TLDR... how do you find long-lasting, hot-burning splits once your fire is going good? = Of course, 'ideal' could be debated. Let's assume that we are talking about a long-burning, intensely hot piece of wood. How would one find that? This came about because once my fire this morning (fireplace) had burned a couple of hours, I grabbed a couple of 'chunks' that I had retrieved out of the chunk/uglies/cutoff storage bin to add, hoping they would last a long time. And, for sure, these chunks are VERY hot burning and are very dense, long-lasting wood. I think these are white oak. So, if long-lasting and hot burning are the goals, how do you find that? Do you find a certain species, fell the tree at a certain time of year, split it at a certain time after splitting, make its dimensions so-and-so, store it x-number of years, cover the stack, store it inside... what is it? If it exists. Or process crotch pieces for this need? Do you find that crotch/gnarly pieces fit this? Of course, perhaps we could just forget it all and get some black locust or hedge and you're good to go? Just wondering if the old timers ever had a method of finding this type of split. Regarding this thread, chunk is actually not very relevant, these pieces just happened to be this size from the ugly/chunk/cutoff bin. Probably 5-6 inches on a side, 10-12 inches long. I hope to remember to get a couple more from the same bin, same size, and split them and measure moisture content. But I'd guess that these are 4-5 years old.
For me, This was trial and trial and trial! And, more trial..... OK, your wood choice is all on you, the denser the wood the longer it'll burn. I found , whole rounds, unsplit about 8" to 10" burn the longest. I was just talking about this in the "Sweet gum" thread. But, I can't always find that size, but it is a favorite size of mine. You said it yourself, it's always debated but that goes with the stove and your heating amounts. (Good Luck with this one). It's right up there with "Motor oils and Ford, Dodge/Ram/Chevy"...
Many times the crotch wood will be long burning, especially if it split really tough. Hot burning usually means fast burning, which won't mean long burning. Still, the biggest key to getting a good hot burn is to have your wood dry.
The split I toss in my wood stove, is the one on top of the stack. Easier than trying to get one from the bottom of the stack. No real fireplace experience.
The best splits are the ones that don't make me work too hard to get them. I'm blessed to be able to turn my nose at less dense species. Cherry is often the 'fastest burning' wood that my stove makes ashes of. I can burn most anything down fast if I open up the air a little. Honey locust holds a fire well for me I've noticed in the past.
I like to split small enough to get three pieces in the stove for a fast warm up burn. After that one or two pieces at a time will maintain the heat. Mostly Alder here with some Fir added when it is available. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Let's assume that we are talking about a long-burning, intensely hot piece of wood. How would one find that? #1 As Dennis had mentioned, it's got to be dry. #2 Hardwoods are typically longer burning than soft with a few exceptions. #3 Understanding your stove, every stove is different as to the length and overall diameter the stove can be fed and operate efficiently with an overnight burn. In summation, I would start with the hardest, driest hardwood I have in my area. In your case I'm guessing that'd be live oak and pecan. Then I would experiment with different diameters in width to determine what can be fired up and then choked down to get an overnight burn. I'm pretty sure this will work for you if you're willing to experiment and take note of various results over a season.
If I didn’t have my wood stove stuffed in my fireplace I’d like to try some Black Locust in an open fireplace. I don’t think the actual flames are any hotter than anything else. It’s the coaling stage that leaves me intrigued. Still remember when I first began processing it I burned a bunch of bark and maybe 3/4 a bucket full of splitter scraps. Bark didn’t burn well as it was wet like most BL bark that sloughs off. Those little pieces of wood in there were intense tho. Purple coals and I couldn’t stay close to that fire for long wearing shorts. White Oak is certainly a contender. I’m always impressed when I stuff the stove with that.
Check the BTU chart. Find the highest BTU wood you can in your area. Check the drying time to make sure it is dry. If you want longer burn put the biggest splits in your fireplace will hold (for my stove the best/longest burn is 4 large splits) and my highest BTU wood is 3+ year seasoned honey locust.
Gnarly chunk wood can be very dense. Take sugar maple for example. Gnarly, knotty yard trees are a dime a dozen a round here. SM itself is an excellent firewood, but those old growth trunks contain some serious dense wood where the knots and gnarly are. PITA trying to process and quite honestly, noodling the best way to get "pretty" pieces of wood from them. I am always amazed at how heavy such a chunk is when I unstack it after drying for a year or so. Ill point these out to customers who end up getting them with their delivery. I no longer will touch them due to the work involved to turn them into firewood thats easier to store. SM is very heavy to begin with which doesn't help either.
Agree with what many have said. For longest burn, dry oak crotches and rounds burn longest in my experience.
This ^ most of the time.............As long as it fits!! Ideally 16"-18" splits. My FB will hold a 20" split but that's not ideal!! Most of my wood comes from scrounging so if rounds are already bucked up and they are 19" or they are 15", they get split and stacked. If I am cutting 16"-18" Some of those shorties are good for going north/south in the FB, makes for starting a fire easier. I also tend keep some of the splits larger, they go in the my back of the FB, my overnight logs so in the AM I have a bed of coals to start right back up again.
In an open fireplace you can experiment with standing the wood up against the back wall too. Doubt that would lead to longevity but it may help project the heat out. It’s how they cook copious amounts of meat
I tend to not over analyze and overthink things. experience with my particular situation has shown me what woods burn better than others, out of the types of wood available to me. So, for me, the ideal split at any given time, is one that is dry and in the house near the stove when needed It really is that simple, …. at least for me.
In the NC30 at our last house I wanted 18” long, 6-7” diameter oak or hedge rounds for the hottest longest fire. Dried for 3-4 years, stacked over a few hot coals to get it going again. 8-10 hours of heat that way! The Osburn insert we have now, I can’t figure out what it takes to get more than 4-5 hours from a load.
Im in the camp of 5- 8" rounds of BL. Cut, stack, long burn. No splitting. Most I cut is standing dead. So I can skip stack part too. 2nd are the gnarly chunks or crotch sections. I try cut up to them as close as I can to length, and stack them. I dont even try to hand split those anymore. If too big for stove, off to out door firepit they go.
