Wood - Seasoned or Not?
- Thread starter I Marks
- Start date
Most people seem to prefer dry-enough-to-burn-easily wood but there are clearly exceptions, especially for peach which some people love fresh cut.
If you have some kind of smoking suitable wood available I don't think anything bad is going to happen if you start using it now, but personally I'd generally treat it more like firewood and set plenty aside for the future and let it do its thing.
Note that woods people smoke aren't what I would think of sappy or full of resin, like say pine. It's primarily a moisture issue and if you expect your wood to burn clean or smolder.
If you have some kind of smoking suitable wood available I don't think anything bad is going to happen if you start using it now, but personally I'd generally treat it more like firewood and set plenty aside for the future and let it do its thing.
Note that woods people smoke aren't what I would think of sappy or full of resin, like say pine. It's primarily a moisture issue and if you expect your wood to burn clean or smolder.
Walt Haase
New member
I just pruned an old peach tree. Sounds like I can use it to smoke. Should the bark be removed?
The thing to remember is that you don't want "smoldering" wood.
In the WSM you are controlling the temperature of the fire directly through adjusting the vents. This means that if your cooking temp is only 250, then the fire is likely not much hotter. This has implications as fewer "volitiles" will be burned by the heat. Think of when you are lighting a chimney and how much smoke it creates when it's being lit vs how little smoke comes off when it's fully engaged.
Drier wood will burn cleaner and easier in a WSM. Furthermore, we don't tend to need large amounts or pieces due to the nature of the WSM.
Just be careful that you don't take lessons from "stick burners" and apply them to the WSM. The process is considerably different.
As for bark. It's a personal thing. If it comes off easily then I remove. If well attached them it stays.
In the WSM you are controlling the temperature of the fire directly through adjusting the vents. This means that if your cooking temp is only 250, then the fire is likely not much hotter. This has implications as fewer "volitiles" will be burned by the heat. Think of when you are lighting a chimney and how much smoke it creates when it's being lit vs how little smoke comes off when it's fully engaged.
Drier wood will burn cleaner and easier in a WSM. Furthermore, we don't tend to need large amounts or pieces due to the nature of the WSM.
Just be careful that you don't take lessons from "stick burners" and apply them to the WSM. The process is considerably different.
As for bark. It's a personal thing. If it comes off easily then I remove. If well attached them it stays.
Gary H. NJ
TVWBB Platinum Member
Well said Scooter. Thanks for the info.
Phil Perrin
TVWBB Hall of Fame
I said in an earlier thread that I got a BUNCH of hickory last year. I chunked it,and used some after only a couple of months. The butt tasted kind of bitter. However,after a couple more months,the same wood produced some mighty fine Q! I would wait. JMHO As far as the bark goes,some people don't care and leave it on,some people remove it. I removed it with both smokes. But that's just me.
