like willow. As Mr Ed says - some of the best firewood I've ever had (once it's dry). Make sure you stack it off the ground slightly though cos it goes mushy fairly quickly.