Need assistance in identification of wood

[Lake Dogs]

Afraid my boyscout days are long past me. I'm decent at tree identification, but wood identification is another thing altogether.

Had a guy deliver a truckload of seasoned split wood. I'd asked him
to bring as much Hickory as he had. Looks of it, nothing resembles
the tree bark on the Hickory's I have in my yard.

Help. What are these. I'm fairly certain a few of these are types
of red oak, I think one is probably a white oak, and the others I have
NO CLUE.

Wood type 1:
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood11.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood12.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood13.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood14.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood15.jpg


Wood type 2:
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood21.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood22.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood23.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood24.jpg


Wood type 3:
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood31.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood32.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood33.jpg


Wood type 4:
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood41.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood42.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood43.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood44.jpg


Wood type 5:
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood51.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood52.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood53.jpg
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss141/hance_patrick/wood54.jpg


What is this stuff?

Thanks.

[SirPorkaLot]

Here is my best guess

Type 1: Shagbark hickory
type 4: Water Oak
Type 5 White oak

[Lake Dogs]

I'm thinking:

wood 1: Pecan?

wood 2: no clue

wood 3: White Oak?

wood 4: a type of Red Oak?

wood 5: another no clue

What do you guys think? I'd really appreciate any help.

[Lake Dogs]

I was thinking 1 was either a Pecan or a Shagbark Hickory. Honestly, do we have
Shagbark Hickorys around here? I have black hickorys in my yard....

Water oak; type of red or white? Think I'll keep it away from the bbq...

Hmmm, last one being white oak. Possible.

[JD McGee]

I did this thread a while ago...it might help. http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63154 Good Luck!

[NorthwestBBQ]

I think it's Hickory or Maple...

[Tweedle]

To me I wood say
1&2 prob hickory both of them look very much like the Shag bark Hickory that grows along the river up here. the bark changes some what as the tree gets big.
3 maple
4 oak
5 oak
what do they taste like on meat? prob the best way to tell......

[Lake Dogs]

To me I wood say
1&2 prob hickory both of them look very much like the Shag bark Hickory that grows along the river up here. the bark changes some what as the tree gets big.
3 maple
4 oak
5 oak
what do they taste like on meat? prob the best way to tell......

The guy who delivered it said #1 and #2 were hickory. You're possibly
quite right.

3, maple. I was thinking white oak, but you're probably right. All the
maples I have here are small/young, so haven't gotten nearly this size to tell. I have silver and red maples, but no sugar maples...

4, red oak of some type. I have tons of this.

5, oak, quite possibly. I'll try it, it's probably white oak. It'll have a milder taste than red oak.

THANKS guys.

I use bagged chunks of hickory for the main cook; it allows me to control
the volume of smoke a little closer. However, later in the cook, I wanted to drop in a few logs (helps keep temps up) while the meat is foiled (my
shame, I know....). I'd prefer to keep it hickory if I can. Oaks are ok
too, but I've had a red oak get a little skunky once before on the smell...

[wnkt]

this is shagbark Hickory....at least it is the brand we have here in upstate South Carolina
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l313/wnkt/tree/tree-ident/shagbark.jpg

[jlough69]

1 white oak (family)
2 hickory
3 white oak (family)
4 red oak maybe straight or a pin
5 white oak family

[Bbq Bubba]

1 white oak (family)
2 hickory
3 white oak (family)
4 red oak maybe straight or a pin
5 white oak family

I'd say your the closest....

I don't see any hickory there, looks like all versions of oak to me.

[bbqfans]

This is Cherry,looks like #1 to me?

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/bbqfans/wwods%20for%20BBQ/newshots175.jpg


This is White Oak,looks like #3?


http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/bbqfans/wwods%20for%20BBQ/newshots208.jpg


#2 may be a Hickory by the radial cracks,but I don't know for sure.


http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/bbqfans/HickoryLog.jpg

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/bbqfans/Hickgrain.jpg



#4 maybe old Apple?


http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/bbqfans/Apple.jpg

#5 is Oak.
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/bbqfans/WhiteOak.jpg



http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/bbqfans/OAK.jpg

[Meat Burner]

I'd say your the closest....

I don't see any hickory there, looks like all versions of oak to me.

That was my first impression as well. Not enough color to think there was some hickory but different regions may look different both bark and split. Contact your local Extension Service and they will help you for free. At least they do around here. It all looked like some type of oak to me. What he he** do I know anyway. Bro, just use it and enjoy.

[Lake Dogs]

That was my first impression as well. Not enough color to think there was some hickory but different regions may look different both bark and split. Contact your local Extension Service and they will help you for free. At least they do around here. It all looked like some type of oak to me. What he he** do I know anyway. Bro, just use it and enjoy.

That's a good idea. I'd really like to separate the hickory, then the
white oak, then everything else is in the fireplace... It's so much easier
when they're trees with leaves. I have 8 or 10 nice sized white oaks in
my yard, and other 20+- hickory trees (have to be careful; those darned
falling nuts HURT when hit in the head), but I dont want to take them
down.

Question: Having never contacted my local Extension Service, any idea
how to find them? <--- getting ready to google search to see...

[Mark]

Lake Dogs:

The pictures that show all the twisted protruding fibers is most likely hickory. Thos twisting fibers are very resiliant to splitting and that's why hickory is often used for hammer handles, baseball bats and such.

Oak is also identifiable by the fiber in that it has a characteristic "checkerboard" or "crosshatch" feature. That's clearly visible in several of the latter of your pictures. Whether or not the oak is red or white, is self obvious in older wood but not so in young.

Another way to tell oak is the smell when cutting it. Phil thinks it smells like vomit. But I think its fragrant.

[Lake Dogs]

Mark, I too LOVE the smell of fresh cut oak...

Using the crosshatch vs. twisting fibers, wouldnt this be pretty/fairly close:

1 oak of some type
2 hickory
3 oak of some type
4 red oak maybe straight or a pin
5 white oak family
__________________
John

[Lake Dogs]

Or, would 3 possibly be that elusive Hickory?

[Mark]

1,2, 3: hickory
4, 5 oak

Not worth overcomplicating this thing because it's all good but that's my best guess

I suggest you conduct the infallable burn test frequently and report back with pron.

[blues_n_cues]

looks like 1-3 are shagbark hickory.
4&5 mossy oak?:shock:

[Lake Dogs]

Just got the response from my county extension guy who is a forrest guy. Nothing
in there is Hickory. I was afraid of that... Not one single piece looks like the hickorys
in my yard, and I'm loaded with the darn things. NO, dont want to take them out,
either...

One is some type of an elm that we dont see around here often; no wonder I had no
clue. The others are different varieties of oak...

[Cabntmkr1]

You have at least some white oak in there. The photos toward the bottom show the prominent medullary rays that run through white oak. Also, judging by the color of the wood and end grain in some of the photos you have a least some w/o in the bunch.
If you make a cut in some of the pieces and it smell like bourbon whiskey, it is white oak.

[Lake Dogs]

You have at least some white oak in there. The photos toward the bottom show the prominent medullary rays that run through white oak. Also, judging by the color of the wood and end grain in some of the photos you have a least some w/o in the bunch.
If you make a cut in some of the pieces and it smell like bourbon whiskey, it is white oak.

Which one is definitely white oak?

Also, what is a "medullary ray"?


... Nothing against Jack, but I'm heading out to get some Makers Mark
shortly ...

That, and probably going to climb a tree with a chainsaw tonight...
Darn it.

[Mark]

Well, with live trees bearing leaves, at least you can identify ones with hickory leaves.

[Lake Dogs]

The dogs really enjoy eating the Hickory nuts. That, and chasing the squirrels off
of them... Seriously, my labradors eat hickory nuts (when they take a break from
swimming).

I really hate having to use bagged chunks of Hickory when so much of it is available
around here... I may have to go on an excursion this weekend and cut my own
Hickory... Have it seasoned by spring cookoffs....