how long to leave logs before I can burn on stove?

[toffee]

Does anyone know how long logs should be left to stand before I can use them on my multifuel stove?
We have some trees that were chopped down about a year ago now but havent been chopped up yet.
Hubby is going to do it next week ( I would but chainsaw is too heavy.. so im not skiving!!)
but will they be ok to put straight onto fire?
I think that you shouldnt put fresh wood straight on as it damages the flue?

 

[2scoops0406]

It would have been better to chop them up "green" and then let them season for a year. There is no hard and fast time as it depends on when the tree was chopped down, what kind of tree it was, and how the resulting logs are stored. Once you chop them up you should get a better idea. You should be able to tell by the feel of the log whether or not its dry. However if you're not sure, invest in or borrow a few dry logs, try a couple of yours, if they fizz or smoke excessively (more than 20 a day is too much ) they aren't dry enough. They should burn brightly and the resulting smoke should not be dense and white. As you rightly point out do not burn wet logs, you're just making trouble for yourself later on.

 

[toffee]

thankyou eddie.
One was a conker tree, that blew over and was chopped into large chunks < leaving the main trunk which we couldnt manage.
These chunks have just been in a pile in the field.
The others are those lilandi (spelt wrong I know) trees which again have just laid whole outside.

I thought it was just the sap that mattered eddie but when you say wet, do you mean wet with water?

I have often put old but wet with rain logs on the stove. Should I not be doing this?

 

[2scoops0406]

If the bark is on, then the amount of rain penetration is reduced. However ideally, the wood should be under cover, yes it is mainly the amount of sap that causes the problem, but wet wood simply won't burn as well. The leylandii shouldn't take very long to dry, as it is a conifer. The horse chestnut will take longer to dry out, ideally both should have been cut and split into manageable size split logs and dried under cover. When you say the conker tree blew over, did that happen in autumn? if so, the wood would have been less sappy than in spring. I would hazard a guess that the leylandii may be ok to burn, but I reckon the horse chestnut will require more drying.

 

[toffee]

thankyou, much appreciated.