White beards of fungus

[gibby]

all,

Sawed up some poplar about 1000bf, loaded the kiln with it at the end of the day, still had more to saw and load in. But due to the weather did not get back to sawing for two days; third day sawed the balance of the 1000bf of poplar. Opened the kiln to find the loaded poplar had grown white beards of fungus.

My partner wants to place an open bucket of bleach in the kiln, to maybe kill the fungus, as it is dried.

Will this work?

He said years ago bleach was placed inside box cars of vegetables to help keep it fresh as it was shipped????

gibby

[ARKANSAWYER]

  I would not put the bleach in the kiln.  If you have a DH kiln it will eat on the coils.  The fungus will go away as the wood gets below 20% MC.  If you have a solor kiln I would mix a 50/50 mix and put it into a bug sprayer and spray the wood.

[gibby]

kiln is running EBAC LD300.

That is all i need no bleach in the kiln

thanks

[kelLOGg]

When you had the partial load in the kiln were you just storing the wood without turning the kiln on until you sawed the rest?

Bob

[gibby]

Yes we put half in then the rain shut us down. We did not leave the doors open.

Well we have a full charge now and kiln is running.

[kelLOGg]

You've figured out the problem and the solution. The closed kiln allowed the RH to rise and grow fungus. After finishing the loading and turning the kiln on the RH started to fall. The fungus will die with low moisture.
Bob

[woodhaven]

  I would not put the bleach in the kiln.  If you have a DH kiln it will eat on the coils.  The fungus will go away as the wood gets below 20% MC.  If you have a solor kiln I would mix a 50/50 mix and put it into a bug sprayer and spray the wood.

[James P.]

Hello , not using a kiln yet but just beginning to saw. Had maple stacked ( not stickered yet) it grew the white mold after a damp wet day. This is just lumber I will use myself so no big deal. I did sticker it but prior I let the sun dry the board surfaces that were wet with fungus. It seems to have died off. I have the top of stack  covered and stickered and I am hoping  for the best.

[WDH]

I have had trouble with maple gray-staining in an air drying stack.  Next time, I will use a fan to keep air circulating for the first few weeks.  I have had the same issue with yellow poplar getting a black mold/mildew stain, but again, this was air drying not kiln drying.