I have my doubts on the oak but its worth a shot. Im still looking for other stuff that will season faster I really screwed this up this year Its times like this I almost wish I had gotten a pellet stove but Ill keep plugging away at it and will hopefully get myself back on track.
I had some pretty good luck drying some oak on a wood stove fired indoor kiln last winter... From about 32% down to about 10-15% in three weeks. Here's the link.. http://firewoodhoardersclub.com/forums/index.php?threads/what-is-it-20-questions.2393/ Hoping to make some improvements on it this winter. If you're going to use an outdoor kiln, consider splitting the wood you get a little smaller prior to drying to speed up the drying time.. Good luck!!!!
I like reading about the different local wood market prices. Pine in this area goes for 185 -200 a cord in the fall and as much as 250 a cord in the winter. Hardwoods start a 250 and go up from there. Not many people burn cord wood here they mostly burn pellets or NG and pay to have the pines cut down and hauled off.
Pine in the south is planted - 1000's of acres of it cut and cleared daily. The beetle kill trees are more than enough to supplement any wood burners shoulder/starter piles. If - If you can get Long Leaf pine - it's slow growing but will die off occasionally - get it, wood burns better than soft maple or poplar, and in most cases is partially seasoned from standing dead for a year or more. If you are getting southern yellow pine(SYP) it's decent but doesn't really have the BTU's - think reloading in he middle of the night(if 24/7 burn is required), or it's good stuff for getting the chill off in the morning or after returning from work, but tending the stove is required. I have 2 cords of SYP ready to go this year, transition to cherry, red & white oak with some hickory for the really cold nights, and back to the other less desirable species - we burn what we have and that is the life of a woodburner
