Opinions on Eucalyptus

[GianniFocaccia]

Hello All,

I have an opportunity to acquire a truckload of fresh eucalyptus logs, gratis. From my reading, some like eucalyptus as firewood, some say it's hard to start, but burns very, very hot, and is considered a hardwood.

For those who have experience with euc, would you recommend it as a wood suitable for our kinds of ovens?

Thanks,

John

[david s]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

That's about all we burn in Australia. It's all good hardwood, red gum about the best hardwood I've ever burned.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

Thanks, David. I'm going to skip over all the negative things I've read about eucalyptus and since you say its good, it's good.

[david s]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

On principle I haven't bought any wood for my ovens (the best wood is free wood).
I use mostly fallen sticks and branches under Eucalypt trees, up to about 40 mm thick that you can easily break. Sometimes I cut bigger bits with a chainsaw into very short lengths that split more easily, but that's more work.
"I love getting wood"

[Greenman]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

I agree with david s and most of what I burn is eucalypt of one kind or another. Depending on the variety it can dry as light as pine (Flooded Gum etc) or dense and heavy as Ironbark.

Some of the longest burning timber I have found is west of the ranges and Ironwood, Mulga and Gidgee rate among these.

It is all good but it does need to be properly dried, I like the standing dead trees.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

G'day
I've some really old furniture pieces made of oak . I can't imagine burning some of that fine and pretty pieces of wood, everyday, to cook in my oven.
I suppose I gets down to available.
Regards dave

[wotavidone]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

I agree with david s and most of what I burn is eucalypt of one kind or another. Depending on the variety it can dry as light as pine (Flooded Gum etc) or dense and heavy as Ironbark.

Some of the longest burning timber I have found is west of the ranges and Ironwood, Mulga and Gidgee rate among these.

It is all good but it does need to be properly dried, I like the standing dead trees.

I avoid the acacias (mulga, gidgee, etc). That's because one of the common ones around here smells like a beer fart on steroids when burned.
I use eucalypts. Like DavidS, I gather the thin sticks. These tend to die on the tree and fall off during big winds.The extra surface area per unit weight makes up for the dense slow burning properties of most of the gums available where I live, and a big scarey fire is no problem.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

Thanks, guys. It turns out the college (coincidentally my alma mater) that cut down a row of giant eucalyptus is offering the wood for free only in 20' sections and to those with large trucks, not pick-'em-up trucks like mine. At least I know for next time.

[Greenman]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

I am not adverse to splitting blocks and being somewhat of an opportunist, get it where I find it. I usually stack it outside for 6 months or so in the weather and then into the shed until its turn comes around, usually another 6 months.

I do harvest the windfalls but usually use them to get things going. The larger hardwood pieces are good to get a bed of coals before shutting things down to retain heat for the next day.

After the 2011/12 floods here I collected some mangrove timber that had piled up on the banks and it was nearly purple and dried to a pale blue. Never seen anything like it before. It dried to be very light and burnt like softwood.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

G'day Steve
If you go upstream away from the salt you might find some She oak.
It's my favorite timber for burning. Its great burning, smells great and has long lasting coals. I particularly like to grill over she oak coals.
Regards dave

[oasiscdm]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

Any wood that is free will burn. Assuming it's not poisonous
Go get it John and enjoy. What's happening with that oven of yours ?

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

Same (no change). Been baking decent sourdough loaves in it, though. I'm on the look-out for just-right brown tile since I haven't been successful finding brown bricks.

[WJW]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

You've already got your answer John, but I'll chime in as well. I prefer eucalyptus over oak believe it or not. The only catch is that you really need it to be properly seasoned.

The stuff is extremely dense, burns very hot, and lasts a long time. If properly seasoned it burns cleaner and hotter than California Oak. (I can't speak as to other types of oak.) I have a number of farmer buddies up here in the Ventura County area. Inevitably land is cleared, trees die, etc. As a result I have good access to avocado, citrus, eucalyptus, and oak. My favorite is Euc for heating the oven.....avocado and citrus for keeping active flame for pizza cooking.

The stuff I've heard about odor, flavors, etc simply is not true if the wood is seasoned. Although I like avocado or citrus for producing flame for my pizza, I use euc for that all the time as well. The only probable I have with euc for that is that the logs are generally larger than optimum for that.


Bill

[v12spirit]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

The freely available wood to me is from lemon, olive, and grape trees that comes out of pruning them every year since we grow these trees. How long should one leave the up to 2" thick logs in order to dry when cut green in a mild winter (not below 0 C)?

[WJW]

Re: Opinions on Eucalyptus

For two inch diameter logs I'd say one year would be sufficient to completely season.

Bill