green logs

[Cracker]

I tried burning green oak at the end of last winter (when I ran out of dry stuff). Utterly miserable experience and it tarred up the chimney, not inside but right at the top under the cowling. There was this big doughnut of black sh*t causing the stove to smoke when I opened the door. Never had that problem when burning dry wood.

[gensetsteve]

So

really it's not necessarily a question of moisture content although that will result in heavier logs.

It's all about hot fire resulting in hot flue resulting in less deposits.

I never had a chimney fire in many years of fires though I have had the process described to me- vibrating house/ much smoke/much fear

In the past I only really burned wood on open fires in grates and there was little benefit in using green wood as it usually burned slowly if at all.

Todays woodburners are more like furnaces and I think that means we can get away with using green.

Anyone else with views or maybe someone on here has done some research projects- I know it's not really degree standard stuff but is becoming a valid area for research

 

wet wood is wet. Dry wood is dry. Dont need to complicate it really or write a 20 page report. Wet wood is bad news just buy your wood in the spring or before.

[Big J]

No probs Bolt - only recently learnt that one myself!

 

On the 'green' log front, out of curiosity, I chucked some 4 month seasoned (cut mid July, stacked since then - nothing split as logs are max 5 inches diameter) cherry, willow, sycamore and elder on the fire and it's burning superbly. It went onto a bed of Elm embers and it's burning without smoke and with an intense heat. I suppose it has been seasoned (as in had a season to dry) though. Either way, I'm quite happy about that as I've another 8 cubic metres cut at the same time stacked too.

 

Jonathan