Fresh Wood Prep????

bozzscaggz · Joined: 30 Aug 2011 Posts: 2

Hey Guys,

I'm new to the forum. Great site. Anyhow my question is this. I had a cherry tree fall down in a storm. Since I began smoking food, I figure why chop it down and dump it when I can use it. So now I have a ton of this wood and want to use it. I have only one thing down and that is the seasoning process. I hear to let the wood sit outdoors for a whole year to dry up so I don't get Creosote burn from it being wet. So OK I have patience. Their are some things I would like to know:

1. Is the Seasoning process i said the correct amount of time?

2. Should I remove the bark or no?

3. Should I chunk the wood up first or let it dry for the year and leave it in log form?

4. Is there anything else I should do with this wood for prep? Thanks for the help.......

bozzscaggz · Joined: 30 Aug 2011 Posts: 2

Ok well I read seasoning time in post in another forum!

Seminole · Newbie Joined: 26 Feb 2005 Posts: 28

I don't think you need to wait the whole year. When it is dry, use it. When it is not completely dry you will hear a hissing sound-water droplets boiling. You will get the steam as well. Many people believe that soaked in water wood creates more smoke. Not true, it creates steam which looks like smoke.
Cutting log into smaller pieces will help to dry out wood faster.
Bark from many tree contains bitter substances, so a general rule is to remove it. Aspirin was made from a willow tree, quinine (used in tonic water) was made from quinine tree. Don't go into extremes, if it is hard to remove bark, leave it on. Cherry wood is one of the best woods available.