Your Firewood Is Not Dry and You Have 8 Weeks. The Old Logger Trick That Saves the Winter

Summary

The video presents an eight-week plan for assessing and preparing firewood before regular winter stove use. Its central message is to measure moisture inside a freshly split log rather than judge dryness by appearance or a seller’s label. The presenter sorts a pile into three moisture groups, treats each group differently, and sets aside dense hardwood that is unlikely to dry in time.

The Six Stages

1. Measure what you have

• Split a log and measure the fresh-cut surface near the middle, not at the end, which may be drier than the interior.
• The presenter recommends a pin-style moisture meter and uses these thresholds:
  • 20% or less: suitable for clean burning.
  • 20–25%: likely to burn less efficiently.
  • Above 30%: too wet to treat as ready-to-burn firewood.
• Check 30 logs sampled from the top, middle, and bottom of the pile. Sort them into three groups: under 25%, 25–32%, and over 32%.

2. Resplit the middle group

Leave the already-dry group at its intended burning size. Split pieces in the 25–32% group that are wider than a fist. According to the presenter, splitting exposes more surface area and allows moving air to reach damp wood, helping it dry faster.

3. Stack the damp wood for airflow

Put the middle group in the windiest, sunniest suitable location, away from walls and preferably open on at least two sides. Raise it off the ground so air can move underneath, and stack it in one row or layer rather than several rows deep. Cover only the top; leave the sides open for circulation.

4. Bring a week’s supply indoors

Keep about seven days’ worth of wood inside near the stove, using a rack or boxes. Rotate the supply by putting new wood at the back and using the older wood first.

The presenter says indoor storage may reduce the moisture of nearly ready wood by a few percentage points over a week, but it is not a substitute for drying very wet wood. Keep stored wood outside the stove’s required safety clearances and follow the stove’s instructions.

5. Burn borderline wood carefully

For wood around 23–24%, the presenter advises starting with the driest wood, then adding a borderline-damp log to an established bed of hot coals. His suggested routine is to burn hot with the air supply open, avoid placing two damp logs together, and use only dry wood for the final overnight load.

He warns that slow, air-restricted burning of damp wood can waste heat and contribute to chimney deposits. He recommends a stovepipe thermometer, but stove-specific instructions and safe operating practices take priority.

6. Set aside wood unlikely to dry in time

Separate the over-32% group by species. The presenter says dense hardwoods such as oak, hickory, and black locust dry slowly and may not reach burning condition by winter. Lighter woods such as ash, maple, cherry, birch, and conifers may dry faster.

Stack dense hardwood for the following season rather than relying on it for the coming winter. Estimate any resulting shortfall and arrange a replacement supply early, before winter prices and availability worsen.

Main Lessons and Cautions

• Appearance, end cracks, and a seller’s use of the word “seasoned” are not reliable substitutes for measuring moisture in a fresh split.
• The presenter argues that drying depends on exposure to air and heat, and that preparing in October is more useful than discovering a shortage in midwinter.
• An account of his son’s oak purchase illustrates the plan: some wood was used, some was prepared for quicker drying, and the densest wet oak was saved for the next year while drier ash filled the immediate gap.
• The presenter warns not to burn damp wood in a catalytic stove, saying it can damage the catalyst. Follow the appliance’s instructions.
• He acknowledges that buying kiln-dried wood may be the practical choice when wood cannot be dried safely or in time.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Harlan Sawyer — sole narrator and presenter.
• Enoch Sawyer — Harlan’s grandfather, cited through a ledger and a saying about wind and sun drying wood.
• Dale — Harlan’s son, whose 2014 firewood purchase is used as an example.
• Virgil Cutlip — an older local wood burner, recalled in an anecdote about comparing split sizes.
• Ruth — mentioned as helping monitor the indoor wood rotation; she is not heard speaking.
• External sources referenced by Harlan: EPA documents on firewood moisture for stove use and agricultural advisory services on splitting and drying.