Already started the Jotul about a dozen times this year and really don't have many options for wood species as I will be burning all red oak and maple this year. However, for next year I have some options ready to go. I have about cord of pine, 1.5 cord of elm, half a cord of birch, and about 2.5 cord of red oak (all will be around 15% for next year). I noticed some talking about shoulder season and using pine and saving the oak for the coldest of days. Anyone plan their burns by species of wood and weather and if so, any tips/strategies? (probably thinking too much but just interested in learning)
Jotuller I use the lower BTU woods for shoulder season. I may also use some slightly punky wood as well. I keep the better quality wood for the colder parts of the winter.
Yes - lower btu wood, chunks, uglies, shorties, lumber scraps, during early fall and late spring. I like to have some pine on hand even in winter to get the fire going hot and quick, then throw some red oak on to produce heat and coals.
I load pine in the shed first, followed by the next best wood, then the good stuff, followed by next best stuff, then in front is more pine or Poplar. So, I start with Pine in Oct, then end with it in mid-April to mid-May. Think of a Bell curve.
I do the same as the others.. Use up softer wood, chunky monkeys, punk wood and small rounds in October/November. Since we don't burn 24/7 during shoulder season, it's nice to have a quick hot fire that doesn't last so long just to get the house up to temp without cooking yourself out. I keep a stack of "shoulder wood" separated from the good stuff. I also use softer wood to get a the fire going in the mornings to burn up coals and get some quick heat in the house. Here's a pic of a stack of softer wood... Aspen, Sasafrass, red maple, scyamore, tulip... etc.. On the other side of this stack is a rick of white oak.
I have this ring by the door loaded with with a blend of poplar and gum. I throw in a few oak splits here and there for the coaling properties. But just this lower btu stuff for the shoulder season. Anyway I’m locked and loaded waiting for our first really cold night. So far have only done outdoor fires this season. I wish I still had some silver maple on hand.... burned that as my shoulder wood last year and it was great.
So I have thought about doing this. The thing that’s held me back is I don’t want it to turn cold earlier than normal and be moving a lot of wood to get to oak. I really like your idea. For now I just have separate stacks of shoulder wood.
I just had a fire tonight to warm the house up. I used ash, hickory and red oak.....I carried in the house just below my "shoulder", does count ?
Having a bit of that issue right now. Haven't used enough of the shoulder wood because of the mild temps and now we're needing a bit more heat. I'll just use the furnace, but that makes it worse. 1st world problem.
I keep pine separate from everything else, and use it almost exclusively for shoulder seasons. This year it happens that I have a bunch of silver maple, so I'm using the pine with a split or two of silver maple for our once a day fires, and will adjust the ratio as temps go down. When winter comes, I'll use the good stuff (sugar maple mostly) then ramp back down to the once daily pine fires as it warms up. I don't make an effort to avoid mixing anything except pine.
Believe it or not, you wouldn't . Not for the BKK. The hardwoods I've been blessed to try have coaled something fierce, but little heat. Just ends up taking room in the box. I'm more than happy with Lodgepole. I do have some Osage and Black Walnut, but it's not a go-to for constant burning. Be happy with the Birch, it's a better fit for the BKK than other woods. Sounds weird but it's true. JB
Nothing wrong with shoulder season woods. There’s also nothing wrong with having them on stock for the cold spells too. Best way to produce heat while burning off too many coals in the stove from the high btu woods.
I think your right... Some of these EPA stoves, as a general statement, tend to make much more coals than a traditional wood stove. My previous wood stoves didn’t produce near the coaling build up so using mostly hard wood was never an issue, now I find myself liking to have both hardwood and softer wood for this stove.
Have a shoulder stack and really only seperate oak and locust for the cold times, they have own stacks. I tend to try and stack types of wood together if I can, but dont knock myself out trying. I've learned you can't have too much shoulder wood. Burned into spring longer than I anticipated and my pile is really running low for this fall. Been hoarding smaller stuff and scraps that I use to just leave.
I do a little like papadave does. In October I usually put enough wood in the barn to run us through the winter months. There are 3 rows stacked up to 7 1/2' high. First row in front is mostly ash, elm, cherry with a few oak. Second row is mostly oak and the back row is again like the first row. It works for us and keeps the oak for the really cold winter months.
