Wood for the stove (this batch not leaving any ash)

[Kitty]

OK, OK,  this is not 'working with wood' exactly.  But you wood lovers may be able to help me.

We recently changed the wood suppliers for our log burner.  This year, our wood is (a) leaving hardly any ash and (b) leaving a lot of tar in the stove itself and on the stove glass.  In the past, we have always been supplied with wood that leaves ash and I find that a bed of ash gives a much better fire.

Do you think that the new supplier given us duff wood?  Your thoughts would be really welcome.

[NickP]

I can't offer any explanation about the lack of ash, but as to the tar; that could be because you are running the fire at a low temperature or that the wood you have bought is "green", not properly dried. A meter to measure moisture content is not too expensive and are readily available, moisture content ideally should be around 16%. Our Chimney sweep recommends that you should burn the wood stove at full welly for about 20/30 minutes everyday, this will help burn off any excess tar in the chimney.

[idun]

Either wet or one of the soft woods. We had that once, it was a nightmare and made me very careful about what we burned.

[Jonzjob]

You should be able to get some idea as to how wet it is from the weight of the lumps? If you compair it with what you have had before and it is heavier then that indicates wood that's not so dry. If that is the case then it won't burn as hot and as Pierre said it will leave tar. As to the ash? Not at all sure why as that would normally happen if it burns hot?

But who am I to say, I turn it and burn wot won't turn in our open fire [B]