Tips for foraging for wood

highrisklowreturn

Had an idea this morning - what if you stick the wood in the freezer, for long enough to freeze it and expand the water in it, then dryit before the stove? Would this not push the moisture out to a significant amount or is this pie in the sky thinking?

John_3:16

It may help just like putting it in a warm oven may well help. My advice is don,t rush it keep it covered and let the wind and sun do there job. Warm the logs by the stove before putting them on helps to keep a good burn. Just plan for next year now.

bernithebiker

highrisklowreturn wrote: »

Had an idea this morning - what if you stick the wood in the freezer, for long enough to freeze it and expand the water in it, then dryit before the stove? Would this not push the moisture out to a significant amount or is this pie in the sky thinking?

I really cannot see this doing any good at all. Not only will it fill your freezer with dust and dirt, you also have to pay for the energy required to freeze the wood. And all you get is a frozen log, the water is still in it. (And where would you put the fish fingers?)

Then you require yet more energy to melt the ice (latent heat), and only then start to dry off the log.

Sorry, it's a non-starter.

Let nature do it's thing - one year in an open barn will do it nicely.

highrisklowreturn

Well I've had it in near 3 days, took it out several hours ago and for a log that was 40% wet ash it is now reading 23-30%. Tomorrow I intend to defrost it outside then maybe repeat the experiment with a quick defrost beside the stove when I finally get it - I think this could work.

bernithebiker

highrisklowreturn wrote: »

Well I've had it in near 3 days, took it out several hours ago and for a log that was 40% wet ash it is now reading 23-30%. Tomorrow I intend to defrost it outside then maybe repeat the experiment with a quick defrost beside the stove when I finally get it - I think this could work.

When you freeze something, you don't make the water 'disappear'. It's just frozen.

When you defrost a lump of meat, I think we can agree it's still nice and moist inside, no? The water has not 'gone'.

I would imagine that your humidity meter, which measures by applying a small electric charge, shows less conductivity with ice than with water.

And you are ignoring the energy that you are paying for to freeze the log in the first place, not to mention the practicalities of having your freezer full or logs. Are you married?!

Far better to use that energy to heat the log in an oven. Now that WILL get rid of some water (by evaporation).

But given the high cost of energy in the first place, and for minimal gains, none of these methods are viable.

highrisklowreturn

You are right - had no effect.


How long in the oven then to fully dry? I could stick in with my dinner.

suki1964

well if a meringue takes hours then Id say a log would take a few days - rather a waste of electric

If you are sourcing your logs now accept they will be ready to burn NEXT winter. Yes you can burn them this winter - wet - but you will be sat in front of the stove feeding logs like they have gone out of fashion - there is no heat from them

Get a multi fuel and burn smokeless - much hotter then wet wood

bernithebiker

It takes a long time to dry a log in an oven - I know, I've tried it. At 100'C or so you're looking at at least 12 hours, and that's for a smallish log.

I was trying to calibrate my log humidity tester to see what a totally dry log read on it.

And don't forget, as soon as you take the log out of the oven and it starts to cool, it will, slowly, absorb moisture from the air again.

There really is no short cut. Just make sure your wood pile is well ventilated and sheltered from the rain.

Leon_W

Burning unseasoned wood is very inefficient as a lot of energy is used boiling off water.

As an aside. It doesn't matter who the landowner is or whether the wood is on the floor or still attached to a tree, if you don't have permission, it's theft.

Maybe people would turn a blind eye to just going scavenging but going equiped with an 18" chainsaw ?? Come on !!

John_3:16

Problem with a moisture meter is that it only measures the surface, cut the log and try on the inside and the content could double.

If you put it in the oven on gas mark 4 it may rise so you could double your log store!!!!!!!!

I am surprised you have not mentioned the microwave? But that would be daft!