Yeah I always do mm test after the wood hits room temperature. It's gotta be the moisture under the bark because a whole load of it won't blacken the glass on my stove and it burns down normally where wet wood leaves big coals.
I always stock up the cellar with wood well in advance. Without a doubt, wood burns better after being in the stove room for a few days. I prefer to have about 1 months worth of wood stored inside. Especially if there's any storms coming...
Don't risk it, send all that dangerous pine over to me, I'll take care of it for you! Seriously, when I bought this house (3 years ago) I thought the same. I asked the seller where he got his wood, and he looked around at the 10 acres of pine and douglas fir, and just rolled his eyes. I was such a noob, still am. But my wood is dry, my house is warm, and my chimney hasn't caught fire yet!
Back on topic, I occassionally get a little sizzle. I don't worry about it, the wood is dry. I think there must be something in the structure of the wood that sometimes hold little "pockets" of water, that will boil out when burnt. Insignificant in the big picture. As long as the sizzle is the exception rather than the rule, it's fine.
I'll get a little bit every once in a while, but it stops after just a few minutes. Lately, I've not been able to have 3 year old firewood to burn, so it's not unexpected.
As someone mentioned, the block still has 18% water retained it which if you think about it is quite substantial. I burn some large rounds of cherry, one went in last week that was close to 12 inches in diameter that sat under cover for over two years. I did not split it, to check with the MM, but it sizzled a little as well. I imagine almost every piece will sizzle a little unless its kiln dried or very low in %. Keep the chimney hot, you should be fine!!
I tried burning some dry oak that I left outside uncovered; thought it would be OK but it wasn't. It was too wet to burn and I noticed it well.
I burn Oak that is outside uncovered (for over 30 years) and not a problem but it has to dry out after a rain before you can do this.
Yes, I don't have the sunny spaces. Now the sun angle is so low that the trees block and only the back garden gets any sun. I need to figure out a good place for my wood so I can really start on the three year plan. I may have to stack away from the house which will mean hauling the wood up to the house with the tractor when I need to replenish. I kind of like being able to walk over to the stack, grab an arm full, cover it back, and enter the house. No restacking from one pile to the other needed.
No sooner than reading thru this thread last night, I heard some hissin' coming from the stove- 18 month CSS'd piece of cherry-right near the bark!!!! Yanked it outa there with me hearth gloves!
I think that it's the bark. It really traps water underneath. If it had rained at all in the past week it's gonna be there. I just don't use the cherry to start a burn anymore. I use it on hot coals and it's fine.
As long as the flue temps are over the 400 deg F mark, that little bit of water under the bark should not matter at all should it? Granted you would not throw a fresh split/round that is still dripping in there, but if you have a good hot fire going I cant imagine it will cause any issues. Open to comments........
When I was using the cherry I wasn't adding it to a good hot fire. I was generally either making an initial fire or adding on coals. Either way an entire load of cherry is a lot of wood when added to the IS. It's a big firebox. So all that wet bark probably adds up. Lots of sizzling and it doesn't take off as fast as my bark free cherry splits that came from the center of a log. That moisture burns off in 10 minutes but until then it's not ideal.
Ahh makes sense. My error in understanding. Once we get below 10 degrees I try to keep a constant hot fire aside from the damper modulation, so I throw in three large pieces. Generally two very dry Maple or Hickory splits and a 10-12 inch round of cherry or ash also. Lets just say it throws off some heat. I love 10-12 inch seasoned rounds of Hickory and Maple as they last for several hours. I myself would not get too worked up over the sizzles, but we each have different burners and operating scenarios so i can understand everyone's concerns. A guy down the road from me ( i do not know him but he is a moron type) is cutting fresh logs and is splitting them just before he loads the stove. Sizzle in that setting has to be horrible..... As an aside it will be zero here Thursday night, I am ready for the burn!!!
