# seasoned or fresh cut wood



## amigo4182 (Mar 25, 2013)

ok i have never used fresh cut wood to smoke with but i here that your suppose to use it over the dried out seasoned wood...is this true?

my seasoned wood chucks work but i would like to make sure im doing it right,to get the best taste....and i keep hereing from many many ppl that im suppose to use fresh cut wood.......umm so please help....lol


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## show me smoke (Mar 25, 2013)

I only seasoned wood that has been dried for a year..  I only use wood on one of my smokers, and a large percentage of wood on my other offset.  I get plenty of smoke,  green wood makes bad tasting smoke.


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## sidpost (Mar 25, 2013)

I have read in other areas of the forum that you want partially seasoned/dried out wood that still has some moisture to it.  Having burned a lot of wood in a fireplace, I can tell you that some of the smoke was really nasty and I was glad most of it went up the chimney and not into the living room.  Other times, it was nice and sweet and I would close the damper a bit to fill the house with that pleasant aroma.


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## dward51 (Mar 25, 2013)

dry/seasoned is the way to go.  Fresh cut or green wood *WILL* make nasty tasting white smoke which is not what you want.  Seasoned a year is best, but it depends on how it was stored (you may be able to season for less time).


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## 05sprcrw (Mar 26, 2013)

I am another vote for seasoned wood and prefer it to be seasoned a year if possible.


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## bruno994 (Mar 26, 2013)

Seasoned...


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## smokinclt (Mar 26, 2013)

Seasoned for sure. Not super dry but seasoned. If its not quite there yet i will cut into split sizes I need/want the day before and fire up the propane side of my chargriller and throw the splits in the grill with 2 outside burners on low and let it get done sizzling. Basically you dont want all that sappy moisture it creates the nasty stuff. Then when getting the Lang up to temp I place a bunch in the grill and a bunch on the FireBox and works out great. Kinda like a kiln dry session at home.

Doug


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## izaguf (Apr 8, 2013)

smokinclt said:


> Seasoned for sure. Not super dry but seasoned. If its not quite there yet i will cut into split sizes I need/want the day before and fire up the propane side of my chargriller and throw the splits in the grill with 2 outside burners on low and let it get done sizzling. Basically you dont want all that sappy moisture it creates the nasty stuff. Then when getting the Lang up to temp I place a bunch in the grill and a bunch on the FireBox and works out great. Kinda like a kiln dry session at home.
> 
> Doug


I agree with seasoned. I have a feed sack full of maple "Pucks" we made. Just cut smaller pieces of maple, cut them into 2-3" thick pucks and chop and add as needed. 













IMG_00000116.jpg



__ izaguf
__ Apr 8, 2013


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## 1905 (Jul 3, 2013)

smokinclt said:


> Seasoned for sure. Not super dry but seasoned. If its not quite there yet i will cut into split sizes I need/want the day before and fire up the propane side of my chargriller and throw the splits in the grill with 2 outside burners on low and let it get done sizzling. Basically you dont want all that sappy moisture it creates the nasty stuff. Then when getting the Lang up to temp I place a bunch in the grill and a bunch on the FireBox and works out great. Kinda like a kiln dry session at home.




I tried the method of placing sticks just inside the door, as the main fire is burning, so that as wood is added it automatically lights and keeps the temps more constant. It seemed to work well, but I think that next time I will keep my fuel wood in larger pieces because the smaller stuff, after sitting inside the firebox drying, makes it so that I needed to add a stick every 45 mins or less.
My question is, if you are pre drying the fuel wood, does that reduce the moisture that people suggest comes from fuel wood as its added? Should I be using a water vessel inside to compensate for the moisture loss from drying my wood?


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## cliffcarter (Jul 4, 2013)

1905 said:


> I tried the method of placing sticks just inside the door, as the main fire is burning, so that as wood is added it automatically lights and keeps the temps more constant. It seemed to work well, but I think that next time I will keep my fuel wood in larger pieces because the smaller stuff, after sitting inside the firebox drying, makes it so that I needed to add a stick every 45 mins or less.
> My question is, if you are pre drying the fuel wood, does that reduce the moisture that people suggest comes from fuel wood as its added?* Should I be using a water vessel inside to compensate for the moisture loss from drying my wood?*


No, you do not need to add a water pan to your offset. Heating the water will consume fuel meant for cooking the meat. The moisture content of seasoned wood is minimal and will not have much, if any, effect on the humidity inside the main chamber.


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## 1905 (Jul 7, 2013)

Do you think that by taking the effort to stack the firebox with pieces to get hot and dry, that when you use those cinder hot pieces, it's possible to close the intake vents without the risk of white smoke?...


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## cliffcarter (Jul 7, 2013)

1905 said:


> Do you think that by taking the effort to stack the firebox with pieces to get hot and dry, that when you use those cinder hot pieces,* it's possible to close the intake vents without the risk of white smoke?...*


At times, yes. But what you really want is a small hot, clean burning fire, so most of the time your intake vents will be open to provide enough air to maintain said fire.


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## tsquared bbq (Jul 12, 2013)

its a wonderful art, no?

Small hot fire with wide open vents is one way to cook, others here will tell you to get a basket, fill it as full as possible with charcoal and light one small area, controlling temps with airflow. Its like working on a Windows machine, there is more than one way to accomplish the mission.

Seems to me I saw Myron saying once that they only use 'cut yesterday' peach wood. Personally I blame that statement for the lack of available Peach wood in Denver :-)

Tsquared only uses well seasoned wood, mostly burning lump tho. Oak and Pecan are our primary woods. 

We are also experimenting with a water vessel right in the path of the heat as it exits the firebox. I put a high temp sensor on the container, when the temp skyrockets I know we are dry and its time to add water. Copper tubing and a radiator drain cock and viola, fresh water flows to where its needed. (its a new drain cock, don't even go there ) :-) I am finding that this does increase fuel consumption, but for meat that needs moisture its a great add. When I put chicken on the pit, I always fill 'er up. We then finish up with super tender skin. Briskets, butts and ribs...not so much.

I am figuring on a good elk harvest this year, I expect game will need the moisture, can't say yet. Never done it.....

--T


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## cliffcarter (Jul 14, 2013)

Tsquared BBQ said:


> Seems to me I saw Myron saying once that they only use 'cut yesterday' peach wood...
> 
> We are also experimenting with a water vessel right in the path of the heat as it exits the firebox... I am finding that this does increase fuel consumption...
> 
> --T


Good Ol' Myron cooks at 350°-375° using charcoal for heat and green peach wood for flavor in his water smokers, not the typical "low and slow" approach.

If you can absorb the cost of using more fuel to cook on your pit and you like the result, that's great.


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## ribwizzard (Jul 15, 2013)

350 - 375, are you sure its not 250 - 275?


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## cliffcarter (Jul 15, 2013)

Ribwizzard said:


> 350 - 375, are you sure its not 250 - 275?


That's what he claimed on the first season of Pitmasters. If you've watched him light his fire you'd believe it. His smokers are made to cook with high heat and a water pan keeping the cook chamber moist. He cooks butts in 5-6 hours and gets plenty of sleep at night because he doesn't have to tend a fire cooking low and slow.


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## michael ark (Jul 15, 2013)

My wife grandpa worked for armor food they used green hickory . I like sesoned wood myself.


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## tsquared bbq (Jul 16, 2013)

seems to me I saw at least one of those shows where his team had a night cook

When is reality not real? When its on a TV Show, especially one that has to sell ad impressions. To my mind, there is no way that anyone who has an income stream that all starts with the words "Winningest Man in BBQ" is gonna give away such a major move like that. Love his public persona for sure, but money is really money.

I could see him saying use 'agave instead of honey' but a total strategic change? Not and still sell tickets to his classes. 

more of my 2 cents, your pessimism  may vary :-) and really I mean no disrespect

--T


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## michief (Jul 16, 2013)

Myron does most of his cooks at 350 - 375 per his book Smoking. We can't post the link but it is a good read and available on Amazon.


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## tsquared bbq (Jul 16, 2013)

well, no kiddin....

see I run my mouth, someone slaps me down, thats how I seem to learn best :-)


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## michief (Jul 16, 2013)

No slap down intended...lol

Myron don't don't do anything the normal way as near as I can tell.


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## ribwizzard (Jul 16, 2013)

I find it hard to believe, running at 375 for the entire cook.........It just don't add up to me. And I'm not one of those ultra low heat cooks either, 275-300* is usually where you will see my smokers running, higher on chicken, and when finishing the ribs.....but doing a Butt at 375, its hard to imagine it having much of a smoke ring, and not getting too crispy on the outside.anything much more than 300* starts to create a barrier crust that will not allow any more smoke penetration.......


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## michief (Jul 16, 2013)

I thought the same - he also wants 3-4 hours FTC after so in a comp he has limited time.

If I could post a link there are several places he discusses this online


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## ribwizzard (Jul 16, 2013)

has anyone tasted the food?


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## tsquared bbq (Jul 19, 2013)

thats the big question, no?


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## cliffcarter (Jul 19, 2013)

Ribwizzard said:


> I find it hard to believe, running at 375 for the entire cook.........It just don't add up to me. And I'm not one of those ultra low heat cooks either, 275-300* is usually where you will see my smokers running, higher on chicken, and when finishing the ribs.....but doing a Butt at 375, its hard to imagine it having much of a smoke ring, and not getting too crispy on the outside.anything much more than 300* starts to create a barrier crust that will not allow any more smoke penetration.......


Whether the meat does or does not have a smoke ring is not part of the judging criteria in BBQ comps.

I do not know where you came up with your statement on a crust forming at high temps that does not allow smoke penetration, I always get plenty of smoke flavor on my turkey burgers and they are liberally coated with rub and seared over very hot lump and grilled indirect at 450°-500° and the maple I use for smoke flavor always does its job.

Myron Mixon's butts do not get too crispy because his smokers have a large capacity water pan, the steam creates a moist environment.

If you have a Netflix account I believe they still have the first season of BBQ Pitmasters on there, you can watch it for yourself, Episode 1 I believe.


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## bama bbq (Jul 19, 2013)

I use seasoned wood.  When trimming the peach and plum trees I put them under a cedar tree for a year before I start using them. 

BTW: You can buy a cooker from Myron. You take a class on how to use it when you get it.


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## ribwizzard (Jul 20, 2013)

> Whether the meat does or does not have a smoke ring is not part of the judging criteria in BBQ comps.
> 
> I do not know where you came up with your statement on a crust forming at high temps that does not allow smoke penetration, I always get plenty of smoke flavor on my turkey burgers and they are liberally coated with rub and seared over very hot lump and grilled indirect at 450°-500° and the maple I use for smoke flavor always does its job.
> 
> ...


I think its a regional thing, before joining this forum I was limited in my exposure to the BBQ culture with what I grew up with, and what we here judge as the quality of true Q.  What we may turn our nose's up at , others may consider to be the "bomb". The same is true with just about all cuisine, right? Whats true pizza, Ny or Chicago? BBQ is even more regional, Texas style, Memphis style, Carolina style, and on and on.

Its just that , if what y'all are telling me about his cooking methods is accurate, it would be impossible for him to produce, what we here would consider award winning BBQ. But my buddy from N.Y. might go crazy about it. 

And I know that I've fallen short on here when it comes to posting pics of food, its just the camera is the last thing your worried about when you have a mob of hungry friends ready to eat, but I promise when my current build is done , I'm going to stop building for a while and start doing some cooking so I can start representing "Tampa style Q" on here. OK?


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## blackout (Jul 28, 2013)

I just got a Char-Broil vertical yesterday and plan on seasoning it and using it within the next week.

Does soaking the wood (in water or apple juice, etc) for any period of time prior to your cook have any effect? And if I'm understanding some of ya'll you're suggesting NOT to use water in the water pan???

Any tips, suggestions, etc would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance


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## cliffcarter (Jul 28, 2013)

Blackout said:


> ...Does soaking the wood (in water or apple juice, etc) for any period of time prior to your cook have any effect...


Keep your wood dry.

Soaking wood will have an effect if you soak it long enough to change its internal moisture content, this means soaking dry, seasoned wood for at least 4 days in order to raise the internal moisture content any significant amount. I personally see no sense to soaking wood for a long slow cook- temps from 225° to 300°+, the chunks take too long to start smoking because of the increased water content and if they are sitting in or on charcoal briquettes the moisture may actually keep the briquettes from burning efficiently. Soaking wood chunks does make a bit of sense if you are grilling over a hot charcoal fire, the water soaked wood will smoke for a longer time than dry wood, but in the end it is not worth soaking for 4 days IMHO.


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