Wood Old or New

[Dan C]

Do you use your wood chunks when they get old. Do they want to be be some what green or seasoned like firewood?
If they get old and well seasoned with no moisture in them do they burn to fast and add little smoke?
My wood is getting a little old and I don't see as much smoke flavor in the meat.

 

[Bob Mann]

Good question. I use seasoned wood chunks.

 

[Mike Leiter]

I`m not a smoker novice but I have read in forums and other that when fruit wood gets older it does lose the moisture inside. This results in less of the true wood flavor being released in the moisture burn off and a faster burning wood. I had read at this website the old wood theory and storing of wood for best use...Not sure if its marketing hype or true to fact...They said they same really doesn't apply to non fruit woods..
http://www.fruitawoodchunks.com/stfrwoch.html

 

[Paul H]

DAn, I've had some hickory for almost 15 years. I keep them in a covered storage bucket and dry. I imagine they don't smoke as well as freshly "seasoned" wood but it's good enough for me

 

[timothy]

With older dryer wood I find I need to add more to get the schmoke flavour that I like. Wood with the right moisture content requires less amounts IME. But it's all about personal tastes.. some are quite happy using pellet shooters which is just compressed sawdust with zero moisture.

Tim

 

[Dan C]

Thanks I guess I just have to add more wood. I never tried the pellets. There is an old polish kielbasi store around the corner. They still smoke everything them selves. He told me he uses a blend from Wisconsin. I'm pretty sure he said it was a compressed sawdust mixture.

 

[Mike Leiter]

While we are on the topic... Found a person nearby that just took down a Maple tree. Its a nice tree and non diseased. I was thinking of getting a bunch of hockey puck diameter sized logs and letting them dry out and using for the smoker. They also have some sections about 4" thick and 20" across the trunk I was thinking of getting also. Planned on then trimming off cut edges due to chainsaw oil exposing fresh edge and then drying and splitting....
How long should you season wood before using it? Would this wood be safe to use??

 

[timothy]

In your area hockey pucks shouldn't take long (depending on the diameter), maybe a month or so for maple.
I would save the branches and cut as needed and season the same.
A quick way to season is stashing some up in the attic. the hot air in the roof line speeds the drying..

Tim

 

[Mike Leiter]

Well this is some of what I came home with and have more of the same still in my truck and some for a neighbor who has a smoker too. Plan on cutting the logs into puck size pieces and just splitting the rounds down. This should be fresh for awhile after it dries out some.

Dan C....Sorry to sidetrack your thread a bit

 

[Roger R.]

While we are on the topic... Found a person nearby that just took down a Maple tree. Its a nice tree and non diseased. I was thinking of getting a bunch of hockey puck diameter sized logs and letting them dry out and using for the smoker. They also have some sections about 4" thick and 20" across the trunk I was thinking of getting also. Planned on then trimming off cut edges due to chainsaw oil exposing fresh edge and then drying and splitting....
How long should you season wood before using it? Would this wood be safe to use??

Mike,
I've use Maple a number of times and all of it was at least 1 year air cured.
I use it in our wood stove so I've always got plenty on hand, but always
at least 1 year since it was "split", not just fell.