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[woodfuel]

Hello! I  don't know if this has been discussed, but i wanted to know if i could add 20" diameter pieces of wood, 18" long to hot ashes and not have to worry about the fire going out? We are finally getting cold here in Wisconsin! Any experience/answers would be helpful since i have only been using my cb for about 2 weeks now and have used smaller pieces of wood. Thanks! Go Pack Go!

[Ridgekid]

woodfuel- I'm going to edit that Go Pack Go stuff!!! I just haven't the loop hole yet! (Joking!)

I personally would NOT put a piece in that large unless it was sitting on some smaller pieces. Two reasons:

1. Moisture content is higher in "rounds"
2. It takes longer to get some good heat out a big piece of wood (vs split)

You already claimed the weather is getting colder. Throw the big one on top! It will last the night!

Good Luck this weekend!

[alan mather]

over last summer i did not split some of my bigger chunks, and thought over this winter i could throw them in, one at a time over hot coals and it would burn just like splits, but not so good. the last night i threw a big chunk in and went to bed i got to get up at 3 in the morning to remove the chunk that did not burn, and spend an hour to restart some small split pieces. Because since having our woodmaster, god for bid if the furnace kicks on with propane, the old lady has a fit. So from my experience I will be splitting all wood from now on. good luck.

[mikenc]

I keep all mine in round i can. But like Ridgekid mentioned I usually put them on top of some splits. Laying splits on bottom makes it easier to slide them in instead of trying to push them through coals. The only time mine has gone out is when i forgot to turn fan back on. But they should be seasoned good first. Takes rounds several months longer to dry.

[MTJAG]

I cut and stacked all my wood round this past year and left it that way until around November.  I have burned some 20" or larger rounds in my Central Boiler 5036 this winter, but I usually reserve them for cold nights in the single digits or below zero as more heat demand burns longer.  Now I should also tell you that the rounds I have are aspen and they were all standing dead timber when I cut them.  Aspen burns pretty quick anyway, so I'm not sure you can make a universal argument on large round stock of other speices such as oak, hickory, etc.

As RidgeKid says, the split wood does a better job all around.   I have been splitting (by hand) my remaining 8 cords.  Next year, I plan on splitting the majority of my wood to make it easier for my wife...LOL!

[dirtryder]

I have a lot of knots, uglies, 30" cookies, all those pieces that don't split nor stack well, thrown in a pile. If it gets through my 6048 door, it goes in. I've had to roll them off my skid steer forks and get a shovel to push them back. I always put splits and smaller logs in too and have never had a problem. Some of those bigguns I've put in have lasted for days........just adding a few splits along the way to keep things going.
I also "only" split my logs if I can't easily load or pick them up by hand. Lately, I've been cutting and stacking my rounds in 48" lengths......the ones I can pick up that is

[woodfuel]

Thanks for all of the advice. I think i should have no problem keeping the fire going all season. (Knock on wood)