I have not burnt much Hickory firewood, although there is a lot in the woods around here. Last summer, a large Pignut hickory split/fell in a windstorm behind the house and I was able to get 1/2 a face cord of firewood out of it. I kept the splits rather large for "overnighters". Started burning some lately and to my surprise they burn rather quickly, and do not last. They are heavy and solid, only 15% mc content checked with mm. Couple nights ago threw a piece of hickory and one of dry cherry in, and in morning hickory was gone and cherry still coals! I have read all the BTU charts and to me, density=burn time in the stove. Not seeing it with this hickory anyway. You that burn hickory have same experience?
That was exactly my experience with bitternut hickory. It put out a lot of heat, but it didn't live up to the hype with the burn time. It left a lot of ash behind too.
While I'm not aware of ever burning any pignut, I have burnt plenty of cherry, and it just goes "poof", 1 step better than cottonwood or white pine IMO. The hickory I've had was shagbark, and that stuff is the tree version of coal!
I feel that way about BL. It may burn hotter, but it can’t compete with oaks burn time. If I oversleep oak has got my back.
It's interesting how we don't all get the same results burning the same species. Black cherry for me lasts a while in the coaling stage (but doesn't put out a lot of heat at any stage of combustion) A couple weeks ago I was burning cherry mixed with white pine and 14 hours later I had enough usable coals left for a relight. Black locust generally lasts a long time for me, but sometimes it burns up faster than oak while other times it outperforms it on the longer hauls. Then I've had both awesome burning oak and verifiably dry oak that smoldered and then disappeared quickly without much coaling. I don't know why there's so much variation from batch to batch. Back to the OP's hickory topic though, the best burning hickory I've ever had were some dead shagbark limb rounds that averaged 6" diameter. They took a little bit to get going, but once the train left the station they lasted a LONG time and output a ton of heat.
I’ve not burned pignut but have had tons of shagbark. It lasted a good long time in my firebox. Put out immense heat too. I still have a few splits set back for the really cold nights, which we haven’t had much of this year.
I have been selling a boat load of 50/50 face cords of hickory and white oak this Winter. My customers like this combination because of the hot burning hickory and long-lasting white oak. Hickory slightly tops white oak in the BTU column, so both are great firewoods in that respect.
It may differ in a fireplace, but my experience with pignut impressed me more than oak or black locust.
I have thought a lot about why coaling varies so widely: Moisture varies, 20% coals better than 15%, while meters are not perfect (helpful yes, perfect no). "Self" banking in a burn pile with ashes varies a lot. Folks do not talk about "banking" as much in recent years. Banking was very important for the old open fireplaces to hold coals. I can cover a pile of coals with ashes with a hand trowel and have a huge pile of coals 24 hours later. "Self" banking would be ashes generated by a burn then covering coals so they last. The wood mix, pile shape, moisture content, draft... all change "self" banking one burn to the next. Cherry, walnut, and hackberry all coal better than sugar maple, red oak, or bitternut hickory for me despite having a lower density. I mix accordingly. I do not know why. Some long time wood burners around here say oak produces more fly ash and so does not "self" bank. Larger firewood stick size on average can produce more coals but if the pile does not self bank or gets high internal air flow than a big stick will not coal well. A high moisture large stick buried in ashes will have coals 48 hours later. The old fireplace crowd did it. The old classic way to produce charcoal was to start a fast burn and then reduce the draft a lot with the goal of getting rid of the volatiles in the wood first and then creating coals. Some folks post stove operation which reminds me of the old classic charcoal operation. This would create creosote in my chimney so I bank my coals with ashes if I want my coals to last a long time. One person operates a charcoal operation and another has a lot of fly ash and another has 20% moisture and so everyone is different...
I’ve had some dead standing oak that didn’t produce coals, or much ash. The banking makes sense because when I stir the ash pile after being away all day it usually uncovers some hot coals.
Excellent post iowahiker. Interesting that you have observed "Cherry, walnut, and hackberry all coal better than sugar maple, red oak, or bitternut hickory for me despite having a lower density. I mix accordingly." I live in an area where charcoal production in the 1800's to fuel the local iron furnaces were abundant, and charcoal slow burn pit flat spots evidence can still be found and quite obvious in the forests.
I discovered one more split of bitternut hickory left over from last year and put it in the back of the stove this morning. The ash, cherry and red oak are still there an hour later, but the hickory is vaporized except for a knotty chunk off to the side.
Oak will always be the daddy around here. Abundance is a major factor. The woods in my County are dominated by red variety oaks. As far as personal experience keeping track of what splits burn off first in the burner I have no data really. If I need longer burn, bigger splits go in. Have always had a little issue with Cherry wanting to leave clinkers. Bitter hickory or Hlocust for max heat. Oak goes in before bed. Those getting lots of ask with hickory...branch wood? The more bark that goes into the burner, the more ash I see in the pan.
When Ive had some black cherry I would use at least one split for overnight because of its tendency to coal for a LONG time. Especially when I was out of oak. Never really had enough cherry to gauge BTU. Never had any hickory that I know of. We tend to weed out cherry as they sprout due tothey harbor black knot making growing plums almost impossible.
JDU , I find it incredibly ironic that, despite my having virtually unlimited access to hickory of all varieties, you have just confirmed my suspicions. I’ve burned cords of American, shag bark and pig nut with wonderful results and stove threatening heat. I just tore into a 1/2 cord of hickory and chestnut oak I’ve had drying since 4/21 and was excited to do so cause we’re at +10 above right now. I must be burning my first ever bitternut because it will get hot, not for so long and has ashed and clumped me to my last nerve! I normally remove ash @ every 3 days, this stuff is daily! I will avoid moving forward and stick to my proven hickories. TY and BTW, cherry is my friend, know exactly what to expect heat-wise, aroma wise and coals beautifully.
I've had similar experiences with pignut and bitternut. I've been burning lots of shagbark the last month and it is the best - high heat output and perfect coals in the morning.
I have a rusty trowel I’ve had for years and nearly threw out yesterday, but thought it would come in use for something eventually. Now I know what it is for. step 1 of starting a fire for me is banking a fresh piece of wood so I have coals for the next fire. 36 hours if I use elm. 24 hours routinely with most anything. Been using my cat litter scoop to sift out coals and to bank the ashes. It’s not much good at the latter but I didn’t have any better ideas. Now I do. Thanks! I took the old trowel out to the grinder to take the point off it. Otherwise I for sure am immediately damaging my fire bricks. Looking forward to coming home after work tomorrow.
