# Seasoning wood



## charles1056 (Jan 23, 2008)

Maybe this is an obvious for some, but I was wondering about seasoning wood.  I know it has to dry for several months prior to using it, but it there anything else involved in the seasoning process?  I have access to pecan and am currently drying some for smoking, so would appreciate any further info on this from the forum.


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## bassman (Jan 23, 2008)

You should dry if off the ground (such as stacked on 2X4s) to let air circulate.  Probably don't want moldy wood!
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






            Keith


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## walking dude (Jan 23, 2008)

i would think you would want to stack it like they do for fireplaces..........so air can circulate around and thru the wood stack.....


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## smok'n steve (Jan 23, 2008)

The wife wanted a fence, so I build one for her every year, then.........I burn it when it is the season!!!!


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## ds7662 (Jan 23, 2008)

I like just salt and pepper on mine


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## capt dan (Jan 23, 2008)

Steve, looks like ya got a good start on it there!


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## smok'n steve (Jan 23, 2008)

Realistically, I should have the top covered to keep the moisture off it to properly season it, but at the end of the summers, I move my art work under cover and make a different "fence" and start all over.  

Seriously, there are sites on the i-net on  proper ways to dry wood.  I tried to find my favorite site, but couldn't.  It is amazing the difference in btu-s compared to wet and dry.  Believe it or not, all wood has the same btu rating when dry, but its the weight or density that delivers the most bang for the buck.  Example, Cherry is much heavier than Poplar, so it takes less to keep the house or smoker warm , whatever.  If one were to try to heat a house with pine, it might take 3 cords more than with oak.

Seasoning wood is best done in a shed with vented or open style walls and a roof:-)

Steve


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## nh3b's (Jan 24, 2008)

So, is this like saying a dryed piece of say....Shagbark Hickory is equivilent to White Pine? When Dry?


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## nh3b's (Jan 24, 2008)

Ive never seen a blue flame off of a dryed log of pine


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## richtee (Jan 24, 2008)

Nice flag.


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## zapper (Jan 24, 2008)

Steve;

That is beautiful!  And I am not a man that uses the word "beautiful" very often. If you have any other pics of the like from different veiws or projects I would like to see them. Thanks


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## smok'n steve (Jan 24, 2008)

As far as BTU's go, From what I understand, if all wood is at the same dryness(obviously, water is heavy), and you burn it, it has the same btu rating per pound, so 1 cord of hickory may weigh 4000lbs, and one cord of pine might weigh 1000lbs, so one would have to burn 4 cords of pine to get the same heat as the hickory.  But technically, BTUS are the same for wood per pound-----I THINK___some one should google it to get the stats.

In short, if you know your would is all dry and you don't know the different kinds of wood you have, (if dry)  the heavy piece will yield more heat:-)


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## zapper (Jan 24, 2008)

So, is a pound of Ironwood heavier than a pound of Cottonwood?


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## smok'n steve (Jan 24, 2008)

What about feather wood?

Hi Zapper, Thanks for kind words, I will try to get another pic of that woodpile for ya,

Steve


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## walking dude (Jan 24, 2008)

HAHAHAHAHA.........you funny................

that joke is older than me..........hehehe


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## zapper (Jan 24, 2008)

http://www.chimneysweeponline.com/howood.htm



There are other sites, but this was the first that popped up.



I wish I could find mt little black refference book


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## smok'n steve (Jan 24, 2008)

Here 2 more pictures, I wish I could find my other pictures, I have done 8 or 9 years worth of different wood pile styles and creations.  Kind of one of those things, I enjoy doing it but I don't always take good pictures:-)


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## zapper (Jan 24, 2008)

Cool.

I am gonna have to get a firewood processor just so I can start stacking cordwood cabins and the like.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	








And for Walking Dude....

If a rooster laid an egg.....
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	






I got a million of them.....

..........Unfortunately they don't get any better!


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## bwsmith_2000 (Jan 24, 2008)

Steve's got the answer for you. 

Seasoning wood is best done in a shed with vented or open style walls and a roof:-)

Steve

A long time ago, we heated with wood and that's exactly the way we did it. Protect it from the elements, allow ventilation and time. Good luck.


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## philthysmoker (Jan 24, 2008)

Nice Stack Steve!!!


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## nh3b's (Jan 24, 2008)

I had a chart saved that listed the BTU's of wood per cord. I dont know what happend to it but I will try and find it. Amongst the leaders, from what I remember, Shagbark hickory was #2 with a staggering 30,000 BTU's or something like that. It was actually # 2 with the highest BTU rating. I think pine came in at 6000.

What determines the weight in dryed wood is how porus a wood is. The tighter the grain, the heaver the wood. Hickory by far is 1 tough customer and if you ever split it, your shoulders will let you know! I guess thats why baseball bats are made from hickory. 

While i understand what your saying, I disagree with your pound for pound theory. Again, Ive never seen a blue flame off any pine at a bonfire.


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## smok'n steve (Jan 24, 2008)

See the enclosed link, I also copied the sentence below from the link:-) 

"Energy content is measured in British Thermal Units, better known as BTU's. Different types of firewood all have the same amount of BTU's per pound, but since they are not all equally dense, they vary considerably in the amount of BTU's available per cord."

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/i...tfirewood.html


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## nh3b's (Jan 25, 2008)

I suppose a good expieriment would be get a couple pounds of oak/hickory and a couple pounds of pine light them the same way and take a temp when the flames are the same hieght and equivilent.

Not that Id ever burn pine for smoking, but, I enjoy burning wood. wheather it is at a bonfire/party or to cook with. I find this statement intriging.


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