Curing Time for Smoke Wood


 
T

Thom Tomlinson

TVWBB Member
Can any one provide some ideas on curing time for fresh cut wood? I read a few posts here where fellow Q'ers seek out free sources of cut wood. Seems reasonble and easily done in my neck of the woods. I have ready access to apple and hickory wood. I want to make sure the wood ages enough before using.
 
Thom--

It will depend on how small you cut it, how much interior surface area is exposed, and in what conditions you store it as it seasons, i.e. in a dry, A/C'd room; in a garage or shed with no A/C; outside with a tarp thrown over it.

Fresh citrus, alder, cherry, apple, hickory,and pear that I cut small (already sized for the cooker) is ready rather quickly when I store it in an A/C'd shed, usually just a few weeks tops depending on its condition when I got it. Big logs and branches that I have outside, fairly unprotected, take a long time. Wood will release moisture in dry conditions but re-absorb moisture in humid or wet conditions.
 
Chef,

I see you are in North Carolina. You need to think about evaporation and getting the wood dry ... a somewhat difficult thing in the Piedmont area.

I can dry wood in a tenth of the time it takes you in NC because, in the soutwest sun and low humidity, it is an oven that bakes out the moisture.

I only enjoyed BBQ while at NCSU but I can remember the environment and you have to focus on getting that wood dry (not aged).

So, best of luck, and as you experiment, keep us all up to date with the outcome.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jimbo M.:

I can dry wood in a tenth of the time it takes you in NC because, in the soutwest sun and low humidity, it is an oven that bakes out the moisture.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Same here. One of our 100+ degree, 0 rain, 10% humidity summers makes everything (including wood cut in spring) dry as a bone by fall.

I'm thinking...what if Thom were to put them in an "artificially" hot and dry environment, like a gasser at about 250? Obviously, you could only do about 1 or 2 logs, but you don't need much anyway right? (assuming you're not Qing every day etc.) I know that when I toss a green limb onto a fire, I can see the water and sap coming out the end before it ignites. Maybe it would work.
 
Thanks for the input. I'll keep you posted once I go collect the wood. The apple tree was dead, it had been alive last season. It looks like wild grape vine and honeysuckle have choked it to death. I'm hoping some of the wood can be used this summer. However, I can be patient where Q is concerned and if it has to wait for the dry weather of fall so be it.

Jimbo I'm NCSU Class of '82. Go Pack!
 
Cut the logs/branches in 2-3" wide discs then split those in half. Store as many as you can in a dry environment, preferably A/C'd. The wait won't be too bad.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Cut the logs/branches in 2-3" wide discs then split those in half. Store as many as you can in a dry environment </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thom,

I recently got some pecan logs from my golf course. Branches were about 6 inches in diameter and I cut them into 2 1/2 to 3 inch slices on my chop saw, and then split each slice into 4 or 5 pieces with a hatchet. In two months they were obviously dry and okay to use,

I too am in NC and they dried fine in my garage (no AC).

Good luck,

Ray
 
Thanks Ray. I plan to loosely box the pieces cut as you recommended in my garage store room (the former homebrew capital of Youngsville).
 
Fresh (live) wood seems to dry pretty fast when sliced into 2" discs - I like to call em frisbees.

This year, I started using frisbees within two weeks of cutting them from a live tree with no bitter taste - I was totally surprised.

The frisbee is the first fuel I load into the fuel ring, then load the ring up for a minion method cook.
 
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