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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best wood to burn outdoors?
Birch is the most versatile firewood. It burns evenly with good heat and works for everything. Beech and oak give long-lasting embers, good for cooking. Alder gives a mild smoky flavour, nice in a baking oven like Faster Greta. Avoid softwood like spruce and pine for cooking. It creates soot and bitter taste. The most important thing, regardless of wood type, is that the wood is properly dried. Below 20 percent moisture. Dry wood gives more heat and less smoke.
What are the rules for outdoor fires in Sweden?
During dry periods, fire bans may apply, issued by the county administrative board or municipality. Even without a ban, you are always responsible for fire safety. On private land it is generally permitted to use wood-fired products like Lillhälla and Faster Greta all year round. But always check local regulations and SMHI fire risk forecasts before lighting the fire. It takes a minute and saves you worry.
How do I burn with as little smoke as possible?
Dry wood is the most important thing. Below 20 percent moisture. Moisture is the main cause of smoke. Light the fire from the top, it gives cleaner combustion. Make sure there is enough air. Do not overfill the firebox. Products like Lillhälla and Faster Greta are designed with efficient airflow that keeps smoke down when used properly. But the foundation is always the same: dry wood and enough air.
How do I avoid bothering neighbours with smoke from my fire pit?
Dry wood is the most important thing. Damp wood produces heavy smoke and bad smell. Use wood with below 20 percent moisture. Do not burn large amounts at once. Keep the fire moderate and add wood gradually.
Wind direction matters. Do not light the fire when the wind blows straight towards your neighbour's house or outdoor area. Use hardwood like birch, beech or oak instead of softwood. Softwood produces more smoke and sparks. With the right wood and the right wind, an evening fire need not be a problem for anyone.
When and how can you light the fire?
Bohemen has a stove inside the tub - so no open fire. If you do not know what applies to wood burning, contact your municipality's environmental and building office to find out what applies exactly where you live. Describe how you intend to fire. Keep in mind that the smoke from wood burning can be annoying to neighbors.
How is the environment affected by wood burning?
Wood and other types of bioenergy are renewable energy sources that are part of the natural cycle. Biofuels, usually wood, are renewed within a foreseeable time and when they burn, carbon dioxide that goes out via the flue gases is released. The forest grows and uses carbon dioxide to build up new biomass and the carbon cycle is closed.
Read more about firewood and wood burning in the excellent book "Ved" (available in Swedish) by author Lars Mytting.
We don't have access to wood - can we make a fire with briquettes or eco heat logs instead?
Yes, it works splendidly. Examples of websites that sell these products:
What kind of wood is best for a pizza oven?
If you want to make proper pizza the way it tastes in Italy and at good pizzerias, you must bake it in a wood-fired oven. Only then can you achieve the high temperature needed for a crispy base whilst the cheese and toppings cook perfectly.
Most Swedes have experience burning wood. We like lighting a fire to huddle round on cold winter days, and we have no trouble making a fire in the forest to grill a sausage or two. But when you are burning wood in an oven, does it need to be a special type or can you just use what you have at home?
"In a pizza oven it is important to burn wood with a high calorific value. The calorific value of a wood species tells you how much energy - that is, heat - you get from a kilo of wood."
In a pizza oven you need to achieve as high a temperature as possible. That is why it is important to burn wood with a high calorific value. Among Swedish hardwoods, beech, maple, oak, rowan and ash have the highest calorific values and thus produce the highest temperatures.
Our most common firewood, birch, also has a relatively high calorific value and works well in a smaller pizza oven like the Faster Greta. If you want to bake pizza on a stone over an open fire, for example on our Lillhälla fireplace, we actually recommend birch as your first choice. It produces a beautiful fire with blue-tinged flames, and it smells wonderful too.
Avoid softwood when cooking
Softwood from trees like spruce and pine produces relatively little heat per kilo of wood. These woods also throw sparks, so if you burn softwood it should be done with the lid closed in a tile stove or a stove with a door. Furthermore, softwood is full of tar, which can give an unpleasant flavour to cooked food. Avoid softwood when you burn wood in a pizza oven.
It is important that the wood is dry
The higher the moisture content in the wood, the harder it is to get the oven temperature up. Damp wood also produces significantly more smoke than dry wood, plus tar vapours that can be directly harmful to breathe and can accumulate in the flue. Always make sure the wood is sufficiently dry before you burn it in a pizza oven. If you are unsure about moisture content, measure it with a moisture meter. The wood should have a moisture content of less than 18%.