Using up excess wood chunks in WSM


 
J

Jennifer

TVWBB Member
So I recently bought 1/2 rick of pecan firewood for $30 here locally in Oklahoma.

I realized quickly after I got it that it is more firewood than I could use for just wood chunks I throw in with my charcoal. It would take several years to use it up and by that time it wont' be very good smoking wood.

I'd like to buy fresh firewood each year and will want to use up the old stuff as fuel.

Is it okay to pile it in the basket of the wsm, leaving it open to the air.. light it up and get it all burnt into coals then use it for barbecuing in the WSM?

e.g. A photo I just took:

20hn49s.jpg


Will this hurt the base of the WSM, if I leave it open and exposed to air? i.e. until the wood has turned into coals.
 
That's a lot of pecan. To be on the safe side, I wouldn't. I've read posts by guys who said they had started burning their porcelain coating off by repeatedly banking hot coals on one side of their weber kettle for indirect. So it might hurt your ring over time.

I'd probably use another grill or better yet, a drum with a shovel hole cut out of the bottom. You make a grate out of rebar to hold a fire, and then shovel out the coals that fall to the drum's bottom. A smaller drum, (25 gallon?) would probably be better.

I'd probably just get a stick burner though if I wanted to play with fire. :)
 
I don't think it will hurt the WSM but why don't you just get a fire pit and light a fire to enjoy to use up the extra wood?
 
We got our firepit on clearance at Target a few years ago. I use it mainly to put the chimney in when I don't use the Performer, though.
 
Sorry, I don't have one to recommend. I live in a rural area and digging a whole in the ground and putting some rocks around it was about all the money I was willing to spend on a fire pit. :D
 
My brother uses an old truck wheel at his campground. Works well , and it was free.
you can fancy it up by putting brick or stone around it , but basically it's just a steel bowl...
a6abfdfe401c9d77083c4a7bbcc18c1c_zps9ff4a755.jpg
 
Last edited:
Here is a fire pit I've been thinking about making http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/$50-fire-pit-tree-rings-zb0z1307zhla.aspx
 
Jennifer said:
So I recently bought 1/2 rick of pecan firewood for $30 here locally in Oklahoma.

I realized quickly after I got it that it is more firewood than I could use for just wood chunks I throw in with my charcoal. It would take several years to use it up and by that time it wont' be very good smoking wood.

I'd like to buy fresh firewood each year and will want to use up the old stuff as fuel.

Is it okay to pile it in the basket of the wsm, leaving it open to the air.. light it up and get it all burnt into coals then use it for barbecuing in the WSM?

e.g. A photo I just took:

20hn49s.jpg


Will this hurt the base of the WSM, if I leave it open and exposed to air? i.e. until the wood has turned into coals.
Click to expand...

So, did it work? I think the charcoal ring would protect the sides of the WSM from direct heat. I've done this before with old chunks in my OTG for grilling. Lite a chimney full and let that burn down to coals. Takes awhile but it did work.

Tim
 
timothy said:
So, did it work? I think the charcoal ring would protect the sides of the WSM from direct heat. I've done this before with old chunks in my OTG for grilling. Lite a chimney full and let that burn down to coals. Takes awhile but it did work.

Tim
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be worried about the sides of the wsm bowl. It might not ever have any effect on it, but I was wondering how the charcoal ring would hold up. Porcelain coating and shape, that is.
 
Dave Russell said:
I wouldn't be worried about the sides of the wsm bowl. It might not ever have any effect on it, but I was wondering how the charcoal ring would hold up. Porcelain coating and shape, that is.
Click to expand...

Yea maybe a homemade ring out of expanded metal would be better, but still curious if it did work for Jennifer.

Tim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top