Using Red Oak

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cliffcarter

is one Smokin' Farker
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I've got a good sized pile of red oak sitting on pallets in my backyard, been there for 1 1/2 years, been split for 9 months. It should be dry as all get out IMHO, but when I burned some as a test before I used it to cook with it smelled sour and some of it steamed as if it was still green. My question is to you guys that use red oak to cook with is- how long do you let it season before you use it?
 
After a year and a half...is it rotting? Has it been covered?
 
If it has been sitting outside in the weather exposed, it could be rotting or molded. Wet weather will definitely have an effect on it.
 
Red oak can also have a bacterial infection in it that makes it smell like the dog lifted his leg on it. This occurs when it was growing and when cut and dried it's awful smelling.
 
Cook said:
After a year and a half...is it rotting? Has it been covered?
Click to expand...

smokeyw said:
If it has been sitting outside in the weather exposed, it could be rotting or molded. Wet weather will definitely have an effect on it.
Click to expand...

Yes it is covered and no it is not rotting, I do know how to take care of my wood:-D. I was unaware about bacterial infections, I'll check with the local extension office, thanks for the info.
Do any of you use red oak to cook with?
 
Normally, red oak is a great wood for smoking - especially beef. A lot of Brethren swear by it.
 
Red oak is abundant in my area. I have never heard of the bacterial issues nor have I experience any foul smell or taste with it. I love it. The issues with it may be more prevalant in certain geographic areas than others.

I was not suggesting that you did not know how to take care of your wood but did not want to assume you did either. Sorry.
 
I've burnt some piss oak, I just don't know how to idenitfy it. I know alot people use oak and I have an abundance of oak trees on our property. I'd hate to go cutting down trees and find out it was one that had a bacterial infection.
 
Red Oak is my wood of choice. It is readily available here from fire wood sellers.
 
Kevin said:
Red Oak is my wood of choice. It is readily available here from fire wood sellers.
Click to expand...

+1

Started using red oak with beef...now it gets used on just about everything. Will often combine it with a little hickory, apple or cherry...depending on my mood (and what's cooking).
 
smokeyw said:
Red oak is abundant in my area. I have never heard of the bacterial issues nor have I experience any foul smell or taste with it. I love it. The issues with it may be more prevalant in certain geographic areas than others.

I was not suggesting that you did not know how to take care of your wood but did not want to assume you did either. Sorry.
Click to expand...

Not a problem, no offense taken.
I was looking forward to cooking with it because I knew that others use it with success. I had read elsewhere that there maybe some issues with it so I decided to make a little test run and check it out. The smell itself I do recognize and associate with red oak, it's the sour smell you can get when you cut red oak boards for trim/finish(I am a carpenter). The wood is well seasoned and burns hot and makes a good bed of coals, I guess i'll try another run and see what happens.
 
I hope it works out for you.

Big Brother Smoke sended me some chunks last year and it was some nice wood!
It smelled like oak but with a extra fragrance to it.
 
Cliff, were you using chunks with bark still on it? May try chunks without any bark to see if that might make a difference. Keep us posted as a lot of brethren use red oak. Good luck!
 
Meat Burner said:
Cliff, were you using chunks with bark still on it? May try chunks without any bark to see if that might make a difference. Keep us posted as a lot of brethren use red oak. Good luck!
Click to expand...

No bark, I actually used a stick with no bark and split it up with the ax and put it on lit charcoal(no lighter fluid BTW). Grilling today so I'll give the oak another test.
 
Don't know what went wrong but I use red oak religiously and never had an off smell.
 
It has been said that all varieties of oak are sutible for smoking.

That said, if the test smell of your burn did not smell right do not use it.
 
Went back and picked out a couple of small pieces to burn
I split it into 5 pieces about 3/4" by 1 1/4", stuck them under my nose and could detect the sour smell-

DSC01718.jpg


Put 1 piece on about 1/2 chimney lit lump, I think I know what the problem is, notice the white puff on the right end of the stick. It's steam-

DSC01722.jpg


So I put the rest on and as they caught I could hear them sizzle and the ends were wet as the moisture gets driven out of the wood.

DSC01728.jpg


I didn't detect any foul odor today but the wind was blowing quite hard so that maybe the reason why I didn't. Given that steam and the sizzle I'd say that even after 1 1/2 years to season my red oak is not ready to cook with. Probably the cause of the smell was the fact that it is not completely dry.
Thanks to everyone for your comments, perhaps if I had paid more attention the first time I burned the wood I'd have realized it wasn't ready. Thanks again.
 
After a year and a half that wood would be beyond dry. Your storage must be suspect. The wood is getting wet somehow. Strange, indeed.
 
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