Odds are , unless you ’re really into wood , you ’ve never heard of black locust or considered its time value as a rootage of heat . If you ’re looking for a heavy - heat , low - smoketype of firewood , though , Black Locust is your unspoilt selection . While it ’s not groovy for smoking the brisket for Fourth of July , it ’s an unbelievable reference of humbled - fragrance , gamy rut fuel for your home and cooking fires . tally out our guide below – we ’ve gathered all the info you necessitate to reservoir , time of year , and burn off Black Locust to its best habit .

Black Locust Firewood Details

B.Th.U. : 27.5 to 29.8

Weight : 4650 plastered 3900 dry

Seasoning Time : 1 year

Gardening tools in a basket

Resin / Sap Content : Low to medium

Splitting Difficulty : easy

Smoke : low to medium

Hosta edging along the garden border

Smell : slight , pleasant

Black Locust Varieties

The Black Locust metal money is known all around the populace . In the US , Europe , and China , the tree flourishes in nature .   Here are a few details about popular Black Locust varieties ( in alphabetic order ):

Frisia Locust

A very tough motley of Locust is the oval - forge Frisia Locust mintage . It has upwards arching branches and white flowers when in salad days . In the summer , the leaves of the Frisia Locust turn crisp yellow and fade to gold in fall .

Inermis Locust

The Inermis Locust is a much smaller rendering of the Locust tree diagram . It seldom raise over 20 ft grandiloquent and has a round globe - similar shape .

A popular and compact variety of the Locust crime syndicate is the Purple Robe Locust . It is easily one of the best looking types of Locust . The Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree has gorgeous pink rose - like flush and each year newfangled growth branches look bronze - red . That said , these Locust trees get through heights of up to 35 to 40 ft in height . The downside to this beautiful Locust is that they do n’t subsist as long as Black Locust and other Locust kind .

Pyramidalis Locust

Black locust tree ( Robinia pseudoacacia ) bark design . deferred payment : Leslie J. Mehrhoff , University of Connecticut , Bugwood.org

A grandiloquent species among Locust varieties , the Pyramidalis Locust pass on over 40 foot high . The breadth of the tree reach up to 15 ft in diam ( which is huge ! ) . The leaves of the tree are fleeceable during the summer and sour to yellow during autumn . The heyday of the Pyramidalis Locust bloom in clusters and are vivid white-hot in coloration .

Tortuosa

An odd Locust variety which is not much relied on for firewood is the strange - shaped Tortuosa Locust . This lilliputian tree progress to 15 to 20 ft in altitude and has weirdly contort sets of branch and gnarly tree diagram trunk .

Umbraculifera

The Umbraculifera is another intriguing cultivar of Locust . The top of the tree diagram has a flavourless and umbrella - shaped top . The species is rather uncommon in the United States but is more than common in Europe . The Umbraculifera makes a wonderful landscaping tree for yards and gardens .

Black Locust Firewood Burn Characteristics

BTU of Black Locust Firewood

Black Locust has an incredible BTU rating of about 30 . That means that it incinerate hotter than many pet firewoods . Black Locust burns longer than other types of wood as well . It also makes the most first-class coals .

Black Locust firewood is perfect for throwing into the fireplace for all-night combustion . It will not only hot up the abode all night , it will provide enough ember and chard Mrs. Henry Wood to easy stoke the fervour back up the next morning .

Firewood Seasoning Time

Technically speaking , Black Locust can be season in as quickly as 6 to 8 months . But , if you desire to properly flavour it for optimal use ( high British thermal unit and longer burning time ) then you postulate to season it for double that time . One year , to a year and a half , is the best seasoning time for Black Locust . That said , some folks take that seasoning for 2 to 3 year is the respectable recitation for temper Black Locust firewood for use indoors .

The natural moisture substance horizontal surface of Black Locust is between 26 and 28 - percent or so . Before burn off , you need to lower that moisture content to around 20 - percent before using . Again , this is where proper flavorer time comes into play . Six month or more of seasoning should achieve a moisture content in Black Locust of 21 - percent or depleted . To reach the recommend 12 - pct moisture content floor , the wood needs spare seasoning .

Resin / Sap Content of Black Locust

Black locust moisture message degree measure out to around 25 to 26 - percent . That think of that it has no more rosin or sap content than typicaltypes of firewood . It also indicates that at least 6 months of seasoning is need to reach a suitable level of sap content ( 21 - percent or humbled ) .

Some Black Locust , however , produces high story of sap than others . For this reason , if you are glean Black Locust Tree for firewood , the respectable time is in the autumn or winter when the wet level is lower due to sap output decelerate down for the time of year .

All things considered , Black Locust is excellent firewood to influence with . Especially when season in good order , Black Locust has lower wet capacity levels , cauterise hotter , burns longer , and create great coals . It also has very picayune smell .

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Black Locust Smoke and Smell

Black Locust is one of the good burn firewood available in North America . When decent seasoned it puts off an enormous amount of warmth ( nearly 30 BTU ) and precious little gage . In fact , Black Locust smokes much less than other types of firewood popular with those who heat their home with firewood .

Burning Black Locust has a wispy woodsy smell ( go and figure , right ? ) , but is otherwise scentless . Unlike many popular type of firewood , like Cedar or Oak , Black Locust does not have a decided olfactory property . Most time , it is neither pleasant nor unpleasant . In other parole , it is one of few firewoods that barely fume or smells . This makes it more than ideal for purpose in heat your home .

When is the best time to cut Black Locust for firewood?

The honest time to cut Black Locust , and indeed most type of firewood , is somewhere between winter and former springiness . The reasoning behind this is that there is very little saphead produce during these cold region of the year and the moisture content is therefore lower . That means when you shorten the Mrs. Henry Wood during these time that it dries out and time of year faster .

How can I speed up the seasoning time of my Black Locust firewood?

you could speed up the seasoning operation of your Black Locust firewood by stacking it several inches off of the ground ( with pallets or afirewood rack ) . In addition , stacking the wood in an alternating pattern ( one east to west , one Frederick North to south ) allows for air pockets between each piece of wood . The headroom below , above , and between the firewood part pull in for much quicker seasoning .

Is Black Locust Good for Smoking Meat?

No , Black Locust is not a preferable eccentric of wood for smoking meat because it has little perfume or flavor to reassign to centre .

Do your tri - tip a favor and choose a more flavorful wood for smoking . secure alternative include Oak , Mesquite , Hickory , Maple and Apple .

How long does a cord of Black Locust firewood last?

A properly seasoned corduroy of firewood will put off between 27 and 30 BTU of heat . That means that the average amount of time a cord of Black Locust endure is around 6 to 8 weeks . grant , if you sting more or less Sir Henry Joseph Wood than others , the sentence could be as piddling as 5 weeks and as much as 10 calendar week .

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endgrain and pores of black locust wood false acacia

black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) bark of black locust tree live

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black locust firewood smoked meat wide