Smoking Wood Science

[SmokeyMountainQ]

I’ll preface this by saying that this might border on the minutiae & geeking out on wood science, but after a weekend getting some wood chunks to smoke and some not, it’s got me digging. I certainly ain’t Tuffy or Myron & I know I got a lot bigger problems in my cooking, but if they believe it is a factor that can be controlled, I’m all about it.

I cook primarily with Royal Oak lump on WSMs, & a Primo every now & then.

So, question is, what is your ideal moisture content for smoking wood chunks?
Does that answer differ depending on the type of wood?

Someone this weekend was telling me of a little moisture meter you can get on Amazon. Worth it or not?

Just thinking that if there’s a little tweak I could make that would make a noticeable difference, why not explore it & lean on the world’s greatest BBQ minds in the Brethren Forums.

Bonus points for any pointers on where to get good wood chunks (beside my backyard - I ain’t smoking hackberry!). I don’t have space in my yard for sheds of wood rotating in timed patterns to wait until the ideal moment to cook. I’m assuming that big box store bags of chunks are probably way too dry.

Thanks in advance! Smoke on!

 

[Juggy D Beerman]

I mainly cook on WSMs or Weber Kettles. I used to cook on a big wood burning off set cooker that my dad and built. Cherry wood was our wood of choice, but we would also burn apple, pecan and oak. Back in my wood burning days with the big offset, I would burn pieces of wood that were no smaller than six inches in diameter. Some folks recommend debarking wood before burning it, but I never did. If the bark was easily removed, I might take it off.


The reason why I don't like cooking wood that is smaller than six inches in diameter is this. I had an old veteran on the contest circuit one night tell me that the sweetest and most mild smoke came from the heartwood of the log. Small branches contain very little heartwood and contain mainly inner and outer bark that can smell bitter and make the meat tasted bitter. He said heartwood is where the best flavor is at. After hearing that late night tale at a contest, back in the day when the whiskey flowed and the stories and lies get told, I did some experimenting. The old codger was right. I could taste the difference between meats that were cooked with wood containing very little heartwood and meats that were cooked with split logs that contained mainly heartwood. (I quit using chips on the kettle after this as chips contain no heartwood.)



I followed through with this new found knowledge about heartwood and used it on my Webers. The wood chunks I use come from the heartwood areas of the logs I use for my big smoker. When I cut the log up for chunks, I try to remove the outer bark and try to split as much of the inner bark as well. This makes for a sweeter and smoother smelling smoke.



So what I would do if I were in your shoes is find a place that does sell BBQ wood and buy a small amount of logs that are at least six inches in diameter. Split one log and cut it to the lengths you want and use them up. Just use up one log at a time and this will help keep the moisture in the logs you have on hand.


Lager,


Juggy

 

[masque13]

I don’t know brother. I mainly use a stick burner. I’ve burned apple, oak, hickory, cherry, pecan, peach and maple in it over the years.

Could I tell when I used a particular wood? Not really if I’m being honest. And like you I’m pretty geeky about all of this. But I’m just being honest.

The biggest thing I’ve ever been able to tell was how clean my fire was. I’m fanatical about running a clean fire.

In my case of burning hickory and cherry, these are literally trees I cut myself and cut up into the sizes I wanted and only used the trunks and limbs I felt were thick enough to use.

I usually let them dry out until the moisture is 20% or lower before using it to cook with.

Funny thing is I also own a big green egg and gateway drum smoker. And to me, no matter how dedicated I am to running a clean fire on them the food is usually way more Smokey tasting than on my stick burner. And for me that is usually not what I personally prefer. However, I do have people who eat my food who have claimed foods cooked on those devices are some of my best ever. And when I say that they have no idea what I cooked on that day. Sometimes I get higher compliments when I only use the stick burner.

So overall I think the experience for me is that I have learned everyone prefers different levels of smoke in the food.

But my scores in competition have always come down to doing better wjen I have cooked the meat to the proper tenderness. I’ve never had one comment made to me by a judge regarding too much of too little smoke. Or anything about what type of wood I used.

But like you and the geeky science of it all I still worry about it. So I shoot for 20% or less. I may go wetter on the wood if it’s a fruit wood.

 

[Smokin D@wg@77]

We target 13 - 15 % for our chunks for comps. We get ours from Sharp Gourmet cooking woods , simply best service around.

We also use moisture meter to ensure content is right , we just got a few batches in last week all chunks were with in 2 % of each other , 15-17%.

Yes if buy meter make sure it has hardness settings that you can select , cause hickory is very hard wood apple is very soft will read diffent on moisture meter

 

[SmokeyMountainQ]

These are all super helpful responses, and great conversation. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

p.s. the irony of my current “posting count status” is not lost on me