This is an age old question. Everyone asks it and I've been doing a bit of research to see if I can give a helpful answer, and now, finally, I've got the answer!
Ash should NEVER be burnt wet in any stove. It is way too wet. Moisture should be under 20%. Apart from a good, airy, wood store, the best investment is a moisture meter and used to test the middle of a freshly split log. Most merchants test from the end which gives a false reading so they can sell the logs. I split all my oak and ash down to 1" thick and it's dry in a year. If you leave it 4" thick it will take 4 years to be dry enough. NEVER used treated pallets etc because they are loaded with dangerous chemicals. Great videos and reviews.
silver birch always seems to be much more sooty when burning. in fact, we have noticed if we burnt mainly with silver birch over the winter, the chimney was much much dirtier when we went to clean it
Tried hornbeam last winter and it's fantastic. Nicknamed ironwood it burns hot and long with a beautiful bright golden light. Not easy to find but it gives the best firelight to sit round on a dark winter's night
Your post jumped out at me because I discovered ironwood in my winter camping, tent stove. What I noted about it was not only its long burning but also its blue flame. Does not seem to be a great fire starter but drop a log on some existing coals and crawl into your sleeping bag and forget about the freezing weather outside.
I live just North of Balaton Lake in Hungary. The forest near the house is 60% Hornbeam, 30% Oak and 10% Locust, A grat deal of it dead and dry. This area right here is a goldmine. My cast iron wood stove top glows red ten minutes after I start it.
Your right the bark from Birch tree’s contains a substance called triterpene also found in the sap which is a natural fire lighter and can light if done correctly with a simple spark many survivalists swear by the bark alone and carry this in their fire lighting kits, also we find ash is best due to the liquid content effecting the drying time, ash can be pretty much be burnt soon after being cut as all our wood is dried naturally, great video keep them coming 😊
Great video 🤩💪 I've just had my first ever stove installed and of course also needed to buy my first delivery of firewood 😅 Guess what? 😃 I bought a whole "tower" of silver birchwood 🥳🤣😍 Must have been fate or I just godt lucky 🙈😅😂 So far very pleased with my choice of both oven and fuel 😍 Your channel has been a great help in that regard, so thanks very much ! 👏❤️
We have goat willow in abundance around our farm and so we burn lots of it. The initial moisture content can be very high (>70%) but it dries reasonably easily. It burns easily too. Never had an issue with it spitting. Coppiced goat willow grow vigorously and render usable wood in a few years.
Around here red and white oak is king but I have 23 acres of mostly Quaking Aspen and while it’s much lighter in weight than Oak it still heats quite well. I may burn a bit more but it’s free.
That was informative. Thank-you. Beech leaves coals in the morning and Ash leaves ash. Lots of Eastern white ash to burn here in southern Ontario with the Emerald Ash Borer having decimated all of the ash species.
Yes. Ash dieback is rife across the UK too. Everywhere you go there are Ash trees being cut down. Still I was amazed to read that the number of trees generally is increasing hugely. We’re building more houses, trees are dying and we’re burning more and yet, the number of trees has been consistently growing for literally centuries.
I was speaking with an arborist late this summer and he informed me that the new growth here in Ontario has been 30% higher than the average year. Turns out that the forest fires in Canada seeded rain that then laid down ash as fertilizer and with the excess CO2 led to the increased growth. Corn crops were amazing too. So although an area the size of Ireland burnt, likely most of the loss was made up for in growth elsewhere. The planet is tougher than most 16 year old kids think:)
You’re too right. I’ve been reading and hearing a bit about this and as you say, us reducing Forrest fires doesn’t actually help the planet. The cycle it seems is a very important process for growth. Glad to hear it’s working in Canada!
So….The highly reflective, light-colored bark of a paper birch doesn’t absorb the sun’s radiation and heat on cold winter days, and so avoids the damage caused by rapid heating and cooling. What causes this extreme whiteness? That white powder that coats the bark is primarily composed of a chemical called betulin. The cells in the outer layers of bark contain betulin crystals that are arranged in such a way as to reflect light and appear white. In addition to protection from solar radiation and freeze/thaw cycles, the chemical nature of the betulin also protects the tree from pests This same betulin is what makes birch bark such a good fire-starter. It is highly flammable. In fact, the dry form of betulinic acid can form clouds of suspended particles, which can explode when ignited. Betulin is a hydrophobic (water-fearing) molecule - giving birch bark its superior waterproofing abilities. So birch bark is waterproof and flammable.
9.33. Great advice as always. We’re first time users of log burners so it’s a real learning curve. We’re trying out 3 types of wood atm. I think we’ve got ash logs. What I’ve noticed is that our logs are burning out so quickly!
There is a knack to these things, but performance will improve with time. Not only you gaining experience, but the stove filling with ash will have a marked affect on economy. Have a look at this video as this may help you to keep it in for longer: th-cam.com/video/jwLmCw26QpY/w-d-xo.html
If you are using an older stove then your ropes and seals may also be worn thus making control more difficult. Some of Gabriel's stove reviews show just how well you can control the burn speed using the air controls. You can check the door rope with a piece of paper when cold, and shut the door with the paper in various spots and see if it holds. If it pulls out easily then replace the rope. You can also put some wood ash all around the door rope and close the door carefully. When you open the door you can see if there is a gap on the stove face indicating the gap.
I find birch burns too hot in my stovax, and it starts to smoke the second it hits the embers. I find ash the best. Good flame and heat, but burns longer and not too hot.
well this one surprised me , i have been cutting and supplying firewood for many years but not any more just cut my own for us , we have oak , thorn , hazel, birch ,sycamore all well seasoned and dry , and every time someone go's down the garden to get logs for the burner they allways look for the ash they all burn great but the ash in my opinion is king
Burnt wood for 35 years most woods work alright. I will say douglass fir has a lot of sap and can start burning way too fast and hot better to cut down into kindling and really starts a fire going great. Hot sap in log can get explosive. Madrone also is easy to get started. Also it burns hot and medium slow.
Pound for pound wood is quite the same. A half cord or 64 cubic ft of dry oak is about 1800 lbs. I also have cedar here in southern California. You'd need at minimum 3X the volume of cedar vs. oak.
@@TheTortoise I've never seen that in writing but that's been my general experience. As we speak I've been burning a lot of irregular junk cedar and it takes 3X as much. We have 23 acres above 5,000 ft and a huge amount of oak falls every winter. Oak obviously is a superior fuel
A bag of silver birch is done and dusted within an hour. It burns far too fast and and as a consequence is very poor value for money. Oak and the very best hornbeam firewood are much better value for money in terms of how long they take to burn.
Hi Guys, Fantastic video, if you watch ANY survival or bushcraft type video they always carry some silver birch bark and a fire steel to start there fires, i suppose its the resin content, similar i imagine to another type of fire lighter they always carry called 'Fat Wood', i think its loaded with sap/resin? Kind regards Tony
Heat value kWh/kg Birch 4.15 and Aspen 4.0. Moisture in the wood weakens the heat value. Burning wet wood causes emissions and dirty chimneys. In practice, it doesn't matter what wood you burn as long as it's dry.
That’s basically what the video says, but birch has a few advantages: Free kindling Free firelighters And interestingly having been looking around. For some reason silver birch is cheaper in a lot of places.
Have you missed a verse? Verse 2 of the poem I have goes Make a fire of Elder tree, Death within your house will be; But ash new or ash old, Is fit for a queen with crown of gold.
Do you have any advice regarding burning books :) I'm not joking. I've plenty of rubbish books in my shelf which I know nobody is going to read them. They might as well produce some heat.
Guys, I do have a question please, i will hopefully be getting my new place on the 12th May, it has an existing log burner which i will be replacing, i do intend on buying a bulk bag of kiln dried logs to get me started and to have some fun, i have never had a log burner before and i watch all of your videos intently! When my bulk bag turns up how do i store them please, indoors, in a shed or do i make/purchase a log store? If they weren't kiln dried i assume in a log store to air dry, but kiln dried? As soon as i have the keys in my hand and the place is 100% mine i will be hitting your store!!! Kind regards Tony
Kiln dried is best in a log store, or garage. Interestingly though, if you dry your own wood it is best stacked up above the ground in an open space to maximise air flow, you don’t even have to cover it.
If you're not using them until next season get semi dry and store them in a log store and they'll be 15 precent moisture by winter. Kiln drying only speeds up the process. Plus they should be cheaper.
@@LRDefender1968 Have you got a local coal merchant that supplies coal and logs? if you buy coal find a coal merchant that delivers in 50 kilo sacks as it's a lot cheaper than the pre packed bags [around £32 for 50 kilo]
i have just gotten a soapstone version of the jydepejsen cosmo 1147 have you heared of this brand , and what is your opinion of it ? and why are the close to none soapstone models reviews here ? ps like your channel
My personal favourite is eucalyptus but it is a pig to split... In Italy I had and have coppiced willow. It does need time to dry in the sun but burns well with a blue flame. It's also free....
Great advice as always but I must ask as a novice, end of the month I'm having a multi fuel stove fitted and was wondering if used from say 8am till 8pm, how the heck do you set it so it burns out and goes out? Silly question I have no doubt but one I'm baffled with not ever having one before. Thank you.
The hotter it is the faster it needs to burn to maintain it, so if you open the air vents it will drive a lot of heat out, but it will go out (relatively speaking) quickly. Having said that, there is no use in rushing that process, just leave it to go out on its own, I can’t think of an advantage to trying to speed that process up.
@The Tortoise thank I agree, just the thought of it cooking away as we sleep was a bit of a worry. But, I'm sure that's just not owning one is like until used to it. Tha k you for your reply, its always appreciated.
@@TheTortoise I gave all of mine to my parents as I just couldn’t sit in the room with the fire alight the heat was too intense. It would be ideal for heating a big room. Maybe a lounge dinner or conservatory
I’m not a fan. I’ve tried loads, but they always create the same problems: Either Tons of ash Or Way too high temperatures. And some times both. I’m yet to find a man made log that can improve on the ones God makes 😆
If you watch my servicing video for your stove, you’ll see how to disassemble it. If you do that, clean out all the ash and leave the door on the latch, that will look after it. You can also replace bricks and ropes at this point if needed.
Just a further question on this fire as just seen this comment.. as you have this particular make, I've been doing some research on log burners and with this make will it harm the hearth re cracks etc as one stove expert said the hearth has to be thicker for this Parkray stove, is that correct can you advise on hearth thickness please for this stove? Thanks
Ash should NEVER be burnt wet in any stove. It is way too wet. Moisture should be under 20%. Apart from a good, airy, wood store, the best investment is a moisture meter and used to test the middle of a freshly split log. Most merchants test from the end which gives a false reading so they can sell the logs. I split all my oak and ash down to 1" thick and it's dry in a year. If you leave it 4" thick it will take 4 years to be dry enough. NEVER used treated pallets etc because they are loaded with dangerous chemicals. Great videos and reviews.
my favorite is the free type
silver birch always seems to be much more sooty when burning. in fact, we have noticed if we burnt mainly with silver birch over the winter, the chimney was much much dirtier when we went to clean it
This is unfortunately down to moisture content rather than type of wood.
Nearly fell off my chair, that’s what we are burning, good to hear!
Free kindling and firelighters for you then!
😆
Tried hornbeam last winter and it's fantastic. Nicknamed ironwood it burns hot and long with a beautiful bright golden light. Not easy to find but it gives the best firelight to sit round on a dark winter's night
Your post jumped out at me because I discovered ironwood in my winter camping, tent stove. What I noted about it was not only its long burning but also its blue flame. Does not seem to be a great fire starter but drop a log on some existing coals and crawl into your sleeping bag and forget about the freezing weather outside.
Sounds interesting 👍
I live just North of Balaton Lake in Hungary. The forest near the house is 60% Hornbeam, 30% Oak and 10% Locust, A grat deal of it dead and dry. This area right here is a goldmine. My cast iron wood stove top glows red ten minutes after I start it.
Fantastic information
Your right the bark from Birch tree’s contains a substance called triterpene also found in the sap which is a natural fire lighter and can light if done correctly with a simple spark many survivalists swear by the bark alone and carry this in their fire lighting kits, also we find ash is best due to the liquid content effecting the drying time, ash can be pretty much be burnt soon after being cut as all our wood is dried naturally, great video keep them coming 😊
Thanks for the comment, yea ash definitely has its uses. And there’s loads of it available, due to the dieback.
Another great vid! Thanks for your efforts and this channel Gabe! Keep em coming mate
Thanks a lot, it’s only worth it with you guys. Thanks everyone for watching 👍
Great video 🤩💪 I've just had my first ever stove installed and of course also needed to buy my first delivery of firewood 😅 Guess what? 😃 I bought a whole "tower" of silver birchwood 🥳🤣😍 Must have been fate or I just godt lucky 🙈😅😂 So far very pleased with my choice of both oven and fuel 😍 Your channel has been a great help in that regard, so thanks very much ! 👏❤️
Thanks a lot, and great choice in the fuel! 👍😆
Elm for me. The old dead trees are harder to find now. Burns beautifully for a long time.
We have goat willow in abundance around our farm and so we burn lots of it. The initial moisture content can be very high (>70%) but it dries reasonably easily. It burns easily too. Never had an issue with it spitting.
Coppiced goat willow grow vigorously and render usable wood in a few years.
Around here red and white oak is king but I have 23 acres of mostly Quaking Aspen and while it’s much lighter in weight than Oak it still heats quite well. I may burn a bit more but it’s free.
Free is always the best fuel going!
That was informative. Thank-you. Beech leaves coals in the morning and Ash leaves ash. Lots of Eastern white ash to burn here in southern Ontario with the Emerald Ash Borer having decimated all of the ash species.
Yes. Ash dieback is rife across the UK too. Everywhere you go there are Ash trees being cut down.
Still I was amazed to read that the number of trees generally is increasing hugely. We’re building more houses, trees are dying and we’re burning more and yet, the number of trees has been consistently growing for literally centuries.
I was speaking with an arborist late this summer and he informed me that the new growth here in Ontario has been 30% higher than the average year. Turns out that the forest fires in Canada seeded rain that then laid down ash as fertilizer and with the excess CO2 led to the increased growth. Corn crops were amazing too. So although an area the size of Ireland burnt, likely most of the loss was made up for in growth elsewhere. The planet is tougher than most 16 year old kids think:)
You’re too right. I’ve been reading and hearing a bit about this and as you say, us reducing Forrest fires doesn’t actually help the planet. The cycle it seems is a very important process for growth.
Glad to hear it’s working in Canada!
So….The highly reflective, light-colored bark of a paper birch doesn’t absorb the sun’s radiation and heat on cold winter days, and so avoids the damage caused by rapid heating and cooling. What causes this extreme whiteness? That white powder that coats the bark is primarily composed of a chemical called betulin. The cells in the outer layers of bark contain betulin crystals that are arranged in such a way as to reflect light and appear white. In addition to protection from solar radiation and freeze/thaw cycles, the chemical nature of the betulin also protects the tree from pests
This same betulin is what makes birch bark such a good fire-starter. It is highly flammable. In fact, the dry form of betulinic acid can form clouds of suspended particles, which can explode when ignited. Betulin is a hydrophobic (water-fearing) molecule - giving birch bark its superior waterproofing abilities. So birch bark is waterproof and flammable.
That’s awesome, thanks for your comment!
Always good with Ash but if slow burning mix with a little bit of dry softwood to keep things ticking along.
Oak on the bottom pine on the top. Oak on the bottom keeps and makes the coal bed, pine keeps everything going hot. both cheap and abundant.
Solid advice 👍👍
Ash, with an occasional dried blackthorn log (for the smell).
9.33. Great advice as always. We’re first time users of log burners so it’s a real learning curve. We’re trying out 3 types of wood atm. I think we’ve got ash logs. What I’ve noticed is that our logs are burning out so quickly!
There is a knack to these things, but performance will improve with time. Not only you gaining experience, but the stove filling with ash will have a marked affect on economy.
Have a look at this video as this may help you to keep it in for longer:
th-cam.com/video/jwLmCw26QpY/w-d-xo.html
Thank you 😊
If you are using an older stove then your ropes and seals may also be worn thus making control more difficult. Some of Gabriel's stove reviews show just how well you can control the burn speed using the air controls. You can check the door rope with a piece of paper when cold, and shut the door with the paper in various spots and see if it holds. If it pulls out easily then replace the rope. You can also put some wood ash all around the door rope and close the door carefully. When you open the door you can see if there is a gap on the stove face indicating the gap.
Do you have a Woodburner or a Multi fuel burner? A Multi fuel burner will burn logs much faster than a Woodburner.
I find birch burns too hot in my stovax, and it starts to smoke the second it hits the embers. I find ash the best. Good flame and heat, but burns longer and not too hot.
Cherry bark is also very good. Plus it has a lovely smell. The wood can be a bit spotty though. So don't use it in a pizza oven.
That was spitty
well this one surprised me , i have been cutting and supplying firewood for many years but not any more just cut my own for us , we have oak , thorn , hazel, birch ,sycamore all well seasoned and dry , and every time someone go's down the garden to get logs for the burner they allways look for the ash they all burn great but the ash in my opinion is king
Ash is nice to light and easy to use but yes, apparently it’s not the best of all! 😆
Ash, obviously
Burnt wood for 35 years most woods work alright. I will say douglass fir has a lot of sap and can start burning way too fast and hot better to cut down into kindling and really starts a fire going great. Hot sap in log can get explosive. Madrone also is easy to get started. Also it burns hot and medium slow.
He seems to know his onions, I've just cut some silver birch logs this afternoon and stored them for next winter's fires.
Sounds good, you’ll be set up next year!
Pound for pound wood is quite the same. A half cord or 64 cubic ft of dry oak is about 1800 lbs. I also have cedar here in southern California. You'd need at minimum 3X the volume of cedar vs. oak.
Yea they’re very specific. It’s by weight not volume 😆
@@TheTortoise I've never seen that in writing but that's been my general experience. As we speak I've been burning a lot of irregular junk cedar and it takes 3X as much. We have 23 acres above 5,000 ft and a huge amount of oak falls every winter. Oak obviously is a superior fuel
Yea Oak certainly has it’s uses!
A bag of silver birch is done and dusted within an hour. It burns far too fast and and as a consequence is very poor value for money. Oak and the very best hornbeam firewood are much better value for money in terms of how long they take to burn.
Wonder why the Scandinavians plant so much Silver Birch? 🤔
Hi Guys,
Fantastic video, if you watch ANY survival or bushcraft type video they always carry some silver birch bark and a fire steel to start there fires, i suppose its the resin content, similar i imagine to another type of fire lighter they always carry called 'Fat Wood', i think its loaded with sap/resin?
Kind regards
Tony
That’s cool, I need to have a look. The birch bark thing was such a revelation to me when I first did it!
The wood you can source locally for a reasonable price.
Heat value kWh/kg Birch 4.15 and Aspen 4.0. Moisture in the wood weakens the heat value. Burning wet wood causes emissions and dirty chimneys. In practice, it doesn't matter what wood you burn as long as it's dry.
That’s basically what the video says, but birch has a few advantages:
Free kindling
Free firelighters
And interestingly having been looking around. For some reason silver birch is cheaper in a lot of places.
Have you missed a verse? Verse 2 of the poem I have goes
Make a fire of Elder tree,
Death within your house will be;
But ash new or ash old,
Is fit for a queen with crown of gold.
There’s probably loads of versions, either way I think it was proven wrong 😆.
Anyone know the name of the stove in background?
Do you have any advice regarding burning books :) I'm not joking. I've plenty of rubbish books in my shelf which I know nobody is going to read them. They might as well produce some heat.
how much
Whatever is free and available
😆 it’s not a bad start!
Guys,
I do have a question please, i will hopefully be getting my new place on the 12th May, it has an existing log burner which i will be replacing, i do intend on buying a bulk bag of kiln dried logs to get me started and to have some fun, i have never had a log burner before and i watch all of your videos intently!
When my bulk bag turns up how do i store them please, indoors, in a shed or do i make/purchase a log store?
If they weren't kiln dried i assume in a log store to air dry, but kiln dried?
As soon as i have the keys in my hand and the place is 100% mine i will be hitting your store!!!
Kind regards
Tony
Kiln dried is best in a log store, or garage. Interestingly though, if you dry your own wood it is best stacked up above the ground in an open space to maximise air flow, you don’t even have to cover it.
If you're not using them until next season get semi dry and store them in a log store and they'll be 15 precent moisture by winter. Kiln drying only speeds up the process. Plus they should be cheaper.
@@philipwhatton5947 Great shout thank you!
Anyone know a good log supplier in Essex please :))
@@LRDefender1968 Have you got a local coal merchant that supplies coal and logs? if you buy coal find a coal merchant that delivers in 50 kilo sacks as it's a lot cheaper than the pre packed bags [around £32 for 50 kilo]
i have just gotten a soapstone version of the jydepejsen cosmo 1147
have you heared of this brand , and what is your opinion of it ?
and why are the close to none soapstone models reviews here ?
ps like your channel
My personal favourite is eucalyptus but it is a pig to split... In Italy I had and have coppiced willow. It does need time to dry in the sun but burns well with a blue flame. It's also free....
Free is definitely hard to beat!!!
Great advice as always but I must ask as a novice, end of the month I'm having a multi fuel stove fitted and was wondering if used from say 8am till 8pm, how the heck do you set it so it burns out and goes out? Silly question I have no doubt but one I'm baffled with not ever having one before. Thank you.
The hotter it is the faster it needs to burn to maintain it, so if you open the air vents it will drive a lot of heat out, but it will go out (relatively speaking) quickly. Having said that, there is no use in rushing that process, just leave it to go out on its own, I can’t think of an advantage to trying to speed that process up.
@The Tortoise thank I agree, just the thought of it cooking away as we sleep was a bit of a worry. But, I'm sure that's just not owning one is like until used to it. Tha k you for your reply, its always appreciated.
@@OlduselessGamer23 you’ll get used to it in know time, as you say it’s just not using one before.
Any time!
If you don’t want to be completely roasted out of your room don’t buy hornbeam like I did lol
I’ve not tried that, but I think I’ll give it a go.
@@TheTortoise I gave all of mine to my parents as I just couldn’t sit in the room with the fire alight the heat was too intense. It would be ideal for heating a big room. Maybe a lounge dinner or conservatory
@@troygoodacre2718 interesting I’ll give it a go!
What’s the thoughts on slow burning briquettes?
I’m not a fan. I’ve tried loads, but they always create the same problems:
Either
Tons of ash
Or
Way too high temperatures.
And some times both. I’m yet to find a man made log that can improve on the ones God makes 😆
Seasond dry wood, 1 year . End off .
Wood that's free is best for me.
How do you all clean your stove fully before summer, new to stoves and need some advice, cheers
If you watch my servicing video for your stove, you’ll see how to disassemble it. If you do that, clean out all the ash and leave the door on the latch, that will look after it. You can also replace bricks and ropes at this point if needed.
@@TheTortoise thankyou, got a morso 06, love it
@@matteodimicco4616 excellent, glad it’s doing a good job!
Is the log burner in the video the Parkray Aspect 5?
Yea it is.
Just a further question on this fire as just seen this comment.. as you have this particular make, I've been doing some research on log burners and with this make will it harm the hearth re cracks etc as one stove expert said the hearth has to be thicker for this Parkray stove, is that correct can you advise on hearth thickness please for this stove? Thanks
😎
Are you the BBC guy that interviewed Elon Musk recently?
😆 I saw that interview, he looked pretty uncomfortable!
Definitely not me!
@@TheTortoise 😁
Any wood I get for free is good wood 😂
Sounds fantastic let alone good! 😆
Anyone know the name of the stove in background?
It’s the Parkray Aspect 5