How is chunk wood prepared?

[Guest]

I keep seeing people talk about buying and using chunks of wood rather than briquettes, especially cherry wood. As I have 2 pie cherry trees that constantly need limbing, how exactly is chunk wood prepared? 1) bark on or off? 2) optimal dimensions for WSM? 3) how long to season before use?

Also, I see a lot of talk about cherry, hickory , apple etc, but don't recall any mention of soft maple. Is maple not good for cooking?

Jonathan, Portland OR

 

[Bryan S]

Here you go

 

[C. Howlett]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jonathan Wexler:
I keep seeing people talk about buying and using chunks of wood rather than briquettes, especially cherry wood. As I have 2 pie cherry trees that constantly need limbing, how exactly is chunk wood prepared? 1) bark on or off? 2) optimal dimensions for WSM? 3) how long to season before use?

Also, I see a lot of talk about cherry, hickory , apple etc, but don't recall any mention of soft maple. Is maple not good for cooking?

Jonathan, Portland OR </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey Johathan:

Woods are primarily used as smoking agents NOT as the primary heat source, i.e. you need a heat source AND wood chunks. Briquettes and hardwood charcoal produce little smoke. The smoke from wood chunks is what adds smoke flavoring to your meat.

You have cherry trees? You lucky dog! Cut those branches while they're soft and green and split them into chunks. Let them season for a year or 2 and fire 'em up! Oh and maple is a great wood type.

 

[tjkoko]

Someone gave me some pecan branches that had been chopped down and setting on the ground for over a year. I then sectioned all of the branches and split them. Left all of the chunks lying on the front porch without any thoughts as to post-processing the dump.

Six months on the porch have left them split all of the way down the middle along with the bark separating from the core. Personally I use all of the branch - branch and core.

 

[Bryan S]

If using you limbs then cut and split as C. Howlett mentioned but since they are cut split and in small chunks you can use them after 3 months of drying. If left whole in branch form 1-3" across 6 months of drying and if in log form say 6-8" across 1 year of drying. Plus it's easier to split when green verses dry. The smaller you you chunk them the sooner you can use them, but don't go too small to where you make chips. I make mine anywhere between 1-2"x1-2"x 3-4" long