Smoking Wood Requirements

[Ron Pierce]

I understand that smoking wood should ideally be fresh wood, seasoned ~1 year, and not split until a few days before it's BTUs and aromatics are liberated.

I've seen White Oak and Red Oak chunks being offered for sale for smoking purposes, but that "Swamp Oak" (which I've never heard of) ends up tasting much like the swamp.

My questions are:
1) How critical is the 1 year of seasoning / drying?
2) I'm assuming the "split a few days before use" is marginal, or the wood chunks in a bag wouldn't be as popular.
3) If one finds a downed tree or pruned limbs from a (Pecan, Cherry, Apple, Maple, Oak, etc) tree, would kiln drying it accelerate the 1 year seasoning process? (Not charring it, just drying it faster, that is.)
4) Would you use Oak from a "Firewood for sale" kind of a vendor for smoking?

I've only found Hickory & Mesquite at my local big-box stores, and want to try some of the other stuff.

Thanks to all of you helpful folks for your assistance in educating us greenies. Even the mistakes tend to be tasty.

Thanks in advance,
Ron

 

[G Rose]

Ron,
I have not used kiln dried wood, but I hear it lacks flavor as far as the year of seasoning this is something I often question as when I worked for a bbq place that was quite good and had won several comps they bought wood that was about two months or less old. Now we only used wood for the smoker no char-coal so i don't know if that makes a differance, but that que was great. as far as the bagged wood goes I have had mixed results and do prefer the fresher wood. I buy split apple and peach from a local orchard and it works great but i usually split it more before use and saw it into chunks. hope this helps

 

[Jim Minion]

Ron
6 mos to 2 years is the ideal seasoning time for most woods. Spliting will help seasoning based on the size of logs you are talking about.

Kiln dried material is too dry and flavorless.

Chunks are fine for use in a WSM. It's hard to tell how long the bagged chunks have been down, I personelly never buy it.

I have a Klose that I cook on often and I find that wood down at least 9 mos gives me better burns. We use mainly apple and cherry.

Oak can be used, it depends on if you like the flavor you are getting from it.

Jim

 

[John Mason]

The drying process is dependent on the weather also. I wouldn't go much less than 6 months unless the pieces were small and the ambient temp was high and the humidity low, then maybe 4 months.

Downed trees or prunings are great, as well as "firewood for sale" IF you are sure of the identity of the wood. But I wouldn't rush the seasoning process too much.

I bought bag wood until the first of my cut wood was seasoned. Now I have a steady supply of apple and cherry. I still buy the bag wood to get hickory, cause it doesn't grow 'round these parts, but I make sure the wood keeps coming in, so even with the seasoning I keep a steady supply.