apple wood???

[nklcolt1911]

so my neighbor has a apple tree he wants gone and i want the wood so im cutting it down for him, my question is how long do i let it dry for before i can use it and also whats the best way to store it so it doesn't rot and get moldy, i live in minnesota so our summers can be pretty humid and also can see some decent amounts of rain, thanks in advance for the help. 

 

[wimpy69]

Bucked and split--6+ months
smaller branches--4+ months
loose stack off of ground, cover the top allow plenty of air flow thru stack . Scrap ply works great or small wiki up. I see your uds build so your going to chunk I take it? Size of tree? Free wood is the best wood to use.

 

[nklcolt1911]

It's actually a pretty big tree, enough for a couple seasons, yes I'll be chunking it for the uds, what happens if I don't wait long enough?

 

[wimpy69]

I like my wood on the drier side, some say you can use wet apple, don't know. Me, I would buck log and buck and split. For now , cut a pile of wafers (2"-3") to start quick drying. I throw them in my gasser on indirect , low/med for a couple of hours till they feel 2/3 lite. Once they check, hack them up. What a score. Good for you.

 

[cliffcarter]

You can use chunks the day you cut the tree if you want. Apple is one wood that can be used unseasoned.

 

[nklcolt1911]

Cool thanks for the info, is there a point it can get too dry? Or does it burn faster, this tree will be lasting me a while

 

[gary s]

Any wood can get too dry,  I just burns up really quick

Gary

 

[cliffcarter]

Cool thanks for the info, is there a point it can get too dry? Or does it burn faster, this tree will be lasting me a while

Wood will get down to 6% moisture and stay there for a very long time in normal conditions, but it will take a few years to get there. I have cherry splits that are 5 years old and they are around 10%-12% still.