What is considered "Seasoned Wood"

New here and not sure I am posting in the correct forum.
What is considered Seasoned Wood?

Just installed a woodburner and bought one of those magnet thermator to put on the pipe. Having trouble getting it up to the burn zone and creosote.
The wood I have been burning is from an old ash tree that had been dead for at least 5 years. I downed it and split and it last month. Would it be considered seasoned? I also gathered up some wood from and apple tree that I cut 3 years ago. I did not stack that wood I just threw it off the truck into a big pile. It seemed to burn better. Would that be considered seasoned?

Is my creosote problem and exit temp. my wood or the stove? Stove is an older used Rebel.

Having just joined , I am looking forward to looking at the other forums. This site is right down my alley of interests.
Thank you

If you ask ten people you will get ten answers 2,maybe three with be close to each other ! Weigh your self, weigh your self and an arm full , stick arm full in oven to bake overnight . If the weight drops less then 10% you have wood as good as 'properly seasoned wood' . All wood should be 'under cover for a year' - cut, split, and stacked before the start of last years heating season to burn this season ! Any thing close to this that you get for an answer is just as valid ! " Burn zone temps are internal '' not surface temps, so a lot more heat is going up the chimney than you think ! You would need an internal probe type thermastat to tell! If you are starting your fire and then closing off your air supply to let you 'keep' a fire, that is the primary reason for creosote , that and wet wood ! hope this helps, - Pyro-maticly yours Allen L.

If it burns hot, it's ready. But after a rain and lots of humidity, wood that was good to go may become too damp again. Temps and sun exposure, age of wood, humidity, air flow in the pile, type of wood, log diameter, etc. all come into play. I've had 4" pine logs sitting in the sun for a few months ready to go. I've had 2' diameter stumps in the shade that just rotted and would never burn (so they become hugelmulch).

Popping and crackling are another indicator of seasoning; the dryer the wood, the quieter it burns.

Hope that helps.
-greg

Roger,

I would not consider the Ash wood to be seasoned.

A dead tree that is standing will always be wicking moisture up out of the ground. A cut piece of the trunk, sitting on the cut surface, will wick moisture up from the ground.

Wood has to be split and piled/stacked on a dry surface that is under rain protection in order to season properly.

As Allen said, you need to give it more air.

PeterJ