How long to season pine from tree to stove?

[Steve999]

Can someone advise on this please. I normally burn hardwood but have been offered some fresh pine ( not sure on species) and it would be bad form to turn it down.

How long to season would you say. Due to resinous nature of pine I've been told it needs to be 20% before burning, and then ideally in a hot stove to stop the creosote condensing up the flue.

[Bob_z_l]

Steve,

Sounds about the same as I was always told.

I run my little Jotul flat out and I'm lucky as our chimney isn't too tall ( single storey lodge) so I lose the tar straight out the top.

 

My sweep never gives me a hard time, so I hope I'm doing something right.

Softwood, not just for kindling....

 

Still interested to hear other views though.

 

Bob

[david wood]

If you can get it sawn up and split then stacked now it will be great for next autumn. i would never burn sooner.

[Dan Earp]

If you can get it sawn up and split then stacked now it will be great for next autumn. i would never burn sooner.

 

Agreesplit it now and itll dry quicker,leavin it in lengths and u add on min of another 12 months

[face cord]

Buy a cheapo ebay moisture meter if you don't already have one so you can test when it goes under 20%.

 

Seasoning time there are alot of variables like log size wood store localtion/design etc but 1 yr sounds about right.

[WFWales]

Buy a cheapo ebay moisture meter if you don't already have one so you can test when it goes under 20%.

 

Seasoning time there are alot of variables like log size wood store localtion/design etc but 1 yr sounds about right.

 

good advice Face cord...

 

split it down to 3 -4 inches - stack it off the ground with a cover over the top and the sides open and let the wind rip thru it and it will dry a treat

[Alycidon]

split it down to 3 -4 inches - stack it off the ground with a cover over the top and the sides open and let the wind rip thru it and it will dry a treat

 

Good advice.

 

Moisture contents and heat production in wood is an interesting subject.

 

The energy in a given log is first used to dry the remaining moisture out, the rest of the energy is then converted into heat. Wood at 25% ( the maximum allowed under the HETAS Quality assurance scheme) will give from memory around 14 MJ of heat per kg, at 16% the same log will give around 20 MJ per kg, an increase of almost 50%.

 

I am currently selling Pine and larch that I processed in the early part of 2011, moisture contents are around 14%. So your pine will be ok but not this winter.

 

Creosote someone mentioned. All wood contains creosote, this is given off in gas form when the wood burns. Providing the stove or fire is hot enough the creosote is combusted with no problems. However if the wood is to wet the heat generated will not be sufficient to reach combustion point of the creosote, thats when it gets into the chimney and condenses to line the chimney with tar. It the main cause of chimney fires.

 

A

[muldonach]

Can someone advise on this please. I normally burn hardwood but have been offered some fresh pine ( not sure on species) and it would be bad form to turn it down.

How long to season would you say. Due to resinous nature of pine I've been told it needs to be 20% before burning, and then ideally in a hot stove to stop the creosote condensing up the flue.

 

Cut it small and stack it so the wind can get through but keep the rain off - then use a moisture meter.

 

It will be ready in a lot less than 12 months is my gut feeling - we certainly do not season softwoods for 12 months but have never put a moisture meter on them up till now.

 

I have a tendency to chuck it in the fire and see if it burns - if it does its ready

 

Cheers

mac

[Steve999]

Thanks guys , good helpful feedback there. Definitely ring and split to the finished length as recommended.

Up until thinking about the dreaded pine, I've just judged by the feel of my hardwood and as muldonach said chuck it on the fire and see if it burns.

Do you guys have a feel for the time to season hardwood, I suspect it's species dependant, I have apple, cherry and ash.

Thanks a lot, Steve

[Alycidon]

Thanks guys , good helpful feedback there. Definitely ring and split to the finished length as recommended.

Up until thinking about the dreaded pine, I've just judged by the feel of my hardwood and as muldonach said chuck it on the fire and see if it burns.

Do you guys have a feel for the time to season hardwood, I suspect it's species dependant, I have apple, cherry and ash.

Thanks a lot, Steve

 

Your Pine will burn well, Morso the Danish stove manufacturer use Pine to test their stoves as it burns hotter than most other woods.

 

I was processing some hardwood a couple of weeks ago, that had been felled about 15 months ago through a processor which has stripped some of the bark and allowed the air in. Some of that was 25% when processed, that may be ready to burn late in the winter. I process into bags then barn store.

 

A