I'm burning some oak currently that I split this summer from the outer ring that wasn't prime stuff. But still burnable. Loose stacked and had June/July heat to take its toll on it... and its burning good. But prime stuff if "IF" I stack it loose and on pallets in prime areas start in June of one year and by the next winter it'll be ready... But thats not really feasible for me... Its better for me to wait 3-4 years and let Mother nature take its toll on it... This will be really my first year running as much Oak that I will this year...
Do you have it top covered? The sap can get soft but the heart wood is very rot resistant...this tree had been down at least 2 years, maybe 3...sap was very punky, but heart was still wet and heavy...
I have about a cord of white oak that was fresh cut and split May of 2015. It’s stacked double row and top covered but not really in a great spot for wind/sun. Haven’t touched it since I stacked it but this thread has me curious. I’ll try and get a reading tomorrow.
So I brought 2 pieces in about 8 this morning. Just took them back outside, split them and stuck the pins in. I was pleasantly surprised. First picture is of some white oak that was CSS live in May 2015. It’s actually the log that my dog is sitting on in my avatar. Second picture is of some oak that I think is white also but not 100% sure. There were no leaves around when I cut it and it was not totally dead but on its way out. The bark isn’t like mature white oaks ive seen. It was a younger tree so maybe that’s young white oak bark. That one was CSS November 2016. Anyone got a guess on kind of oak looking at that bark?
White can be a very slow grower. I have some red and white planted 18 years ago and the red are easily 3 or 4 times the size. The white don't like being transplanted either. Cut the tap root and it dies. On younger trees the tap root can be easily three times the size of the tree. They don't do all that well in pots either. The deer love the acorns though.
I just got in from cutting on a white oak that fell across one of our main roads to the hunting woods. I plan to stack all my oak separate from the rest of my wood and monitor it for the fireplace. The boiler will burn it, but that would be wasteful to burn such good wood at lower BTU Because it’s green
