I use wood chunks almost exclusively when cooking with my WSM. I generally use Weber Firespice Wood Chunks, Hickory most often as I live in Canada. The full line of Weber products is not available here in Ontario. Most of the Weber BBQs and such are available and some of the accessories and wood products but not the full line. Anyhow, I am interested in using more than just hickory, and in finding sources of wood for less than the cost of prepackaged wood chunks. A bag of Firespice Wood Chunks is $12 here in Ontario.

This brings me to the heart of this post. At what stage of the drying process should wood be when using it for smoking? Should it be seasoned for at least one full year like when buying wood for burning in a fireplace? My brother has some trees on his property in Nova Scotia that he could cut some branches off of, or if wind knocks them down, cut up for burning. He also has several Weber BBQs. I've heard to knock off the bark and cut into fist sized pieces. He has identified several of the species and says he's going to send my parents back with some oak for sure and also some maple and perhaps other species as well. Let me be clear, I'm not suggesting using just any old wood without knowing what is is.

Can wood be to wet to cook with, not from soaking mind you, but as in too little time since freshly cut. Also, can wood be too seasoned (Dry)? When I look at the pieces of wood in the firespice bag, they are very dry in my opinion.

I watched BBQ Pitmasters last year and I believe that I heard that Myron Nixon uses freshly cut down peach wood branches. These clearly haven't been dried at all. Is this common to use freshly cut down wood.

Also related to using wood for smoking meat, has anyone tried wood from a plum tree. Half of my parent's plum tree fell down last year, and I cut it up with a chainsaw and stacked it beside their house. My Dad just purchased a WSM and claims to have used some of it and liked the results. Where there's my answer right?? Well I thought I'd ask just to see what you all thought.

Sorry for the long post. All advice would be appreciated.

Bill.
London, Ontario

quote:

Originally posted by Will Erskine:
I use wood chunks almost exclusively when cooking with my WSM. I generally use Weber Firespice Wood Chunks, Hickory most often as I live in Canada. The full line of Weber products is not available here in Ontario. Bill.
London, Ontario

---Have the same problem down here in Costa Rica. Today I was passing a local hardware store in downtown San Jose,Costa Rica and saw 3 big bags of "Royal Oak" Charcoal. Any good???


Richard

WSM Classic, OTG

I've used the RO lump to grill,but prefer K for the WSM.
Will,I got some hickory last year from a coworker. I chunked it up and let it dry about 6-7 months before I used it. It was great!
Myron has a huge commercial smoker that might burn unseasoned wood. But he also starts his fire with lighter fluid! I think the WSM takes better to seasoned chunks. That way you will get a smoother smoke,instead of a smolder.
And as far as plum wood goes,I've never used it but have heard that any fruit or nut wood is good. Let some dry and give it a whirl. You never know,you might like it! HTH

Generally, wood should 'season' for at least a few weeks to a couple of months.

Obviously, there are exceptions like fruitwoods and mesquite. One's okay 'wet', the other never.

RO is okay. Though I'm kinda addicted to K, I don't hesitate to use RO, especially RO Lump. Oh, they're outta K? meh. *grabs a bag of RO*.

i use ro almost exclusively. k is like a virus to me.
as to wood it should almost be seasoned for a year especially inyer area where it not so dry. as to small pieces i don't think it really matters.

Have used plum and persimmon with great results..........

For comps we use hickory wood chuncks in the WSM and of course Kingsford briquets!!! I am thinking off adding cherry wood chunks too.

I have always used fist size chunks of hickory. For hardwood, it is important to let them season for several months. Wood can definetly be too wet and smolder on you.

I have always knocked off the bark so it won't flare up.

Lately I have been using pecan branches, which would be about impossible to get the bark off, so I leave it on.

No experience with maple or plum. I wouldn't suggest using anything that is freshley cut down in a WSM.

You could always try getting your charcoal going in one of your kettles and then trying different woods on a small/cheap meat (chicken). This way you wouldn't be wasting money if it turns out bad, or getting a bad flavor on the inside of your WSM.

How have the pecan branches worked for you? I pass by a pecan orchard on my way home every day, and noticed a big pile of medium size branches. Just need to take a minute to knock on the door and see if I can pillage the branches....

quote:

Originally posted by Ethan G:
How have the pecan branches worked for you? I pass by a pecan orchard on my way home every day, and noticed a big pile of medium size branches. Just need to take a minute to knock on the door and see if I can pillage the branches....

I started using Pecan in Dec '08 on my turkeys. My stepfather had a pecan tree die on him, called me and ask if I wanted any of the branches. Little did I know how much he meant, I still have enough for 5 years. I loved the way it worked on turkey. When I am just doing a turkey, I use 60/40 pecan/hickory.

Since I am working on a BBQ sauce with some Pecan syrup in it, I thought it would be good to use the pecan on other meats as well. So 2 weeks ago I did ribs & chicken with a 60/40 hickory/pecan and really liked how the pecan went with the hickory. You still get that great flavor from the hickory, but the pecan definetly adds something to it. Unfortunately didn't have my sauce done yet, it's still a work in progress.

You should definetly knock on the door and grab some. Some of the branches I got were fairly skinny, so I cut them a little longer to give a total volume of a fist sized chunk.

If I had to pick one wood to use, it would be pecan. It could be a "first love" type thing though. Where I lived, when I first started smoking, had 2 pecan trees in the yard. Limbs would get blown off the trees from time to time and that was my smoke wood. More recently I have had a hard time getting pecan. I'm still wondering if the bank down the road caught me on camera retrieving a pecan limb that was blown down on their property. If they did, I guess they didn't mind since it's been a couple of years.
Hickory is fine on pork but pecan works on everything for me and IMHO nothing beats pecan on beef.
I finally found a guy that has all kinds of smoke wood for sale. He is delivering me a 1/2 rick of pecan for $50. That should last a while.

aaaaaaaaaaaaand time for a dumb question! What kind of charcoal is "K"?

Chuck,K is regular blue bag Kingsford! LOL It's either loved or hated. I use it regularly,and use it exclusively for overnighters!

quote:

You should definetly knock on the door and grab some.

You inspired me, I knocked on the door on my way home today. The answer??? "Sure, help yourself. Take all you want. Great for BBQ, all of my co-workers come and get some every year".

I know what I'm doing Saturday morning now!

Ethan,

I don't think you will be sorry. Sure beats paying for wood chunks in a bag.

quote:

If I had to pick one wood to use, it would be pecan.

Do you call it "P-con" or "P-Can"? where you come from?

quote:

Originally posted by Greg C.:
If I had to pick one wood to use, it would be pecan.

I'm a big pecan and apple fan. Some cherry, hickory and oak for shorter cooks depending on the type of meat.

quote:

Originally posted by Mac McClure:

quote:

If I had to pick one wood to use, it would be pecan.

Do you call it "P-con" or "P-Can"? where you come from?

Puh-con

I was going to reply with P-Con until I saw Travis had correctly pronounced it Puh-Con.
I'm from Arkansas......and I it is pronounced Arkansaw.

I believe nut woods should be dried first. Sweet and fruit woods can be used anytime. I have broken small branches off my cherry tree and maple tree and threw them on the fire. Pork ribs are really good with some fresh maple on the fire. I done this once by mistake. Ribs tasted like I poured maple syrup on them. Awesome!

P-con.