New to Firewood

[32vld]

I'll be splitting a mess of Sugar Maple tomorrow that I got Saturday. Healthy trees that were cut down to clear the rear portion of a back yard. Firewood fever has caught me.

[John Mc]

A lot of the BTU charts out there are compiled from multiple sources, and are not always adjusted for different moisture content or for the fact that different sources may use different standards for how much wood is in a cord (some use different allowances for how much air space is in that 4' x 4' x 8' stack.

One of the better charts I've seen was done by the Chimney Sweep Online, who did make an effort to correct for these various factors. I've attached a copy (reprinted with permission from ChimneySweepOline.com, as long as their attribution info is kept with it). They have added to it over the years (now it finally includes American Beech - it must not be native in their area, so it didn't make earlier lists). Here's a link: firewood btu chart

I can't say whether it's 100% accurate, but I have observed that the list that is ranked by BTU content seems to make sense for the ranking of tree species I have burned. For example, I've noticed it takes almost twice as much Eastern Red Cedar to keep my house warm as it does using American Beech (not exactly a scientific test, I'll grant you).

[Joe Hillmann]

A lot of the BTU charts out there are compiled from multiple sources, and are not always adjusted for different moisture content or for the fact that different sources may use different standards for how much wood is in a cord (some use different allowances for how much air space is in that 4' x 4' x 8' stack.

One of the better charts I've seen was done by the Chimney Sweep Online, who did make an effort to correct for these various factors. I've attached a copy (reprinted with permission from ChimneySweepOline.com, as long as their attribution info is kept with it). They have added to it over the years (now it finally includes American Beech - it must not be native in their area, so it didn't make earlier lists). Here's a link: firewood btu chart

I can't say whether it's 100% accurate, but I have observed that the list that is ranked by BTU content seems to make sense for the ranking of tree species I have burned. For example, I've noticed it takes almost twice as much Eastern Red Cedar to keep my house warm as it does using American Beech (not exactly a scientific test, I'll grant you).

There is some pretty good reading on that site.

[John Mc]

Another good site for those new to wood burning (as well as experienced wood burners):
www.woodheat.org

[32vld]

A lot of the BTU charts out there are compiled from multiple sources, and are not always adjusted for different moisture content or for the fact that different sources may use different standards for how much wood is in a cord (some use different allowances for how much air space is in that 4' x 4' x 8' stack.

One of the better charts I've seen was done by the Chimney Sweep Online, who did make an effort to correct for these various factors. I've attached a copy (reprinted with permission from ChimneySweepOline.com, as long as their attribution info is kept with it). They have added to it over the years (now it finally includes American Beech - it must not be native in their area, so it didn't make earlier lists). Here's a link: firewood btu chart

I can't say whether it's 100% accurate, but I have observed that the list that is ranked by BTU content seems to make sense for the ranking of tree species I have burned. For example, I've noticed it takes almost twice as much Eastern Red Cedar to keep my house warm as it does using American Beech (not exactly a scientific test, I'll grant you).

Lots of good stuff to read there on Chimneysweep.

[CRThomas]

I have barbecued with oak lumber scraps for years. I never used a fruit wood. So my plans are to try the Cherry for cooking.

In my part of the country Rock Cherrys I'd great cook wood I sold half a semi load last year for cooking. I am now on the hunt for more Rock  Cherry.


Hi,
i'm not sure what kind of cherry you plan to cook with, but what i have herd is that black cherry is not ok to smoke or cook with because the sap inside of the trees is not good for consumption. please correct me if i'm wrong.
besides that, firewood is a great way to heat your house. i've lived with it my whole life. I basically burn anything (including softwood) because of the tops and excess that we drag home when we pull some wood to mill out. the wood i like to burn the most is birch and maple. birch, wet or dry, as long as the bark is on there, starts relatively easy and burns pretty hot. poplar/aspen is one i don't prefer because it does not burn hot, and never starts.

[John Mc]

i'm not sure what kind of cherry you plan to cook with, but what i have herd is that black cherry is not ok to smoke or cook with because the sap inside of the trees is not good for consumption. please correct me if i'm wrong.

From a Wikipedia citation on Black Cherry: "The foliage, particularly when wilted, contains cyanogenic glycosides, which convert to hydrogen cyanide if eaten by animals."  The seeds are also a problem, but the fruit is OK (the seeds contain compounds which can be converted to cyanide by enzymes also found in the seeds. The fruit also contains those compounds, but does not have the enzymes to break them down, so it is safe to eat.) Other articles indicate that the inner bark can be a problem as well.

Another article mentions "Very large amounts of black cherry pose the theoretical risk of causing cyanide poisoning", but goes on to point out that deer browse black Cherry saplings without any apparent ill effects.  Most wildlife illness from Black Cherry is from eating wilted leaves (for some reason, the concentration of cyanide is higher when wilted - I assume because the enzymes have started to break down the cyanide precursor compounds).

I did not find any references to smoking with Cherry wood.

... poplar/aspen is one i don't prefer because it does not burn hot, and never starts.

I have no problems getting poplar/aspen to start. It does start out with a rather high moisture content, so it needs to be properly seasoned.  I do agree that you don't get many BTUs out of it, however -- it ranks right down there with White Pine as far as BUT output goes.