Late last March I cut up this ash tree which had been down for a year or so ....I believe. It was split and stacked on pallets soon after, allowed to season without cover, and then moved into the wood shed. I was concerned it would not have enough time to season, but I was surprised just how light it was while moving it into the wood shed. It's burning very well, but when I start a fire there seems to be water bubbles on the ends for a couple of minutes. When the fire gets going and coals up I'll add more wood but there are no water bubbles. Has anyone experience this?
water bubbles
- Thread starter fj40
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Yes, some wood just takes longer to dry than others. Could have two trees right next to each other and one dries like a champ and the other bubbles a year later.
I had some red maple that was seasoned top covered and it was still wet to the touch over a year later when resplit...sometimes just makes a guy shake his head....
I had some red maple that was seasoned top covered and it was still wet to the touch over a year later when resplit...sometimes just makes a guy shake his head....
066blaster
Addicted to ArboristSite
Might have been a little wet when you moved it in. Try letting it sit in your house a couple days before burning. I've had some well seasoned wood do that but it was just moisture under the bark.
midwest_170
ArboristSite Operative
Was the bark still on when you stacked it? If so I've noticed it helps trap moisture in the wood on some species. I've been leaving wood in the rounds for a full year then splitting a stacking for at least 2 years and I've had absolutely no trouble with water sizzling out when I add wood. My stacks are uncovered out in the elements also. I've been able to easily start fires with just a wad or 2 of newspaper after going to this method of seasoning.
Some of the splits have bark and some do not. When I start a fire tonight I'll check if the splits that sizzle/bubbles have bark. Its just weird that when I start a fire I get some sizzle/bubbles, but when the fire is established and I load in splits I don't experience sizzle/bubbles. I fairly certain the wood is properly seasoned, it also leaves very little ash.
The water is heated so fast when you add wood to a hot fire that you don't see it like you do when your just starting you fire. At the beginning it heats up slow and bubbles or boils to where you can see it and it just flashes in a hot fire.Just a wild ass guess.
NSMaple1
Addicted to ArboristSite
I also think there might be differences between species and maybe other things in how a piece of wood releases the moisture that's in it when it gets put on a fire. Even 'dry' firewood has some moisture in it (15% m.c. is still 15% moisture). I think some releases it out through the sides or split face which you might only be able to see as vapour or steam out the stack, whereas some might release some of it out thru the ends of the splits - the same route it takes when the tree is alive. I also sometimes see a bit of moisture out the ends of seasoned hard maple that I would swear has been fully seasoned.
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