Choosing the right wood for your fire

"I have a microwave fireplace in my house. The other night I laid down in front of the fire for the evening in two minutes.” - Stephen Wright

Hearth Cooking and backyard fire pits require that you use the right kind of wood. The following is reprinted from http://www.wommackhardwoods.com/ and http://www.spitjack.com/.

Wood Quality
High quality, well seasoned firewood greatly influences fireplace efficiency and enjoyment. Well seasoned firewood starts easier, burns cleaner, and generates more heat. Green, wet wood can cause problems with smoke, odor, creosote build-up and flu fires.

Choosing Firewood
Freshly cut wood can contain up to 45% water. Well-seasoned wood ranges from 20-25% moisture content. Well-seasoned wood is easier to start, produces more heat, and burns cleaner. The important thing to remember is that the water must be gone before the wood will burn. In general, it takes about six months for wood to dry if stored uncovered, outside. Three to four months may be sufficient if under roof, cut in short lengths, and split for more air exposure.

NOTE: Wood exposed to constant rain or snow absorbs large amounts of moisture, and may rot. Store wood off the ground, protected from excess moisture, such as under a roof or in a loose-sided shed which allows for air circulation. But be aware: firewood attracts termites. Limit the amount stored next to the house or garage to just a one-week supply.
In olden times, on rainy days, when the wood supply got wet, it was brought into the house and stacked near fireplace. The heat of the fire would dry the wood out. While clever this is also a fire hazard. Be sure to place screens between the stacked wood and any fire sparks.

How can you tell if wood is seasoned?
Well-seasoned firewood generally has darkened ends with visible cracks or splits. It is relatively light weight, and makes a sharp, distinctive "clink" when two pieces strike each other. Green wood feels heavier, the ends look brighter and fresher, and they make more of a dull "thud" when bumped together. But, these visual signs can be tricky to detect. To be sure, buy your wood in the spring and store it until the following fall and winter. Test: If you're not sure if your wood is dry enough, lay one piece in the fireplace and try to light it with a piece of paper. If it doesn't ignite, it's too wet. If it does light, but sizzles and requires constant stoking, it is still too wet. A good dry piece of wood will fire easily and burn nicely without much attention in a normal draft.

What type of wood is best?
Pound for pound, all wood has about the same BTU, but hardwoods weigh more, and therefore have higher heat potentials. Hardwoods also burn slower, which means less trips to the wood pile! Hardwoods include oak, hickory, ash, apple, and cherry. Some softer woods, such as elm or maple, are also suitable for burning, but you should expect to pay considerably less for them. Don’t burn evergreens even if they are free for the taking. Pine creates little heat and throws off creosote when burned, the number one cause of chimney fires.

Bottom Line
Additional information on firewood: http://muextension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/agguides/forestry/G05450.pdf http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/malheur/product/firewood.htm