Our Homepage | Donation to Forum Overhead | Welocme | Merchandise | Associations | Purchase Subscription | Amazon Affiliate |
|
Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking. |
|
Thread Tools |
04-05-2006, 09:09 PM | #1 |
Knows what a fatty is.
Join Date: 04-02-06
Location: Central Texas
|
Bark on fuel
I *know* that this topic has been discussed here. I promise that I searched the forums before I ask this - I found some peripheral discussions, but nothing directly on point. So here I ask again.
I'm attempting to move from charcoal to real wood for the fuel in my smoker. Academy is selling 10-lb bags of wood for a pretty decent price. However, most of the pieces have most of the bark left on them. I've heard that bark produces a "bitter' taste in 'Q, but other threads on here have minimized the input on bark on the overall flavor. The goal is to burn a mild wood, like oak, for heat, and use another wood for flavor - the current fav is Pecan, but I also really want to try apple. So, can someone educate me on the effects of bark on heat, fire, and flavor? Side question - I used aluminum bands to strengthen my firegrate. Any worries with aluminum? Thx.
__________________
NB Bandera. Baffle w/water pan cutout, custom firegrate, spicewine charcoal box. Austin, TX, home of the National Champion Texas Longhorns 'Que newbie, but coming along fast, thanks to bbq-b! |
|
04-05-2006, 09:13 PM | #2 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 07-08-05
Location: Ocoee, Fl
|
capnamerca, you have to be sure that you strip the bark off of the tin foil before you use it.
__________________
qman Para Bellum |
|
04-05-2006, 09:25 PM | #3 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 05-02-04
Location: Racine, WI
|
I use mainly charcoal and chunks. I buy bags of wood chunks and they have some bark on. I don't remove bark. When I use logs I don't remove bark. I haven't noticed any off flavors, but I've never cooked with no bark. FWIW
__________________
==>Eric Modded Brinkmann Smoke King Deluxe, UDS, Brinkman gasser A health family, a healthy country, a healthy world -- all grow outward from a single superior person. Chia Jen/The Clan --I Ching |
|
04-05-2006, 09:25 PM | #4 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 01-05-06
Location: Katy, Texas
|
I buy some of my smoking wood at a place that has been around for many years. They claim they have alot of customers that ask for extra loose bark to be included in their cord purchase as they prefer it for smoking.
|
|
04-05-2006, 09:26 PM | #5 |
Banned
Join Date: 01-16-06
Location: Wikieup Arizona
|
I use mesquite. I Always make sure bark is removed or burned off before adding meat. Heavy soot and resins emit from the bark. JMO
|
|
04-05-2006, 09:32 PM | #6 |
Lives in Spirit
Join Date: 02-17-04
Location: Wherever there's Sweet Blue
|
If bark comes off easy, I take it off. If it hasn't slipped yet, I leave it on. I don't think you'd want to cook with pure bark, but some bark on good sticks of wood isn't going to hurt the flavor of anything.
Using apple with oak, you're probably not going to taste the apple much, as it's much mellower than the oak. |
|
04-05-2006, 09:55 PM | #7 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 10-17-03
Location: small town South Dakota
Name/Nickname : Todd
|
I agree with everything that kcquer said.
__________________
Some people are like Slinkys, they are good for nothing but can still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs. Down to one lonely ol' Bandera. |
|
04-05-2006, 10:16 PM | #8 |
Knows what a fatty is.
Join Date: 04-02-06
Location: Central Texas
|
Nice to hear what I'm hearing. I really like those bags o' wood, since that's my easiest method to get at it. I'll pull off the bark if I can, and won't if I can't.
As for the oak and apple thoughts - is oak a good wood for heat? If my primary flavor wood is pecan (just smells fantastic to me), is oak a good choice? What would a good heat choice be to flavor with apple? Lump charcoal, maybe?
__________________
NB Bandera. Baffle w/water pan cutout, custom firegrate, spicewine charcoal box. Austin, TX, home of the National Champion Texas Longhorns 'Que newbie, but coming along fast, thanks to bbq-b! |
|
04-05-2006, 10:24 PM | #9 |
Lives in Spirit
Join Date: 02-17-04
Location: Wherever there's Sweet Blue
|
The apple won't leave you short on BTU's, it'll provide enough heat on it's own. Where you may run into trouble, is eventually it (or any other wood) may leave you with inadequate coalbed to cleanly ignite the next stick of wood. At that time you need to just add some pre-lit briq or lump charcoal (either is fine).
|
|
04-06-2006, 02:58 AM | #10 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 04-04-06
Location: Wichita Falls, Tx
|
i use mesquite and oak and have never pulled the bark of any of it, and ive yet to have any complaints on my cooking.. lol. u usually just buy a rick of mesquite for the summer and use what i have left over the oak from the winter time. I love pecan to though. cant find any apple or cherry here, would like to know how ribs would taste with it.
__________________
HALF DIAMOND RANCH BBQ Home made 5' reverse flow smoker Lg BGE WSM 18.5 WSM 22.5 Weber Kettle 22 1/2" silver series Weber Copper Smokey Joe Gold 14.5" GPS trackable RED super fast thermopen http://www.facebook.com/jtempleton2 |
|
04-06-2006, 03:51 AM | #11 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 11-30-05
Location: Concord, NC
|
I have been using hickory and white oak. If the bark falls off I leave it off, other wise I burn it. Haven't noticed any side effects at all.
__________________
Gator Pit BYCC CB Bandera Weber 1100 Gas with Cast Iron Grates Kenmore Kettle Charcoal grill |
|
04-06-2006, 03:53 AM | #12 |
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Join Date: 06-04-04
Location: St. Joseph, MI
|
Apple has very thin bark. You would have to whittle it off! Apple and Cherry are my main cooking woods because they are abundant in this area being the heart of the Michigan fruit belt. If it was readily available, I would use pecan.
__________________
"You can't always get what you want but if you try sometime you just might find you get what you need" Mange Bene Viva Bene! Old Country Over/Under, Weber: 18.5" WSM, 22.5" WSM, Weber Performer(Col. Steve Austin Mod), Two 22.5" Kettles, & a Smokey Joe; Old Country 36" griddle, Luhr-Jensen Big Chief, Turkey Fryer, Rocky Mountain Camp Stove and a UDS. |
|
04-06-2006, 10:55 AM | #13 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 03-07-05
Location: the best day ever
|
WOW - This is a rare event; almost universal consensus. I think celebration is in order.
__________________
if you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him Live every week like it's shark week |
|
04-06-2006, 11:18 AM | #14 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 11-05-04
Location: New York City
|
I can swear I read of a place in North Carolina that cooked over only hickory bark, but can't find the name of it now....
__________________
Matt Fletcher's Brooklyn Barbecue The Hampton Smoker Blog: http://backyardchef.blogspot.com 7' Meadow Creek reverse flow w/ a 4' grill on the nose, named Large Marge 48" Klose Backyard Chef named Wubby Willy the Wonder Grill Weber Kettle named Georgiette ECB Spider Web Collector Model Char-Griller Smokin' Pro Firebrick Supremo |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Bark | IRubMyMeat BBQ | Q-talk | 23 | 02-11-2010 07:48 AM |
Am I The Only One That Does Not Like Bark? | Midnight Smoke | Q-talk | 53 | 02-10-2010 02:12 PM |
fuel and the bark | DanPop | Q-talk | 9 | 01-18-2010 10:24 PM |
Bark or no Bark | Mike - CSBBBQ | Q-talk | 15 | 11-13-2008 06:54 PM |
Wood: Bark on or bark off? | sodbuster | Q-talk | 12 | 08-31-2005 10:38 PM |
Thread Tools | |
|
|