I need help identifying this wood

[jdsmith]

I went to my town's compost site last night to grab some wood for a camp fire. I grabbed some of this stuff too. Looks like the cut an entire tree down, there is quite a bit. The main stumps look to be as much as 24" in diameter. I'm thinking it is maple, and wouldn't mind using it for the smoker, but don't want to if it is something that is unsafe to burn? Can anybody help me out?

 

[oldschoolbbq]

I can't quite tell what it is, however you can take a piece and set it afire and smell it after it gets going good. From the rings and the little bark I see, it is similar to Maple.
The burn thingy will tell you. Look(smell) for sweet smoke.

 

[mballi3011]

I'm with you JD I think it's maple also. If I was you I think I would go back and get some more

 

[nate_46]

No expert, but it looks like my dad's silver maple tree.

 

[alx]

If its not silver mapple-it looks alot like the magnolia here-

Does magnolia grow in your parts....

 

[linescum]

what they said and if you can't use it in the smoker then you have camp wood so it's win-win

 

[DanMcG]

Heck to me it looks like apple. take it all, there are only a few woods you don't want to burn, and you'll know after you do a burn test if it smells good to you or not. A pic of a larger piece of wood might help with the ID

 

[jdsmith]

thanks folks for the input. I went out and moved the coals around from last night and got the fire going again. I stuck the end of one of these in and got it going. I think there was a sweet smell of sorts. Although like my buddy said, "it smells like burnt wood!" I'm thinking you need to have a bit of a trained nose. Personally, I thought it had a nice coffee grounds smell to it. I took a couple more pics. Judging by the moss/algae on some of it, I'll probably need to take the bark off.

 

[pops6927]

Judging by the moss/algae on some of it, I'll probably need to take the bark off.


No, shouldn't hurt a thing, it'll all burn just fine, just shows it got aged a bit! Happy smokes!