Seasoning Wood

[Big Time]

Does anyone know how long you have to wait, "seasoning" wood, after cutting down a tree? I know someone who is having two dead oak trees cut down and has ask me to help myself to the wood.

[Zeeman]

I have heard that it's considered seasoned after 3 months. It may be in this kinda dry heat we been having.
I think it would take about 6-8 months to be seasoned good for cooking.
Some I've heard leave it for 12 months before using.
I beleive the longer the better.
z

[smoke jumper]

I usually season my wood for smoking for at least a year. Its much easier to keep the fire going and you get a nice bed of coals. This is for cutting down a live tree, if you are cutting down a dead tree it could be "seasoned" already. I've cut down trees that have been dead for some time and don't need any time to season. Actually a standing dead tree can get a lower moisture content than a pile of firewood. Basically when you cut down the tree you can tell how dry it is. The only other question is what type of tree is it?

[Woodman]

If it is a live tree, I'd let it sit 6-8 months whole, split it, and wait another three months.

[JamesB]

Cut it to the length you want and split it. Now take two splits and whack them together... If they make a sound like whacking two wood baseball bats together they should be ready to use...

For a live tree that I cut, I split right away and stack. About 9 - 10 months later it is usually ready to go.

James.

[Zeeman]

Cut it to the length you want and split it. Now take two splits and whack them together... If they make a sound like whacking two wood baseball bats together they should be ready to use...

For a live tree that I cut, I split right away and stack. About 9 - 10 months later it is usually ready to go.

James.

Yes sir, much easier to split when green :D

[BBQ101]

:lol: If you split the wood and cut it to size for your fire box it can be ready in as little as 3 months. You will have to stack it sow air can flow through the stacked wood. I like to have my split pieces of wood about as thick as a beer can. :wink:

[JamesB]

Cut it to the length you want and split it. Now take two splits and whack them together... If they make a sound like whacking two wood baseball bats together they should be ready to use...

For a live tree that I cut, I split right away and stack. About 9 - 10 months later it is usually ready to go.

James.

Yes sir, much easier to split when green :D

Yep! Made the mistake of not splitting some pecan right away once... only once...

James.

[Big Time]

Thanks for the advise. The guy who is giving me the wood is having some sort of tree removal service cot down the dead oak trees. I'll ask him how long they have been dead. Knowing this I guy I wood guess they have been dead atleast a year (he is not one to act very quickly on something like this). I would guess it will be atleast another month before he actually gets them cut down. I guess the only other question is where to store the wood?????

[1044]

If they have been dead for a year, chances are the rot will render them useless.

[Big Time]

Didn't think of that. I'll definitly check these trees out before I commit to taking the wood