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

Battle of the firewoods-White Ash vs Yellow Birch

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by sirbuildalot, Oct 12, 2020.

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White Ash vs Yellow Birch

Poll closed Oct 19, 2020.
  1. White Ash

    76.9%
  2. Yellow Birch

    23.1%
  1. sirbuildalot

    sirbuildalot

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    New day...new battle!!!

    In todays fight we have two more firewood's hoping for a chance to prove their worth! White Ash and Yellow Birch. Lets look at White Ash. Coming in at 21.6 MBTU, and seasoning in 12 months he says you can bet your ash he'll be the winner. Yellow Birch says "no way"! Ash isn't tough like him and bugs will testify. Yellow Birch tips the scales at 22.1 MBTU and 24 months seasoning time. They're ready to duke it out, but let's have a clean fight and shake limbs.
     
  2. The Wood Wolverine

    The Wood Wolverine

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    Have to admit I’ve never had birch so I went with Ash which I’ve had quite a bit of.
     
  3. Eddie Hughes

    Eddie Hughes

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    I’ll say Ash as I’ve just had a shed load given to me
     
  4. jmb6420

    jmb6420

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    I can't comment on any of these. All I have access to is red oak, white oak & Hickory.

    Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
     
  5. Midwinter

    Midwinter

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    Yellow birch please! It packs the heat, and its bark starts your fire. Just be sure and split it while it's green, or it will get tough. IMG_20201009_19222.jpg
     
  6. JCMC

    JCMC

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    Two more great firewood trees! I have to go with Ash as it is more plentiful in my area and splits better.
     
  7. Sandhillbilly

    Sandhillbilly

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    A little while back I asked about a tree ID, and the responses said river birch. What category of birch does that fall into?
     
  8. sirbuildalot

    sirbuildalot

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    River Birch is neither Black Birch, Yellow Birch, or White/Paper birch. Its usually very flaky multi colored bark. Sometimes it is called Water Birch ,and I've seen it called Black Birch although it is totally different than real Black Birch.
     
  9. Cash Larue

    Cash Larue

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    That’s a great pic! I tip my hat to you car hoarders.
     
  10. Fire mike

    Fire mike

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    Yellow birch burns longer and hotter
     
  11. The Wood Wolverine

    The Wood Wolverine

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    Pretty tough situation you’re in... Lolol!!!
     
  12. Sandhillbilly

    Sandhillbilly

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    So how is it for firewood
     
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  13. sirbuildalot

    sirbuildalot

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    I’m not sure. I know Black Birch and Yellow Birch are both pretty good BTU wood. I have a suspicion River Birch is more similar in burn qualities to White Birch. Burns quick and hot. I’d guess it’s around 18-19 MBTU’s per cord.
     
  14. Midwinter

    Midwinter

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    OK, so maybe what I have is river birch. I get some now and then, and I can say it definitely burns hotter than white birch.
     
  15. sirbuildalot

    sirbuildalot

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    The pic of the mini van does look like River Birch.
     
  16. billb3

    billb3

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    Yeah it's not quite right for yellow birch although yellow birch really pops the gold shimmering shiny and sparkling with the sun on it low on the horizon.
    I'm not familiar with white ash so golden birch gets my familiarity vote.
    I might not know what I'm missing but that's OK.

    And, golden/yellow birch trumps grey birch for sure. Dunno about white or black birch.
    Not that there's anything wrong with grey birch, it's decent firewood too.
     
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  17. Eric Wanderweg

    Eric Wanderweg

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    Sheesh, these matchups are impossible! You might as well be asking "would you rather have a back rub while you're eating a bowl of cherries, or a shoulder massage with a bowl of grapes" LOL. I voted Ash only because it's exponentially more abundant and it's more rot-resistant. However, I LOVE the way Yellow Birch burns and the bark is a built-in fire starter. I have some fairly large Yellow Birch trees on both sides of my property that will be coming down within the next 5 years and I'm looking forward to adding them to my stacks. I probably only have a face cord in total of Yellow Birch now; I have a lot more of the Black variety on hand for mostly next year.
     
  18. Farmchuck

    Farmchuck

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    That RAV4 is a beast!!!!!
     
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  19. Midwinter

    Midwinter

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    I've had it filled to the top on occasion... IMG_20201013_31608.jpg
     
  20. sirbuildalot

    sirbuildalot

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    Have you ever looked into having a tow hitch installed? It would open up whole new scrounging worlds!!! Could tow a little 4x8 trailer probably.

    :stacker: