Wood-Too Old to smoke with?

[ConrodM]

I live in central Florida and have several wood storage racks. The oldest logs that I’ve been splitting have lost their wood fiber/strands and look more like cork. The wood wasn’t split while green but left as whole logs cut to manageable lengths. The moisture content of these are 40% & Up!
1. Is the wood rotten?
2. Would you use it in your stick burner for cooking or just coal bed?
3. Should I always split green wood that I have aquired?

 

[ConrodM]

Wood rack wood storage

 

[uncle eddie]

I’d lean toward using it for a coal bed rather than cooking directly with it in a stick burner. This stuff could impart an off taste from the excess moisture or early decay. Also - the cork-like texture suggests it won’t give you a predictable burn that you’d want for smoking meat.

If it was me - I would test a small batch first—see how it smokes and smells when burning. If it’s acrid or funky, put it in the fire pit and roast marshmallows.

 

[voyager 663rd]

NO experience with old stuff but if it's not moldy, punky or infested, try it. BUT just like spices left too long, the "quality" of the smoke may/will suffer--just use more of it if it is still "good" so to speak.

 

[ConrodM]

Do ya’ll split the fresh green wood to prevent premature rotting?

 

[uncle eddie]

Do ya’ll split the fresh green wood to prevent premature rotting?

It allows the wood to cure more evenly. Bark is sort-of like a plastic wrap.

 

[pineywoods]

If you split it while green it will season faster and more even. That is starting to rot but personally I would try burning some and see how it burns.
If possible I would try adding a roof over the wood rack in Florida it would help a lot with the rain and humidity we get. Split and stack the wood on the rack and it should work better for you it'll dry faster and more even.

 

[ConrodM]

If you split it while green it will season faster and more even. That is starting to rot but personally I would try burning some and see how it burns.
If possible I would try adding a roof over the wood rack in Florida it would help a lot with the rain and humidity we get. Split and stack the wood on the rack and it should work better for you it'll dry faster and more even.

Thanks! I do have a cover for that rack. It comes down a couple of feet but haven’t used it much. I have some homemade racks under a roof that I keep my split wood that is for present day burning. Next batch of new wood I’m going to split and leave it 16-20” long
I will burn some of the “cork”/old wood and see how it goes. I’m thinking this wood is about 1.5 yrs old. I did score some Hickory thanks to Milton (been watching those trees for 3 years)
Thanks again

 

[JckDanls 07]

I did score some Hickory thanks to Milton (been watching those trees for 3 years)

Milton served me up 3 Pecan trees, Which are rare here in Central Fl. I just built a 12x20 lean-too to stack it under... Now I have to find time to go get it, cut, split and stack... So I may have some Pecan for sale here shortly...

 

[ConrodM]

Yeahhhh….. Love me some Pecan! Making trips to Louisiana to see family; old friends would be sure to help me get pecan wood to bring back to Florida. We had/ have Pecan Orchards in my home town and even named a mall after them. Pecanland Mall. They built it on an orchard. Had alot of fun in that parking lot! ;)