So, with the help of the stimulus bill I now have a high-efficiency wood stove in my shop. A city boy that I used to be, this is the first time in my life I am dealing with a wood heater, and I have some very trivial questions about firewood. I thought that they would have been covered already but I could not find much help by searching the creek. So here it goes:
How long is the minimum time I need to cure the split firewood in my covered shed? The advice I have got so far goes anywhere from 4 months to 2 years. Most of the firewood I have piled in my shed are from trees I had to fell this summer on my property, but some are from older logs that had laid around for couple years outside in the weather, and I just needed to cut them shorter and split this summer. So, is it true that I still need to buy fully cured firewood for the first winter and not use my own stuff until the following winter earliest? And since obviously the local humidity matters, I live in central MN, where we usually have daytime rH around 50% but nighttime rH goes often above 90% in summer. Winters of course are usually cold and dry.
Lastly, while I don't currently have a wood moisture meter, I am going to acquire one in the near future. Can I just simply measure the wood moisture to know when it is ready for clean burning? Or is there something else about curing firewood in addition to just getting rid of the excessive moisture?
Again, sorry for these stupid trivial questions, but I am just trying to avoid making stupid trivial mistakes..