First smoker in transit!!! Stick Size question?

enricocoron · Mar 23, 2015

Does this look like the right size splits?

Of course the wood is all cut for fireplaces or commercial pizza ovens so I'm having to cut it down with my angle saw and some are a bit thick so I'm splitting further. My firebox has a 14 inch opening i'm cutting it down to around 10-11 inches and the recommended 3-4 inch diameter.

Let me know is this about the right size (I attached the photos of my first split).

I know I can embed the photos via a URL, but I don't have a flicker account but will open one so you guys don't have to click on attachments to see.

Cheers,
Eric

RW34 · Mar 24, 2015

enricocoron said:
Thanks for the feedback guys. Looking around those prices are pretty steep, I found another supplier in El Cajon (Garcia's firewood) that offers split Oak and Pecan wood at $25 for a 'wheel barrow full' which they said is 10 cubic feet, so I guess that would make it roughly $300 per cord at that price. It's not very far so I'll try a few wheel barrow loads and if it's properly seasoned like they claim and burns well I'll go grab a half cord of oak.

No Hickory though, as someone posted it seems pretty expensive around here.

Southern California Firewood in Thousand Oaks, CA will deliver all types of cooking wood in 40 lb. bags that cost around 8-12 bucks each with a 6 dollar delivery fee per bag. I'll probably order some Hickory, Alder, and Apple wood bags from them.

Cheers

Did you happen to speak with them? I've been wondering if they are still around.

enricocoron · Mar 24, 2015

In regards to Southern California Firewood no they never returned my call or email.

Ended up splitting them 10-12 inches and 3-4 inches at the widest point. I cut the Almond a little smaller for lower temp yellowtail and bluefin smoking.

enricocoron · Mar 24, 2015

Got about a fifth of the wood cut up....pretty happy with the quality. Close ups of the Almond, Oak, and Mesquite.

enricocoron · Mar 24, 2015

I shaved the thickest bark off the oak, I wasn't sure about it, I've never like the smell of the really barky chunks on a campfire.

Here's the cut up wood and what's left untrimmed. Sorry for the poor quality it was getting dark. Took about an hour to stack it all and cut it, hopefully lasts awhile.

What to do with the leftover chunks? I thought dig a whole and roast a pig over it, why not?

redline bovine · Mar 24, 2015

Burn the other chunks just like it is your splits you just did. Just gauge the chunks to equal a split, and burn it all to smoke with. Wood is wood is wood! Congrats on the new smoker too.

pjtexas1 · Mar 24, 2015

I would cut the wood in half to make mini splits. I like a smaller fire that fits in the middle of my firebox. You can use the chunks in your smoker. They burn just fine. I do it when I run out of splits.

RW34 · Mar 24, 2015

enricocoron said:
In regards to Southern California Firewood no they never returned my call or email.

Ended up splitting them 10-12 inches and 3-4 inches at the widest point. I cut the Almond a little smaller for lower temp yellowtail and bluefin smoking.

I had the same issue with them but have heard from others they have had no problems with the. I have the same cooker you are getting and I'd definitely cut your splits again like another brethren suggested.

enricocoron · Mar 24, 2015

So the ideal split length would be 6-8 inches, roughly half the diameter of the firebox? But still pretty thick like 3-4 inches across, it's super easy with the chop saw so I'll try that out. Dang I could have just cut them in half to begin with and not have any chunks then, but it sounds like I should just chuck them chunks in the firebox anyhoo although I like the idea of smoking a hog in the ground.

dwfisk · Mar 24, 2015

Just a quick observation: unless the wall behind where you stacked the wood in your pictures is concrete block (looks like stick built with Hardie siding to me) I would NOT stack wood against that wall unless I had one of them $2 million guarantee termite contracts on my house:becky:

enricocoron · Mar 24, 2015

Well observed, actually it's a garage and termites nailed it pretty bad before I bought the house but it's just temporarily stacked there until a few fruit trees get planted and then it's going against a fence (equally termite ridden). Actually I'm more concerned about termites getting from my fence into my wood now!

mikemci · Mar 24, 2015

enricocoron said:
So the ideal split length would be 6-8 inches, roughly half the diameter of the firebox? But still pretty thick like 3-4 inches across, it's super easy with the chop saw so I'll try that out. Dang I could have just cut them in half to begin with and not have any chunks then, but it sounds like I should just chuck them chunks in the firebox anyhoo although I like the idea of smoking a hog in the ground.

He was saying to split them again, making them smaller in diameter. The length is fine. Good luck with your new smoker!:-D

enricocoron · Mar 24, 2015

pjtexas1 said:
I would cut the wood in half to make mini splits. I like a smaller fire that fits in the middle of my firebox. You can use the chunks in your smoker. They burn just fine. I do it when I run out of splits.

from this quote though it reads to split them lengthwise to be shorter, not narrower, since a smaller fire in the middle of the firebox would be shorter sticks?

Who cares I'll figure it out with some beers in hand, enhance my thinking learning juice.

mikemci · Mar 24, 2015

I believe you're right.....re-read his post again. Need to work on my reading comprehension some:tsk:

First smoker in transit!!! Stick Size question?

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