How to buy wood chunks??? (Rookie here)


 
Rich Dahl said:
Agree with Bob, Barb and I have been using the Woodshed for a few years now and the ladies really go all out to help you with whatever you need. Last time we stopped there to pick up some wood on the way to see our kids and grandkids they asked us if we had tried olive wood for smoking. We hadn't so one of them said let me get you a sample to try, That sample was a 50# bag of wood.
Like Bob said Good People!
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I've never heard of someone giving a 50 lb. "sample"!!!!

Wow.
 
Bob Bass said:
Arun, Saw Patty and crew cooking BBQ at Cable airport in Upland yesterday. Good people. Oh.. I get my bulk smoke woods and charcoal from them. Also, the Woodshed is a major supporter of BBQ in California. The California Barbeque Association, CBBQA, also holds most of our BBQ classes there.

Here's a link to their retail suppliers....

One suggestion would be to give them a call this week. As noted earlier... Good People !

Bob

ADDED : As far as not finding the Sharpe Woods on the site, looks like they are redoing their website. Give Patty or Renea a call.
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Hi,

* Bristol Farms, one of the retail locations on the Woodshed, has one location in northern California in S.F. I could go there. I'm hoping to find more locations, though. All of the other locations appear to be in Southern California, for the different stores in the retail locations.

* Who are Patty or Renea again? Are they from Sharpe Woods?

* I see you're a Board Director of the CBBQA. :)

* Does the CBBQA have a link where I can find Sharpe Woods too? Also, what is the cost of wood? If you know of a specific bag weight and price.

* When I was buying the Cowboy Apple Wood Chunks in August, I asked how much the 700 cubic inch bag weighted. The info wasn't on the bag, and they couldn't find a way to provide the answer. Does anyone know?
 
If you go to the woodshed site they say it's for California only. My guess is if you order from the site they list for out of state you'll get kiln dried. Some brands claim that it matters most when you do the kiln drying. Some claim it's a matter of moisture left. Western which is a brand found in Academy stores claims to be kiln dried to 18 to 20%. That would probably be acceptable if true. I'm probably going to buy a rick of pecan soon and just cut my own chunks and use the rest for the offset.
 
Hi Arun,

Patty and Renea are the owners. Here's a link to Mike's Ohana that tells a little more about these special people and what they do. The Woodshed is one of CBBQA's BBQ Team of the Year sponsors.

Would you believe that 3/4 of the CBBQA officers are TVWBB members ! We all think very highly of Chris and this website.

I do not have specific sales information, as I (like any of us) am just a customer. As far as how much 700 cubic bag weighs... Wood will loose moisture over time, so that volume of wood will loose weight over time.

Bob
 
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Bob Bass said:
Hi Arun,

Patty and Renea are the owners. Here's a link to Mike's Ohana that tells a little more about these special people and what they do. The Woodshed is one of CBBQA's BBQ Team of the Year sponsors.

Would you believe that 3/4 of the CBBQA officers are TVWBB members ! We all think very highly of Chris and this website.

I do not have specific sales information, as I (like any of us) am just a customer. As far as how much 700 cubic bag weighs... Wood will loose moisture over time, so that volume of wood will loose weight over time.

Bob
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I'm not sure which number I was supposed to call. I called 714/771-2626.

Collette answered.

When I said I was in Northern California, she said to try ordering online. If I couldn't do that, then to call back on Monday, and she would help place an order and ship it to me.

I need to also try calling that one Bristol farms and see if they have any.
 
Bob Ivey said:
Another good source for premium wood is http://www.thewoodshedoc.com/.
Quality wood and very helpful people.
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Rich Dahl said:
I agree with Bob. All their wood is naturally dried and aged. Whereas the big box stores stock kiln dried woods, nothing wrong with that but I can tell a big difference in the quality and the taste.
The woodshed does ship although Barb and I always stop by to say hi and get some wood when we go to California to see the kids.
You may be quite happy with the wood from Home Depot.
Also if you have a firewood supply place check with them to see if they have any cooking woods.
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Is there a "unnaturally dried and aged" that other wood companies do?

What does "stock kiln" vs non-stock mean?

I'm just trying to understand what the difference is in their woods. Please don't mis-read my tone as sarcastic or snarkiness.
 
Arun...

That's the number. Collette is very nice lady, just like the Patty and Renea. Collette answered today because both Patty and Renea (and most of the Wood Shed crew) was in Dana Point competing in the BBQ competition there. In fact, their booth was just across the walkway from our (CBBQA) booth. They will all be back in the shop Monday.
Bob
 
Bob Bass said:
Arun...

That's the number. Collette is very nice lady, just like the Patty and Renea. Collette answered today because both Patty and Renea (and most of the Wood Shed crew) was in Dana Point competing in the BBQ competition there. In fact, their booth was just across the walkway from our (CBBQA) booth. They will all be back in the shop Monday.
Bob
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Thanks. What was the name of the BBQ competition you were in?

Would you be able to answer the questions from post #26, or give some details about what makes Sharpe woods different?
 
The proper moisture content makes wood from The Woodshed, Fruita woods or Smokinlicous special. Big Box stores "Stock" woods that usually have been kiln dried and could have been sitting on the shelves for who knows how long.
If you think of smokewood as a spice, then fresher is usually better.
Some kilns use a chemical spray on woods like Oak which turns black when it gets wet, and that's usually only for slabs used for furniture making.

Tim
 
Totally agree with what Timothy wrote !

The official contest name was "The City of Dana Point State BBQ Championship". This particular Dana Point is in California. Along the coast, between San Diego and Los Angeles. Excellent competition. For those using rubs by Big Poppa Smokers, they won Grand Champion! Their 10th Grand Champion this year AND another 700+ score !

Arun... I'm not a competitor, just one who gets to sample what the teams cook... ;) Minor milestone... this competition was my 50th time judging.
 
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timothy said:
The proper moisture content makes wood from The Woodshed, Fruita woods or Smokinlicous special. Big Box stores "Stock" woods that usually have been kiln dried and could have been sitting on the shelves for who knows how long.
If you think of smokewood as a spice, then fresher is usually better.
Some kilns use a chemical spray on woods like Oak which turns black when it gets wet, and that's usually only for slabs used for furniture making.

Tim
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Thank you.

Since freshness is a factor, once I purchase and receive the woods, is there a preferred way to store them? If they come in a seal-able bag, will just sealing it be good enough?

Will they still be pretty good 1 - 2 years later, at home?
 
Ok, the Bristol Farms in S.F. don't carry cooking woods. "We don't carry woods, because we're in an indoor mall".

I'm not sure what the latter has to do with not carrying woods, other than maybe they don't have the retail space that another outlet Bristol Farms store would. But I got my answer.

I will have to contact Sharpe again tomorrow.
 
Arun, there's a guy in San Leandro that I've bought smoke wood from. Harry Soo also buys smoke wood from him:

John Winslow
John's Wood & Hauling
510-317-0230

Give him a call and see if he's still selling smoke wood and what varieties he has.
 
Arun L. said:
Thank you.

Since freshness is a factor, once I purchase and receive the woods, is there a preferred way to store them? If they come in a seal-able bag, will just sealing it be good enough?

Will they still be pretty good 1 - 2 years later, at home?
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You want to let it breathe so if the bag is perforated fine or use a box with holes punched in. I use cheap dollar store laundry baskets tagged with a marker for different woods.
I keep mine in the garage and 1-2 yrs is normal before I place another order.

Tim
 
If you occasionally make trips over the hump into California - if you get into orchard or wine country and ask the right people, you may be able to pick up some local:
-Trimmed branches from Citrus or Fruitwood trees
-Old, thick grapevine stalks
-cut-up chunks of recycled wine barrels

All of these could work for adding some regional flavor to your smokes
 
Arun L. said:
I've never heard of someone giving a 50 lb. "sample"!!!!

Wow.
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Yep, I was just amazed that they did that, granted we bought about $90 worth of wood and it wasn't cut down to smoking size but still unbelievable. They also gave us some small packages of wood chips to try and a small baggie of beech which I haven't tried yet. By the way I love the olive wood a nice light smoke with a little sweetness to it.
All the ladies there are just nice and helpful.
DSCN4538_zpspuwv0co1.jpg


DSCN4540_zpsce9yuimu.jpg
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Chris Allingham said:
Arun, there's a guy in San Leandro that I've bought smoke wood from. Harry Soo also buys smoke wood from him:

John Winslow
John's Wood & Hauling
510-317-0230

Give him a call and see if he's still selling smoke wood and what varieties he has.
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Thanks.

I called him. He doesn't have any hickory or mesquite left, and he's phasing them out, since he doesn't grow them and he had to import them. He said it's too costly to import them, so that's why he's phasing them out.

I am then still conversing with Sharpe Woods then.
 
Bob Bass said:
An article in the local paper about the Dana Pt competition this past weekend, including a little about the Woodshed.
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Rich Dahl said:
Nice article on the event and the woodshed. The woodshed people sure deserve all the good things that people say about them.
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Agree. Nice article, thanks for sharing.

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Rich Dahl said:
Yep, I was just amazed that they did that, granted we bought about $90 worth of wood and it wasn't cut down to smoking size but still unbelievable. They also gave us some small packages of wood chips to try and a small baggie of beech which I haven't tried yet. By the way I love the olive wood a nice light smoke with a little sweetness to it.
All the ladies there are just nice and helpful.
DSCN4538_zpspuwv0co1.jpg


DSCN4540_zpsce9yuimu.jpg
l
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I love the pics. What do you use olive wood for?

How do you cut it?
 
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