Will Erskine
New member
I use wood chunks almost exclusively when cooking with my WSM. I generally use Weber Firespice Wood Chunks, Hickory most often as I live in Canada. The full line of Weber products is not available here in Ontario. Most of the Weber BBQs and such are available and some of the accessories and wood products but not the full line. Anyhow, I am interested in using more than just hickory, and in finding sources of wood for less than the cost of prepackaged wood chunks. A bag of Firespice Wood Chunks is $12 here in Ontario.
This brings me to the heart of this post. At what stage of the drying process should wood be when using it for smoking? Should it be seasoned for at least one full year like when buying wood for burning in a fireplace? My brother has some trees on his property in Nova Scotia that he could cut some branches off of, or if wind knocks them down, cut up for burning. He also has several Weber BBQs. I've heard to knock off the bark and cut into fist sized pieces. He has identified several of the species and says he's going to send my parents back with some oak for sure and also some maple and perhaps other species as well. Let me be clear, I'm not suggesting using just any old wood without knowing what is is.
Can wood be to wet to cook with, not from soaking mind you, but as in too little time since freshly cut. Also, can wood be too seasoned (Dry)? When I look at the pieces of wood in the firespice bag, they are very dry in my opinion.
I watched BBQ Pitmasters last year and I believe that I heard that Myron Nixon uses freshly cut down peach wood branches. These clearly haven't been dried at all. Is this common to use freshly cut down wood.
Also related to using wood for smoking meat, has anyone tried wood from a plum tree. Half of my parent's plum tree fell down last year, and I cut it up with a chainsaw and stacked it beside their house. My Dad just purchased a WSM and claims to have used some of it and liked the results. Where there's my answer right?? Well I thought I'd ask just to see what you all thought.
Sorry for the long post. All advice would be appreciated.
Bill.
London, Ontario
This brings me to the heart of this post. At what stage of the drying process should wood be when using it for smoking? Should it be seasoned for at least one full year like when buying wood for burning in a fireplace? My brother has some trees on his property in Nova Scotia that he could cut some branches off of, or if wind knocks them down, cut up for burning. He also has several Weber BBQs. I've heard to knock off the bark and cut into fist sized pieces. He has identified several of the species and says he's going to send my parents back with some oak for sure and also some maple and perhaps other species as well. Let me be clear, I'm not suggesting using just any old wood without knowing what is is.
Can wood be to wet to cook with, not from soaking mind you, but as in too little time since freshly cut. Also, can wood be too seasoned (Dry)? When I look at the pieces of wood in the firespice bag, they are very dry in my opinion.
I watched BBQ Pitmasters last year and I believe that I heard that Myron Nixon uses freshly cut down peach wood branches. These clearly haven't been dried at all. Is this common to use freshly cut down wood.
Also related to using wood for smoking meat, has anyone tried wood from a plum tree. Half of my parent's plum tree fell down last year, and I cut it up with a chainsaw and stacked it beside their house. My Dad just purchased a WSM and claims to have used some of it and liked the results. Where there's my answer right?? Well I thought I'd ask just to see what you all thought.
Sorry for the long post. All advice would be appreciated.
Bill.
London, Ontario
