# Wood Too Dry???



## justpassingthru (Aug 23, 2011)

I was cleaning up my shop today and found a couple of sacks of mango and guava wood buried under stuff, it's dry, real dry, my question is can wood be too dry, it burns, but will it work in a low temp environment like a smoker?  

Gene


----------



## terry colwell (Aug 23, 2011)

Wood can not be to dry to burn, of course, but it can be to dry to give of flavor anymore. The longer it drys the less sap it has in it, and the sap is where you get the flavor from. Smell the wood, if it smalls like nothing it is most likely to dry. Also try soaking it and see if you get any flavor smell from it


----------



## Bearcarver (Aug 23, 2011)

Gene,

It is doubtful that the wood is lower in moisture than kiln dried wood, and many smokers use kiln dried wood.

Air dried wood can vary between 12% & 25% moisture content.

Kiln dried wood had the moisture forced out of it, and should be at about 6% to 8% moisture content.

I would do like Terry said----Give it a little burn/smoke test as is. Then soak some & try again. 

I would say it should be fine.  How much lower than 6% could it possibly be.

Just my 2¢,

Bear


----------



## justpassingthru (Aug 23, 2011)

Thanks Terry and Bear for the info, I'll take a Bear-view with the new camera and post it tonight to see what you think, I'll also drop some chunks in a pail of water and see what that does.

Gene


----------

