# Storage Options - Smoking Wood - Ideas



## Sal Barsanti (Sep 1, 2018)

Just wondering how folks store their smoking wood? I have a decent about of chopped cherry wood (all dry) in my garage and now have even more split oak that needs to dry. I have the wood in the tall leaf bags (paper) and some cardboard boxes.

Just wondering how everyone stores their wood chunks? Up high on shelves? In boxes or bags? Mesh/wire fencing baskets?

I'll be bringing down an apple tree soon and really want to figure out a good way to store this wood.  I'll have a lot and want to keep it clean, dry and separated.

Oak







Oak






Cherry





Thanks much.


----------



## RiversideSm0ker (Sep 1, 2018)

Ha I keep my wood in the bags that I bought from the store. There aren’t any trees around me to fell. I find that Walmart and Home Depot give me all the choices that I need. I’ve been thinking of getting some plastic drawers to put out by my smoker. I think it would be handy for my purpose.

George


----------



## Sal Barsanti (Sep 1, 2018)

I was wondering about large plastic totes.  But, what about air flow? Would that be a concern? We need to keep the wood dry, right? But that would be a good way to do it. I could stack plastic totes or put them up on a shelf.


----------



## dave schiller (Sep 2, 2018)

Deleted


----------



## Hank R (Sep 2, 2018)

I keep mine in the plastic totes, but I used a hole saw and cut 3 holes on each end and 5 on each side.


----------



## dave schiller (Sep 2, 2018)

I have a VERY dry basement and store my wood there on a simple frame of 2x3 boards and a wire wrack that pirated from my wife.  Moisture content reads 8% on my meter.


----------



## Sal Barsanti (Sep 2, 2018)

i have cut most of my smoking into chunks, similar to what you buy in the bags at the hardware store. I like this setup, but might need to do totes.


----------



## chopsaw (Sep 2, 2018)

I keep mine in totes outside under a covered patio . No holes it the totes . I don't want bugs in there . Chumks were dried first .


----------



## Sal Barsanti (Sep 2, 2018)

Thanks for the comments Copsaw.

I am getting a new shed delivered in a couple weeks. I could keep my wood chunks in totes in the shed, I guess. Either that or the garage.

How long do you keep wood? A year or two? Longer?


----------



## chopsaw (Sep 2, 2018)

I cut down a hickory tree 2 years ago  for fire wood . Cut some into chunks . Still have some .


----------



## js0813 (Sep 3, 2018)

Hank R said:


> I keep mine in the plastic totes, but I used a hole saw and cut 3 holes on each end and 5 on each side.



Same idea here...I usually use sticks/split logs, but got a bunch of hickory and cherry in milk crates to dry and season.


----------



## phatbac (Sep 3, 2018)

I have a large wood pile outside with a tarp over it. I need to split it up better so after splitting I'm going to transfer to a log rack I bought on Amazon.

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


----------



## js0813 (Sep 3, 2018)

phatbac said:


> I'm going to transfer to a log rack I bought on Amazon.





 phatbac
 what rack did you go with? Just wondering if you got it up and how you like it. I probably should invest in one...


----------



## archeryrob (Sep 5, 2018)

I use pressure treated 2x4's and make racks 6' tall and 8' long and about 1' wide. Top logs keep the rain off the pile or you can tarp it.

I store my house firewood under the deck in the same racks. I added metal roof to the bottom of the joist as it drains away from the house. I added gutter to catch the rain and run it away from the wood. Perfect dry storage.


----------



## Sal Barsanti (Sep 5, 2018)

So you keep your smoking wood in firewood length, right? I've been cutting mine into chunks. So I have been viewing this as crates, tubs, wire mesh, etc.

Thanks for the feedback.


----------



## phatbac (Sep 5, 2018)

js0813 said:


> phatbac
> what rack did you go with? Just wondering if you got it up and how you like it. I probably should invest in one...


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZHKLD4/?tag=smokingmeatforums-20
I haven't got it up yet I'm waiting for a splitter to split my pile then  we'll load it up.

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)


----------



## phathead69 (Sep 27, 2018)




----------



## Edward Bauer (Sep 27, 2018)

dave schiller said:


> I have a VERY dry basement and store my wood there on a simple frame of 2x3 boards and a wire wrack that pirated from my wife.  Moisture content reads 8% on my meter.


Very nice


----------



## Boardtowndawg (Dec 11, 2018)

Just found this thread and I was interested.  Any of y’all that keep your splits in plastic totes with the holes cut in them,  did you have problems with termites being attracted to them?  I wanted to do the same but didn’t want to unnecessarily attract termites that close to my house.


----------



## Sal Barsanti (Dec 13, 2018)

Boardtowndawg said:


> Just found this thread and I was interested.  Any of y’all that keep your splits in plastic totes with the holes cut in them,  did you have problems with termites being attracted to them?  I wanted to do the same but didn’t want to unnecessarily attract termites that close to my house.



I have my wood chunks in paper leaf bags. I have thought about moving some of it to plastic totes,  but haven't done it. 

I have a couple leaf bags full of oak, cherry, red apple and yellow apple. Probably a little too much for my use. Not sure how many years I can keep the wood dry, clean, free of issues.


----------



## archeryrob (Dec 14, 2018)

I do not live in a heavy termite area as the deep south is, but I do know that termites will not have a colony where there are ants. Termite guards are there just for killing the lone ants that find their colonies. Once one reports back with a termite food source they overwhelm the termite colony and kill and eat them. If a termite lands on your firewood and tries to start a colony and ants are around they will kill and eat them before they establish.

The only bad thing is ants populate the firewood, lay eggs, crawl all over your arms when trying to get wood. I don't notice the ants adding or making any taste difference to the smoke flavor though. ;)

We also have feed bags and I store bark in them for fire starting. Its woven plastic like tarps, but not sealed. They would work awesome for chunk storage. I get them when buying corn for deer at the feed store.


----------



## Sal Barsanti (Dec 14, 2018)

i like the idea of feed bags for storage. The paper leaf bags rip eventually.   wouldn't have that problem with the feed bags.


----------



## archeryrob (Dec 14, 2018)

Would you look at that, I mean, would you look at that. (joke) Someone will post that video, I'm sure. 

Amazon sells feed bags, about $1 each


----------

