In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

And what about Elm?

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by Lastmohecken, May 10, 2021.

  1. Lastmohecken

    Lastmohecken

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2020
    Messages:
    876
    Likes Received:
    3,734
    Location:
    Arkansas
    Normally, I don't cut Elm for firewood. And about everyone hates to try to split it. If I have to cut an Elm down, to clean up my field or fence lines, I let it lay or push into a burn pile. But yesterday, I cut down an Elm in my field, because I wanted it gone, and I am considering noodling it up for fire wood, since it's close to the house and there will be less mess left for me to push into a burn pile or something.

    I see that the btu's are around 19 or so, and it takes 18 months to season. Not that bad, but I have heard that Elm stinks when you burn it in a stove. Some people call it pizzElm around here, because then say it stinks like, you know what, when it is burnt. Is this true? If it does stink, I figure it was because it was probably green when they burnt it, but I don't really know.

    Can someone clarify this?
     
  2. Eric Wanderweg

    Eric Wanderweg

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2020
    Messages:
    6,901
    Likes Received:
    52,732
    Location:
    Bristol, Connecticut
    Yes it can stink when you burn it (SUPPOSEDLY, when dried thoroughly the smell is almost nonexistent) Yes it can split like a bear (standing dead splits better than green, I’ve only split it that way and it still didn’t split great) BUT... with my very limited experience burning Elm, I’ll say it burns well and has a nice long coaling stage. So try it if you’re feeling ambitious, and decide for yourself if the juice is worth the squeeze. Personally I like how it burns, and I have a splitter so why not take it if the opportunity comes?
     
  3. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

    Joined:
    May 29, 2015
    Messages:
    21,780
    Likes Received:
    137,486
    Location:
    NE Ohio
    How would one know (or care) what is smells like in the stove? Standing out in the yard trying to catch a wiff of the smoke?
     
  4. chainsawsoldier

    chainsawsoldier

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2014
    Messages:
    250
    Likes Received:
    1,363
    Location:
    NE Kansas
    Small project: American Elm

    I cut it and burn it or sell it. Never had any complaints about dry wood smelling, but I know wet branches don’t smell good. If you don’t have hydraulics, don’t even bother though, the grain is usually interlaced so it shears, not splits.
     
  5. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    44,775
    Likes Received:
    279,112
    Location:
    Central MI
    Don't believe all the bad things you hear or read about. Even the btu charts are mostly wrong. However, they can all be right too!!! What?

    First of all if you cut elm when it is living you most likely will be disappointed. If you wait until it is dead and all or most of the bark has fallen off it makes excellent firewood and most of the time you can even split it by hand if you so desire. I love burning elm and have never noticed a bad odor from it. We burn a lot of it here and love it.

    But as I stated, it all depends; cut and try to split it green and you will not like it. It also then does not make good firewood.

    Here is a video splitting elm. A 20 ton splitter with 5hp engine running around half to 2/3 throttle.

    Splitting 4 29 15a - YouTube
     
  6. Woodsnwoods

    Woodsnwoods

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2015
    Messages:
    3,067
    Likes Received:
    20,074
    Location:
    Syracuse, NY
  7. Lastmohecken

    Lastmohecken

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2020
    Messages:
    876
    Likes Received:
    3,734
    Location:
    Arkansas
    You didn't seem to have too much trouble splitting it.

    I understand about green Elm being hard to split. I am not worried about splitting it, as I will just noodle it. It is green wood, however. So, are you telling me, that because I cut it green, that it won't make decent firewood after it seasons for 18 months or longer?
     
  8. Lastmohecken

    Lastmohecken

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2020
    Messages:
    876
    Likes Received:
    3,734
    Location:
    Arkansas
    Good point, but when you open the door of the stove? Just wondering about it.
     
  9. Stephiedoll

    Stephiedoll

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2013
    Messages:
    3,585
    Likes Received:
    25,090
    Location:
    Omaha, NE.
    I find some splits like a dream while other isn't worth my time. Doesn't seem to matter green or dry/no bark.
     
  10. amateur cutter

    amateur cutter

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2013
    Messages:
    5,851
    Likes Received:
    47,010
    Location:
    Gun Lake MI
    IME if you buck it up & especially of you noodle it & leave it lay for a while it will split decently. pizz Elm does have an unpleasant odor when green, but once dried it's fine. I'd use it for sure.
     
  11. Horkn

    Horkn

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2014
    Messages:
    27,592
    Likes Received:
    154,477
    Location:
    SE Wisconsin
    If it's dry, it doesn't smell bad, It has a sweet smell to it if anything. It burns great and if barkless, there's no dirt or mess. I find that around here, it doesn't matter much green or dry fr splitting, it really can be stringy and stubborn. That stringiness is like built in fire starter.

    It really burns great though.
     
  12. Eric Wanderweg

    Eric Wanderweg

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2020
    Messages:
    6,901
    Likes Received:
    52,732
    Location:
    Bristol, Connecticut
    When I processed my first load back in March the smell almost reminded me of Nutmeg or something. Never had anything like it before.
     
  13. Woodchucker

    Woodchucker

    Joined:
    May 24, 2020
    Messages:
    171
    Likes Received:
    1,461
    Location:
    Iowa
    I love the way elm smells when splitting it. I wouldn't let it go to waste but thats because easy wood is hard to come by. If the btu charts are correct and I had the choice between elm and silver maple, I'd take the silver maple.
     
  14. Mag Craft

    Mag Craft

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2014
    Messages:
    4,802
    Likes Received:
    27,724
    Location:
    South East Wyoming
    I burn a lot of Elm because it is one of the few hardwoods around here. When wet it can have a smell but when when dry no smell and no smell when burning.

    It makes a good firewood and I take all I can get. I do not try and split it but noodle all of it. I am burning some right now since it has been snowing here all day.
     
  15. Lastmohecken

    Lastmohecken

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2020
    Messages:
    876
    Likes Received:
    3,734
    Location:
    Arkansas
    Thanks, fellows. Maybe I will cut and noodle some of it up, and see how it burns in a couple of years.
     
  16. Greenstick

    Greenstick

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2014
    Messages:
    2,363
    Likes Received:
    11,951
    Location:
    Carrington North Dakota-aka-Dakotah Territory
    I got an American Elm a few years back. It was in the final stage of Dutch Elm Death but still was barely alive. When I cut it in November it was wet, heavy, and did have an aroma. Due to its stringy nature I cut it short, 14" or so. Probably was 30" DBH. When I got home, I'm a hand splitter, and tried whacking some I thought boy did I mess up. Hoped the freezing making splitting tales would come true and let it sit. Every week I would whack a few rounds and test it. After a cold snap and multiple days below freezing for high temperatures about a month later, one day I sat a round up and it was amazing, pop! I started on the small stuff and worked my way up. When I would start to fight it always seemed like I was noticing moist inside and would just give it 3-4 days to freeze more and go back at it until I started finding moisture again and wait. After a couple weeks I had split it all. The freezing at least for this bugger was key. The following year I tried some but it was still sizzler so it sat another year and a half since I had plenty to go on. By the time it was dry it burned nice. If I occasionally threw an ugly on a campfire you would get a whiff of elm, not bad but noticable, but only in a sitting next to an open campfire situation. I have an offering of another elm about the same size this summer and I probably am going to take them up on it, but this time I am aware of the process it will be. Contemplating if it may be worth getting it to rounds and letting it set a full year before splitting that next winter but concerned if it dries down too much in rounds if the interwoven grain may hold it together more or would that be a non issue. Anyone ever done that with elm, and how'd it treat you?
     
  17. Greenstick

    Greenstick

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2014
    Messages:
    2,363
    Likes Received:
    11,951
    Location:
    Carrington North Dakota-aka-Dakotah Territory
    I got an American Elm a few years back. It was in the final stage of Dutch Elm Death but still was barely alive. When I cut it in November it was wet, heavy, and did have an aroma. Due to its stringy nature I cut it short, 14" or so. Probably was 30" DBH. When I got home, I'm a hand splitter, and tried whacking some I thought boy did I mess up. Hoped the freezing making splitting takes would come true and let it sit. Every week I would whack a few rounds and test it. After a cold snap and multiple days below freezing for high temperatures about a month later, one day I sat a round up and it was amazing, pop! I started on the small stuff and worked my way up. When I would start to fight it always seemed like I was noticing moist inside and would just give it 3-4 days and go back at it until I started finding moisture again and wait. After a couple weeks I had split it all. The freezing at least for this bugger was key. The following year I tried some but it was still sizzler so it sat another year and a half since I had plenty to go on. By the time it was dry it burned nice. If I occasionally threw an ugly on a campfire you would get a whiff of elm, not bad but noticable, but only in a sitting next to an open campfire situation. I have an offering another elm about the same size this summer and I probably am going to take them up on it, but this time I am aware of the process it will be. Contemplating if it may be worth getting it to rounds and letting it set a full year before splitting that next winter but concerned if it dries down too much in rounds if the interwoven grain may hold it together more or would that be a non issue. Anyone ever done that with elm, and how'd it treat you?
     
  18. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2019
    Messages:
    29,813
    Likes Received:
    178,480
    Location:
    North Haven, Connecticut
    Must be that nutmeg state elm! ;)
     
  19. Backwoods Savage

    Backwoods Savage Moderator

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    44,775
    Likes Received:
    279,112
    Location:
    Central MI

    No.

    It will make good firewood. Usually what happens is when you try splitting green elm wood the wood does not want to break apart and the cells just try to rip apart and that is why you can end up with this sort of a mess.
    122837-82b5c6dda2010b4506eaa4b23720f127.jpg
    First the wood just seems to compress before it then tries to tear apart rather than split. Not try to imagine burning wood like that! It will dry fast that way buy then it is like putting dry kindling wood in the fire. Whoosh! Short fire.

    If you do noodle it that should be a big help but I can't say as I've never noodled.
     
  20. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

    Joined:
    May 29, 2015
    Messages:
    21,780
    Likes Received:
    137,486
    Location:
    NE Ohio
    Only if you open the door early in the burn (or you get some smoke rollout while loading) because once the wood is through the first stage of the burn (where the wood is off-gassing and there is strong secondary flame) there would be little to no distinguishable smell after that...