Burning wood

[roaster]

What type of wood do you burn in your cookers. I know you don't just burn your smoking wood.

[Gourmet-Gator]

I use oak for heat, oak is plentiful and save the good stuff for flavor!

[wnkt]

If all you burn is wood.......isnt it ALL smoking wood?
Sure you can add other woods for different flavors.
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[roaster]

do you buy by the cord or cut your own. Up here can get a load of green firewood for about 140.00 MIxed hardwood maple oak ash

[Bob M]

Any of that would be good, but you got to let it dry. I mean really dry. Down south, I let mine dry under the wood shed at least 8 months to 1 year depending to the size. Temps of 100 degrees are not uncommon during the summer so if it is split kinda small, it drys faster. I also heat with wood, so I always have 5-8 cords stacked. Just got to keep the rain off so it will cure. Read some of the posts around and you will see what happens when you burn green wood. Good luck, Bob

[roaster]

Thanks for the info. Will do a search on green wood. I am currentlt making a reverse flow smoker. Going to burn wood. Also thinking of maybe using gas.

http://usera.imagecave.com/roaster/smoker/

Scott

[BBQMAN]

Green wood, not good!

I burn straight logs, and use a log lighter, no charcoal. A reverse flow set-up will take more wood than a traditional offset.

I generally use oak and/or citrus fruitwood. I get it (almost) free from local tree services. We feed em' some ribs, and throw in a case or two of beer- gotta keep the tree guys happy!
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[Thomas P.]

Oak is best for coals, with pecan coming in a close second. You can use mesquite coals, but they burn hotter and burn out quicker. So, you have to get used to the temp of mesquite.

If you're cooking iwht straight wood, I would recommend burning down your first coal bed in the cooker, which will warm the cooker up nicely. After that, I would burn all my wood down to coals outside the cooker, and shovel them in. Just add whatever wood you're using for smoke straight to the cooker. If you put all your cold wood straight in the cooker, and expect it to burn down into coals, you'll over smoke your food.
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[roaster]

[quote If you put all your cold wood straight in the cooker, and expect it to burn down into coals, you'll over smoke your food.[/quote]

Very interesting. Never heard of that

[BBQMAN]

I burn straight logs, and do not go thru the burn barrell coals routine. I might also add that my wood is VERY DRY, and burns well (read clean) when added to an established fire with a bed of coals. My smoker is also very large, so straight logs may not work well for those with a smaller cooker!
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[Thomas P.]

[BBQMAN]

It's not the size of the cooker that matters, it's how well you use it!

You were lucky to have some family cooking techniques passed on to you Thomas!
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[gordo]

I burn 95% straight oak...cheap, makes good coals, and easy to find around my area....pecan is a second choice and sometimes mix it with the oak......
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[Bob M]

My cooker is 5ft by 24 in. Fire box is 24 in by 24 in. I usually start with lump to get started, and get a good bed of coals. Then use oak and hickory that has been in the woodshed at least a year. I try to keep the wood kinda close to the firebox to warm it some before burning it. From my experience, If you have a good bed of coals, and add 1 or two pieces at one time, you will have no problems. If you try and fill up the firebox at one time, you are gonna get a lot of excess smoke, because some the wood is going to smoulder, before it catches fire. Watch your stack. Light white to almost no smoke is good. Black, blue yellow, or anything dark is bad. This indicates a smoulder or incomplete burn. Usually from wood that is not dry enough, or trying to overfill the firebox at one time. Just my 2 cents worth. Bob

[NCBBQFAN]

Oak is all I use. It burns good and gives as good a flavor as any wood.

[Lewis & Herschel]

[Pointerman]

The dog in the picture looks like he is saying "is it done yet dad"

Sorry just thought it was funny....
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[Rub N Smoke]

I use B&B lump and Hickory for about the first 140- 150 degrees (on a brisket) then switch to Pecan and B&B for the rest of the time. My B&B is pre-burned Oak.
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[Lewis & Herschel]