# Help identifying wood



## pmurano (Mar 7, 2021)

Hello, 
I got this wood to use on my offset and I need help identifying what it is and if it can be used to smoke meat with.
Thanks,
Patrick


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## indaswamp (Mar 7, 2021)

please post a picture of the bark as well....


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## indaswamp (Mar 7, 2021)

I also recommend burning a couple pieces and smelling the smoke....see if you can identify it that way.


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## pineywoods (Mar 8, 2021)

Looks to me like you are in California that might help someone identify it as well.


 flatbroke
  may have an idea he knows wood from that part of the US


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## forktender (Mar 8, 2021)

By the grain pic's the bark and the splits I'm about 99.9% sure that is CA Red Oak. I use Red Oak all the time for smoking, and I've literally cut down thousands of them for firewood. What part of CA are ya from that will help determine what it is as well. Or what part of CA did the wood come from?

This is a Red Oak cross section.





Below is Red Oak bark.







If you're on the CA coast it could be CA Live Oak as well but if I were betting on it, I'd stick with CA Red Oak which grows in the rolling hills in housing tracts across the State and on the coast right next to Live Oaks as well.

CA Live Oak bark is a little rougher looking.
.
	

		
			
		

		
	







I'm sticking with Red Oak and that's my final answer!!!

I hope this helps... If you live near the East Bay save me a few splits. Hahahaha.

Dan


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## danydany (Mar 8, 2021)

I bet it's red oak!


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## unclebubbas bbq (Mar 8, 2021)

It's Southern Yellow Pine, the bark is clear that it's a soft wood
Don't use this for smoking!!!!!!!


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## pmurano (Mar 8, 2021)

forktender said:


> By the grain pic's the bark and the splits I'm about 99.9% sure that is CA Red Oak. I use Red Oak all the time for smoking, and I've literally cut down thousands of them for firewood. What part of CA are ya from that will help determine what it is as well. Or what part of CA did the wood come from?
> 
> This is a Red Oak cross section.
> View attachment 488144
> ...


Thank you for the thorough response. I really appreciate the help. I’m from SoCal, I believe the wood came from Ventura area.


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## pmurano (Mar 8, 2021)

pineywoods said:


> Looks to me like you are in California that might help someone identify it as well.
> 
> 
> flatbroke
> may have an idea he knows wood from that part of the US





unclebubbas bbq said:


> It's Southern Yellow Pine, the bark is clear that it's a soft wood
> Don't use this for smoking!!!!!!!


Now this throws me off a little. What else tells you it’s southern pine? This should be from California.


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## forktender (Mar 8, 2021)

pmurano said:


> Now this throws me off a little. What else tells you it’s southern pine? This should be from California.


It would have pitch weeping in areas and smell distinctly like pine there would be no question it was pine if it's pine. ( I don't think it is) but could be wrong because it was hard to see the bark clearly. Post a picture of the bark on a good size piece if you can. Red  Oak, CA Black Oak, Coastal Live Oak, Interior Live Oak, Canyon Live Oak and CA Scrub Oaks trees grow From the western Sierra's all the way down too Baja in Southern SoCal.


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## pmurano (Mar 8, 2021)

forktender said:


> It would have pitch weeping in areas and smell distinctly like pine there would be no question it was pine if it's pine. ( I don't think it is) but could be wrong because it was hard to see the bark clearly. Post a picture of the bark on a good size piece if you can. Red  Oak, CA Black Oak, Coastal Live Oak, Interior Live Oak, Canyon Live Oak and CA Scrub Oaks trees grow From the western Sierra's all the way down too Baja in Southern SoCal.


Here are a couple more pictures, hope this helps.


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## JckDanls 07 (Mar 8, 2021)

Does kinda look like pine bark


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## pineywoods (Mar 9, 2021)

Doesn't really look like pine to me. The bark is kind of like pine but don't teally think it is and if it were it should have some sap or signs of it


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## unclebubbas bbq (Mar 9, 2021)

I have been in the woodworking business for 43 years, the bark tells me it's pine and the color and grain tells me it's southern yellow pine


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## chopsaw (Mar 9, 2021)

unclebubbas bbq said:


> the color and grain tells me it's southern yellow pine


I would agree . Pics in post 11 makes me think Southern Yellow pine , but when I  saw the pics in the first post , I thought Western Red Bud . Had some small pieces in the shop .


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## Murray (Mar 9, 2021)

Indaswamp is on the right track, you should be able to determine between conifer and deciduous by the smell of the smoke.  If the wood is green expose a couple of the butt ends to the sun and see  if any resin, not sap, starts to ooze out,  As a general rule pine trees produce resin and sap where deciduous trees produce sap only.  Cut the wood with a saw and give the freshly cut wood a sniff.


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## pineywoods (Mar 9, 2021)

As far as I know Southern Yellow Pine does not grow in California


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## Bearcarver (Mar 9, 2021)

If it was Pine In The Rough, it might look like this:






Bearcarver


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## pmurano (Mar 9, 2021)

Murray said:


> Indaswamp is on the right track, you should be able to determine between conifer and deciduous by the smell of the smoke.  If the wood is green expose a couple of the butt ends to the sun and see  if any resin, not sap, starts to ooze out,  As a general rule pine trees produce resin and sap where deciduous trees produce sap only.  Cut the wood with a saw and give the freshly cut wood a sniff.


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## pmurano (Mar 9, 2021)

Found this at the bottom of the pile


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## Murray (Mar 9, 2021)

Sticky and gooey? Looks to me like pine/spruce. I’d still burn some just to double check. If you can get your hands on some scrap 2X4’s pieces burn them also as a comparison.  Dimensional lumber is often pine/spruce both similar smell when burnt but way different than deciduous.  As I mentioned in a previous post run them through a saw and give them a sniff.  It’s so hard to identify wood through a computer screen, not being able feel , smell and even taste.


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## forktender (Mar 10, 2021)

Man that does look like pine bark in those pictures the pic. with the pitch kinda seals the deal for me. Pine it is, boy the other pics had me thinking oak for sure. Sorry man.
Dan


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