Got Wood?


 
M

Mark B (azmark)

TVWBB Member
I have access (free) to a lot of different fresh woods and was curious is it safe to just use any wood right out of the ground? I can get peach, pecan, cherry, oak pretty freshly cut in large quantities.

I remember reading somewhere that mesquite or maybe it was hickory has to be aged for a few years to be used is this true?
 
Wood is considered seasoned in three to six months depending on who you talk to, but I've used fresh cut peachwood for pork shoulder with great results. I wouldn't recommend smoking or burning green nutwoods though, and I wouldn't use the green fruitwood for anything BUT pork BUTT, and maybe brisket. Green pecan smoke is supposedly so bad that it'll leave soot on the meat.

Regarding mesquite, I've always heard that the only reason that they use it in south Texas is that that's what they've got. I've used it for adding a little smoke when grilling steaks, though.
 
I believe Miron Mixon uses fresh cut peach, he says the sap adds a sweat flavor. I have also heard a few bbq joints who use green hickory and mesquite, it just leaves alot of sap and a film on the inside of the smoker.
 
Be careful though with fruit tree wood that comes from an orchard. Because of pesticides and other chemical use and such, it will be absorbed by the tree.

Don't wanna be smoking that stuff.
 
Mark,I've gotten a little bit of free smoke wood in the last year or so. I tried using some of the hickory before it was well seasoned in my WSM. The butt I was cooking tasted a little bitter. I used some more a couple months later and it tasted fantastic! I'd wait a least six months. I've got some pear wood that I can't use until November!
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mark B (azmark):
So when the term "seasoned" is used does that just mean dried? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes.. As far as I know.
If you want you're wood ready faster just cut to chunks. I store mine in the garage in cheap dollar store laundry baskets. Usually ready in 3-4 weeks in the summer. Someone posted that if you put green wood chunks in your attic it will be ready in maybe a week.
Never tried that meself.

Tim
 
I was able to get my hands on about a 1/4 cord of pecan that is from a friend that sells firewood up in the mountains nearby.

My question is if the size of the wood chunk matter? The cuts he had them are pretty much all logs, some about 2"x 8" and some split logs. I guess an example of my question would be if I would normally use 4 tennis size ball chunks can I instead use a log that is ballpark the equal size?
 
I would think the total actual amt of smoke generated with eitber chunks or a log with the same mass would be the same, except the chunks will burn through sooner. if you're doing a relatively fast cook, use chunks. if not, it doesn't matter if you use a log.
 
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