I have a couple of ricks at least of Hackberry, I cut last winter. I have burnt some of it, this fall. I don't think I like it. It seems to stink when burning. It may even bother my sinuses. I don't think I will cut anymore of that species. Now, to get rid of it, I am just trying to slip in a stick or two every now and then with the red oak. At any rate, I have plenty of wood to choose from to cut, so I am going to probably just stick with the oaks or maybe Hickory, and locust, from now on, mostly. Has anyone else noticed this smell when burning Hackberry? I don't think it's my imagination. According to the chart, it has an 8 month drying time and it's been at least that long since I cut it, actually more like 10 months or more, so I don't think it's a seasoning issue.
I burned some Hackberry last winter & don’t recall it having a strange aroma, maybe it has something to do with the area you are in or the type of soil in grew in.
I read some info that a tree can pick up odors from the environment it grows in. some people say Elm stinks, some say not. you could send it down the path of being ground up for compost if its bad enough - smellwise or sinuswise.
Yep, my brother in law has always commented on how elm stinks, that's why he says they, locally, call it (pizz elm) because it smells that way when being burnt. However, I figured that might be because they were possibly burning it green.
I have heard that too about elm. I can see what they are talking about when it’s green but the elm I have burned has been good and dry and it doesn’t smell anything different than anything else to me—just has smelled like generic burning wood.
Hackberry is on of the few decent firewood trees available in my area, so I burn some. I’ve never noticed anything odd about the smell, but I’ll be more aware of it next time and report back if’n I do
I have a cord or so of hackberry, just finished burning a tote full for shoulder season. It’s almost to good of wood for shoulder season. It takes more time to dry for me. I give it at least 2 years. What I just burnt was 3 years css. No bad smell here, I’ve never smelled the pizz elm smell either. Worst smelling woods I’ve burnt are cotton wood and Catawba.
2 years? Ok, well, maybe that's part of the issue, as my wood was cut about 8 or 9 months ago or so. I thought it would be ok, according to the chart on this board.
All wood has a smell when it is green good or bad, but when dried out like they will lose the smell. I have burned russian olive, elm, and cottonwood which all have a bad smell when green. But when dry there is no odor to them.
I’ve never noticed a bad smell from Hackberry or elm. The only bad smelling wood smoke to me is willow.
My wife was having a fit years ago that she wouldn't be around the fire if I used that wood. I cut some poplar that fell on a friend's fence by his pasture. It stunk bad of manure an I was even skeptical but it is just fire pit wood so I kept on. Split, full sun and wind, and in 2 months it no longer had an aroma and curiosity got the best of me and tried burning it. So dry it took off without a sizzle or bubble of moisture cooking out and not a hint o smell other than typical wood smoke. Have also had really stinky elm and cottonwood when wet that dried and didn't smell once dry and burned.
I am currently burning a tote of mulberry that was CSS 6/20 and it has no noticeable aroma. I have found people around here only complain about the wood smelling when the moisture level is too high(green). My neighbor swears that Siberian Elm(Pizz elm) is only good to be piled up and burned in a brush pile. He changed his mind when he saw what seasoned elm burned like.
North Africa and the Middle East. Tis the tree that Frankincense comes from. Frankincense is the sap/resin from the tree. I was thinking it might make for an interesting Christmas fire if given the opportunity.
I definitely won't be over for that fire. Growing up the smell of frankincense in church made me so light headed that I could pass out. To this day if I get a whiff of it I instantly feel the need to remove myself from the area. I haven't heard of it doing this to anyone else but that stuff nails me.
