A new vane shear tester is proposed for the determination of the shear strength in consolidated samples of granular biomass. Measurements are performed using forest woodchips with a normal pressure in the range 5-30 kPa applied at rotation rates of 3-13 rpm. The maximum torque is found to be affected by the normal pressure and time of compression. The rotation speed is not found to have a significant influence on the shear strength. The new apparatus is an efficient tool for determining the mechanical characteristics of granular biomass. The results are in general agreement with those given by the standard Jenike method, but the new technique makes testing easier and faster. Quantitative differences between the results obtained using the two methods are possibly a result of the different modes of load application and the geometry of the shear surface. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.