Natural Forest Practice - Do all logs burn at the same temperature?

	The Art of Natural Forest Practice		CROESO>>>

* To check dryness of log– place the palm of your hand on the end grain. Compare a dry log with one that has sap.

* Mixed species burn better than one.

* A closed stove is much more effective & efficient
than one that is open.

* Logs must be air dried, in a well ventilated place outdoors,
under cover preferably for three years before burning
(see question – By burning logs am I damaging the woodland).

* When stoking the stove take care that burning embers
do not jump out of the firebox.

Do all logs burn at the same temperature?
By Burning logs am I .....

NO - try it out. One chilly day in autmn, burning ash (Fraxinus) after the summer, I was cold. So I added a small beech (Fagus) log and in a short time was taking off my jacket.

Every tree species has its own chacteristics. Here’s a guide -

* Day time - winter - slow, clean burning, not too hot
decaying elm (Ulmus), decaying beech (Fagus), oak (Quercus) sapwood
* Winter – really cold freezing weather
elm, beech, alder (Alnus), birch (Betula), larch (Larix), oak (heartwood), hawthorn (Crataegus)
* Cooking - hot, fast burning
sycamore (Acer), birch, alder, larch, oak (heartwood), elm, hawthorn
* Summer- cool burning
ash, white conifers – especially Sitka (Picea) not larch or Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga)
* Evening- warm stove
hazel, holly (Ilex), cherry (Prunus), rowan (Sorbus), willow (Salix), misc.
* Night time - slow burning, damp down tight,
must be well seasoned & ‘dry’ to stay-in long time must be - oak under, sound beech on top
* Twigs for lighting the fire
store to dry for use conifer, especially larch, also ivy very good also chips from log splitting

* Has anybody the list of the heat content for each species of log (in Btu’s or Joules)? I should be grateful to receive a copy.

log stack

Log stack at Coed Nant Gain.

stove

I do all my cooking, radiators and hot water with the wood burning stove.