Advice sought for selecting and storing smoke wood


 

John Neuser

TVWBB Fan
Hello fellow smokers. I would like some suggestions and thoughts regarding smokewood. A little history. I only smoke about 4 - 6 time a year. I own a WSM 18" & 22" smokers. I typically get my wood from the big box stores. This year, I'd like to try getting wood from a source like Fruitawood but I have a few questions.
1. If I'm only going to get one species of wood what would you suggest. I'm thinking pecan or hickory.
2. How much should I buy. Again I'm thinking the smallest amount possible, and lastly,
3. How should I store it? Would double zip lock bags and stored in the cool basement suffice or should I refrigerate?

Thank you for your comments and suggestions. Spring is coming. 26 days.
 
I prefer Apple for most of what I cook but also use Oak for beef and Mesquite for burgers.

I have apple, oak, cherry, and pear growing on my property and I have boxes of apple, coffee tree, and hickory that have been in the attic of a shed for 10+ years. I can have wood in in just about any stage of "freshness" you can imagine and would be hard pressed to taste any difference. My feeling is that as long as it's kept dry it's good. Older wood may loose a some of the aromatics and require a couple extra chunks but that's no big deal. How much and when it's added to the cook have more impact.

I know a few here swear by the online wood suppliers but my feeling is that the bags of wood from the box stores are fine.
 
1-I like Hickory and Pecan is it's milder cousin.
2- Depends on what they offer, usually what I get goes by cubic feet not pounds.
3- Don't bag it or seal it tight! Let it breathe, either in the basement or garage.

Tim
 
I agree with Phil. I’ve seen discussion about wood drying out, getting old, whatever. I’m sure I can’t tell the difference between fresh dried wood and years old dried wood. I would think one thing to be careful about is humidity. I would not store it in my basement. I’d be concerned about mold. Even if just a little. Keep it dry and clean. I’ve always used a milk crate. I put it on a shelf in my shed. If it were on the top shelf, I’d put a piece of cardboard on top just to keep some of the dust off.

Best to do what you’re thinking, buy smaller amounts and use them. Rotate and use your stock. Generally though, you get such better pricing on larger quantities due to shipping costs. Therefore, storage is the better option financially speaking.
 
John, I’m very fortunate in that a good friend of mine owns a tree service, and there are several types of great smoke wood always available. Y go to has to be Pecan, as it’s quite a bit milder than Hickory. A very close second is apple, although I also like white oak as well. If you’re doing ribs, try to find someone with some Cherry trees, as cherry gives a mahogany color to ribs that is out of this world!! When I store my wood chunks, I fill 5 gallon buckets and place them in my basement. I have drilled 1/2” holes all over the buckets, so there is plenty of ventilation and mold is not an issue. I keep my wood for probably 2years or so, then burn what’s left in my fire pit. I know that is probably way past it’s prime, but I’m not in it for ribbons and trophies, and my friends and family haven’t complained yet..
Good luck,
Tim
 
There is a LOT of cherry here in Michigan, it tends to be my “Go to” smoke wood, it’s pretty readily available. Other than that, I like pecan a lot.
If you have a freezer, Fruitawood suggests longer term storage that seems a little extreme to be but, I do understand their thinking. I don’t have room, too many pork loins, brisket and turkeys in the deep freezer!
If you only smoke four or six times a season (my season is twelve months long however) I’d buy small quantities and not worry too much about it.
 
Ya know this old wood vs wood with the right moisture content debate has been going on for years.
I'll just add if you never tried it, you don't know what your missing.:)

Tim
 
I think Fruitawood is great. I ordered a box of post oak and I'm a believer now. I love hickory and pecan as well. I just bought a box and left in the cardboard in the garage with the lid open so it can breath. That's probably not the best approach. A milk crate would probably be good. I wouldn't go crazy and buy a ton. Just get a mixed box and see if you like it.
 
Love pecan and agree with some suggestions - I hv a local tree guy, every so often I just text him let him know that next time he gets some pecan he can just leave a few logs in the driveway. Haven't paid for smoke wood in years.

For storage - after I have split, I put in an HD 5 gallon bucket with holes drilled in sides for air flow. No issues ever.
 
So I take it that it's not a good idea to store smoke wood in a large plastic storage box without drilling holes in it?

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Just to add to the conversation, my locally-harvested hickory just doesn't seem to have the same aroma it used to have, so I'm inclined to believe wood can lose some of its flavor over time.
 
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