The question is. If you save a few 8" or so "all nighters" in round form vs some big splits about the same size,when stacked Is there a difference in seasoning? This is supposing the bark came off or got peeled when both are stacked. I think the splits will be better seasoned but the rounds would be better for that overnight fire in a woodstove. Thoughts?
I split everything right down to 4". Wood completely encased in bark takes a while to dry, if it ever really does at all. The only 8" rounds I don't split are cookies. My all nighters are simply large barkless splits, usually oak.
That’s what I’m thinking is best also. I feed two wood stoves and both seem to only have very few coals left on winter nights even after stuffing them. I get up early too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What are stoves my IS 3.2 cf can go 10 hours on junk wood read Poplar, swamp maple, willow I split everything down to 4 inches and all birch or straight to burn pit
Well the OP said rounds with no bark compared to splits. I do not think there would be much of a difference worth fretting over.
I burn a lot of big rounds in my owb, I really don't see any more sizzle or smoke on reloads than with splits of the same age. If they do sizzle I just burn from a different stack & let them go another season.
I prefer what I can fit through the 12x12 door. I would think if one is truly on a 3 year plan the round vs split scenario is a moot point. I have never really done the experiment or looked closely to support that statement to be fair. I get random small splits that sizzle after 3 years so sometimes I am perplexed.
A split will always dry faster than a round. I agree it is nice to have at least one round for night fires and preferably an oak or something in that btu range. I also like to stack square or rectangular splits as they work as well or even better than rounds for those overnighters. For the owb crowd that would not make a difference. They have large fireboxes so just stuff the rounds in. But small stoves like mine you just be more careful loading so you can maximize the space. As for bark or no bark, I've seen some who always remove the bark but I've always considered that as a waste of time and energy. If bark falls off, that is okay but otherwise I would not try to remove it.
In regards to rounds drying over time... I cut some cherry from my dads place years ago, took most of it home in just bucked sections, threw it whole in my large wood shed, at what is now our old house. Id say this was around 5 or so years ago. Never did anything with thw wood. Fast dorward to last week, I went over to the old place and got a lot of the wood that was left in shed moved to new house. After reading this thread, went out and split a piece of the cherry and tested w mm. Round was around 7 inches across, about 18 inches long. Mm read around 16%. Sorry mm pic is upside down. I post this not to argue, but just to show that rounds can dry given enough time. I realize not everyone had enough wood, time and space to make this viable. Also depends on species...I had some hickory rounds about 8-10 diameter, about 14-15 in long. They were beyond they're prime...had some powder inside. I believe they will still burn, but hickory as you know doesn't last long for as hard as it is..
I split pretty much any odd length piece and then add it to either my "uglies/firepit" pile, or another pile I have on top of a tarp for the stuff that isn't worth trying to fit on a stack. That pile is good for using up during shoulder season.
I don't have a stove but in the open fireplace I like to have a nice variety of splits. Some are what some would call kindling (full length 16" but split rather thin) to regular sized splits to larger bulkier splits that I toss in once I have my bed of embers going. As Eckie pointed out if you have the time and space to let rounds dry out enough then that seems like a viable method. I'm still working on the 3 year plan. With covid still looking and the possibility of another year with 3 kids at home all day full remote I need to split more wood!
I normally split the bigger stuff, but, like to leave some rounds about 8-10'' for over night wood. If i split the rounds, i'll go in half and some 1/4 size for heavy kindling. Just threw a bag of trimmed pieces in the stove, its raining pretty hard out now, and it's pretty cool as well. Its sure nice to have a good sized stack of wood, covered and ready to burn.
I used to do the overnight lunker thing, now I use all medium sized splits and load appropriately for the conditions. Cold temps means packing the firebox full of hot burning wood and smaller splits enable more fuel going in. The benefit of improved seasoning compared to large splits, or especially unsplit rounds is an added bonus.
