iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Yellow Birch for firewood

Started by cutterboy, March 25, 2022, 05:06:36 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

cutterboy

I have not burned much yellow birch, there is not much of it on the farm. Next year I'll be burning a good amount. I had a yb tree that was never going to produce a saw log so I made it firewood.


 

 
About a week after the above pictures were taken I came back and cut it down and cut it up.


 
I got maybe 1/4-1/3 of a cord and it will all be burned in my basement stove. According to a chart I googled up, yellow birch produces the same amount of BTU's as ash which is just slightly less than red oak. I have it all split and stacked in the barn but I can tell you, it doesn't split very easily.

   Happy cutting.....Cutter
To underestimate old men and old machines is the folly of youth. Frank C.

thecfarm

I was going to tell you about the hard splitting part, kinda like beech.  :o
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

mudfarmer

Yes sir I burn a good bit of it and like it a lot, the splitting not so much but at least it isn't elm  ??? It will maybe rot sort of fast like red maple or gray birch if you don't deal with it quick enough but doesn't seem like something you need to worry about!

barbender

It doesn't rot nearly as quickly as white birch. We have tons of white birch up here, but yellow birch isn't nearly as common. I had a few logs I'd save to saw, but as they dried a bit I saw they had ring shake so I never sawed them. They probably sat there for 4 years before I ran them through the processor, and I was surprised that it was still completely solid. White birch would've been mush by then.
Too many irons in the fire

Greenie

Smells great when it burns. We used to tow a travel trailer from Maine to Sinaloa Mexico and camp on the beach along the Pacific Ocean. I'd bring some yellow birch for campfires - the smoke smelled magical compared to the coconut tree wood and other local species which all were acrid and nasty. It splits easily unless there's disease or some other issue with the grain. Like white birch the bark prevents the wood from drying properly so it needs to be split sooner rather than later. It's my perception that there's more heat content than white birch.
We have a hutch constructed from yellow birch - it came out very nice and looks attractive.

Lebel Logging

Around here yellow birch is one of the best firewood you can get, I would says its near sugar maple. The smell of it is amazing but the splitting can be a nightmare ! :D The piece near a crotch will find the limit of your log splitter quite easily. When we were heating with firewood we burned a lot of it and sometime we needed to split it with a chainsaw. The log splitter wont split, an axe wont split it and even a sledge hammer with a wedge wont split it sometimes but it will keep you warm ! :)

thecfarm

We had 4 wood splitters, Guy, Mike, Paul and Ray.  :D
But saying that we could move some wood. 
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

SwampDonkey

Love yellow birch firewood. You carry a dry piece of yellow birch compared to dry white birch, and it's quite a bit heavier. Even grey birch seems heavier than white birch and it's just a weed. Like was mentioned it's twisty stuff to split, that's usually because we are splitting the junk trees. Straight grained yellow birch isn't bad, but split green. :D
I try to save as many birch as possible, white or yellow. If there is an area with sparse birch I even leave a crooked one, hopefully will seed in the area as I thin. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Don P

Is this the same as my black birch, aka sweet birch? Very strong wintergreen in the bark?

SwampDonkey


@Don P 

No, this is a different species with golden yellow bark and also has wintergreen taste. b. alleghaniensis

Grey birch is a large shrub, looks like white birch but has tight bark and wiry limbs, glossy triangular leaves. Gets maybe 8" diameter. b. populifolia
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Lebel Logging

Quote from: thecfarm on March 28, 2022, 06:53:57 AM
We had 4 wood splitters, Guy, Mike, Paul and Ray.  :D
But saying that we could move some wood.
With a twisty yellow birch you will need the 4 of them   :D

47sawdust

It is one of our favorite woods to burn.Not much of a problem to split unless it is twisted.
It seems to be an indicator for a spring or at least water.Our main spring is surrounded by mature and juvenile yellow birch.
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

peakbagger

Yellow Birch is great firewood, the peppermint smell when fresh cut or split is quite noticeable. It also takes a lot of abuse and keeps growing so they tend to get left in the woods after a cut and keep growing. That means they can get big. Our pulpmill would get some monsters on occasion, too big for our chipper, that we would set aside and have contractors come in with a huge splitter to break them up. They can get some nice figure in grain. As noted it can be bear to split especially the beat up old gnarly ones. It is far less prone to the fast rot of white birch if its left unsplit. I still run my saw down the length of the tree to cut the bark if I am going to let it sit.   

SwampDonkey

Here's an old bruiser on the woodlot.







"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Lebel Logging

 

 

 

 
Here is a big old one, we left it as a wildlife tree. It would have do quite a mess in most of the direction we could fall it. Only one way to get it down but we doesnt want to risk it.
The pics with the measure tape is at DBH. They can get really big and old.

Bruno of NH

I like burning it.
The big narly one can be hard to splt
I like Sawing the nice ones beautiful wood.
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

John Mc

Quote from: Don P on March 28, 2022, 07:19:22 AM
Is this the same as my black birch, aka sweet birch? Very strong wintergreen in the bark?
Yellow Birch has a slight wintergreen smell/taste, not nearly as strong as Black Birch
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

B.C.C. Lapp

Around here birch would never be my "first" choice.    But sure it burns and you'll get the BTU's just fine, and hey, it's a lot better in the stove than snow balls. :D
Listen, or your tongue will make you deaf.

SwampDonkey

But you live in the land of oak and hickory. ;) And I bet yellow birch is rare down there. ;D

I burn fir and aspen mostly, lots of heat. Widows are open. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

gspren

In the woods on my farm, which I'm selling, we have Black Birch which I've heard called Sweet Birch and Cherry Birch, I like cutting it, splitting and burning it. Like other birches it needs bucked and split to season and then kept under roof. I've wondered if the sap from it was where Birch Beer originated. 
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

SwampDonkey

The minty oil is volatile and evaps off when boiled. I know this as I've boiled yellow birch sap.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

cutterboy

Black birch makes great firewood.. slightly more BTU's than red oak (tho it doesn't split as well) also makes beautiful lumber. I burn a lot of it because I have a lot of it on the farm.
To underestimate old men and old machines is the folly of youth. Frank C.

barbender

The old growth forests here must've had a fair amount of yellow birch, as oftentimes after the virgin pine was logged companies would double back for the hardwood. Yellow birch was always mentioned in those harvests, whereas today we don't come across it all that much. It is rare enough that it is almost always reserved on our timber sales. White birch grows in abundance. What conditions does yellow birch regenerate well in?
Too many irons in the fire

wisconsitom

@barbender, yellow birch associates are eastern hemlock, sugar maple, N. red oak, white pine, and some others.  Ideal site is moist well-drained.  Intermediate shade tolerance, less than SM.

It seems like the downward trend in YB recruitment in recent decades might be related to this shading factor-maple is dominating more than in the past, and deer effects.

The area in Wisconsin with the best YB density is roughly from Wausau up to UP border.  Ottawa NF in the UP is best YB area I've ever seen.

It's in the woods around my land but not frequent.  Is one of the few hardwoods I'll probably plant and try to encourage on my postage stamp.  One of these springs!
Ask me about hybrid larch!

SwampDonkey

Quote from: barbender on April 01, 2022, 08:47:32 AM
The old growth forests here must've had a fair amount of yellow birch, as oftentimes after the virgin pine was logged companies would double back for the hardwood. Yellow birch was always mentioned in those harvests, whereas today we don't come across it all that much. It is rare enough that it is almost always reserved on our timber sales. White birch grows in abundance. What conditions does yellow birch regenerate well in?
The big birch die back/collapse in the early 40's due to a hurricane in 1938. The old growth birch at the time died off. A lot of this was from sun scald of residuals within 3 years post hurricane. In Maine 67% had died and of the remaining ones, 15% were dying. New York Adirondacks lost 25%, especially on the hill tops. Added to that was the death of the beech from bark disease and stands with a lot of balsam fir collapsing from age or budworms. If you have a stand of birch and fir, when the fir dies out, say bye bye to the birch. Same happens in shelterwood cuts, too much sun on the birch boles. Seen it.

Yellow birch seedlings are easy to grow in nursery. If you have a lot of deer/moose or hares, out planting will be hard. I planted an acre by the house, good success. Out in the woods, the wildlife had them ate within a week. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Thank You Sponsors!