Whodat985
Full Fledged Farker
I started out with a fire grate got rid of it cause I couldn’t get the fire rolling again I do preheat the splits. I can video it next time if it happens again.
Trouble keeping fire
- Thread starter Whodat985
- Start date
I started out with a fire grate got rid of it cause I couldn’t get the fire rolling again I do preheat the splits. I can video it next time if it happens again.
Hoss
Quintessential Chatty Farker
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2009
- Location
- Hernando,MS
Toss you a couple of dog irons in the fire box( this can be bricks,pieces of iron etc.),raise the wood off the bottom so it gets airflow from the bottom of the fire,open ALL the vents,intake and exhaust, WIDE OPEN.Control the heat with the size fire you build,not the vents.Keep tryin you'll get it.
SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2013
- Location
- Burleson Tx
I've always done better with a raised fire grate - something that lets ash fall but holds coals - 2 layers of expanded metal criss crossed preferably.
Monkey Uncle
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2014
- Location
- Somewher...
Pecan is a species of hickory. It will need a similar amount of time to season. Do you know when the wood was cut?
Whodat985
Full Fledged Farker
The guy told me last year. With my research there the wood should have cracks on the face of the flat part. I don’t have any I’m leaning towards wood is not seasoned
Without seeing the cooker/fire it's hard to say, but if there's room to split the wood down more and lean upcoming splits in the fire box but not in the fire it should burn some of the moisture out before it's time to go on the coals.
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1MoreFord
Babbling Farker
Take 2 of the sticks of wood and bang them together. Hit wood together - not the bark. If they are green they will make a dull thunk/thud sound. If they are dry they will make a clinking/ringing sound. Think about hitting 2 wooden baseball bats together and something like that is what you are looking for.
sudsandswine
Quintessential Chatty Farker
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2012
- Location
- Kansas City
Everybody that has tried to sell my firewood ever says their wood “is seasoned for a year, ready to burn”. Many times that is not actually the case. It’s not making them any money while they sit on it.
Joe Black
Babbling Farker
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2014
- Location
- Greenvil...
In my offset stick burner, 24x48, I start a fire of briqs in a chimney. When they are going good, I put them in my basket with a valley in the middle. I fill the middle with new lump charcoal. This will light very soon and then I put in 2-3 splits. When the cook chamber is 15-20* hotter than my desired cook temp, I will close the cook chamber and firebox doors and put my meat on. When the temp gets 15-20* below cook temp, I add 2-3 more splits. This goes back and forth until my meat is almost ready. Then I will let the meat finish as the fire goes down. This entire process is done while always using pre-heated splits. IMO, the keys are a good bed of coals to begin and using pre-heated and well cored wood splits, with the splits on the small size. I like mine no larger than my fist. Good luck. I hope this helps.
Firewood seller's know instantly, as soon as the question is asked.
If a buyer cannot look at wood and determine a basic level of aging and dryness, they will ask "is it seasoned?".
"Why sure it is, ready to burn".
Fireplace firewood bought in the spring here in Louisiana, will most likely be racked until fall, allowing most folks that burn it in a fireplace, to be satisfied with how it burns come November, especially with a gas igniter. That gives most fireplace firewood seller's half a year to not have their claim of "seasoned" come into question.
Check with your supplier, for wood that is ready to use today. Tell him you are using it for a wood burning smoker. For use today. If you just bought "fireplace firewood", and your supplier can't get you truly seasoned wood, then find someone else.
I cut my own oak and pecan from trees on my place, mostly large limbs that come down from storms. Happens regularly enough to keep me in wood without having to buy, and I am grateful for that.
The pictures below are from a rack that holds pecan that I cut in August of '19. It has less than 8 months of seasoning. It is exposed to weather, uncovered, and needs to be split.
This pecan rack still needs another 4-6 months to be ready. Took the pictures today.
But you can see the cracking starting from drying, even without being split.
Whodat985
Full Fledged Farker
Thanks man for your reply. I’m also from Louisiana. There’s was a tree guy here I had gotten wood from. It wasn’t seasoned. I went out and found a guy in BR that told me he had cooking wood. He deliverers to restaurants around BR. None of the wood when I went to get my wood looked liked your. Yesterday I did some research an found out a tall tale sign of good seasoned wood is it starts cracking on the ends like yours. I’ve only bought wood for my smoke house from big box stores. Think that’ll be the only places I get it from. Just thought I’d keep some moneys in my committee
I have a buddy in BR, and another in NO, and both of them for years, have been getting all the pecan and oak they can use, by simply watching when they drive through their neighborhoods. Apparently there is always somebody trimming, limbs just falling, or for whatever reason, wood by the curb on evenings before trash pickup. Usually cut down in size for the trash folks to be able to manage.
They both run stick burners, and haven't bought wood in years. They dry it themselves, and have to put it back for a while to season. They are both too cheap, "frugal" as they say, to buy wood. There are oaks and pecan trees all over Thibodaux. You might have to cut it up, and split it, but then you wouldn't have to wonder if it was seasoned to your liking. DIY
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SmittyJonz
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2013
- Location
- Burleson Tx
go buy a bag of mini logs from Academy or Larger Grocery store and see if there is a difference......
Whodat985
Full Fledged Farker
Crazy small world I’m from thibodaux as well. That is my plan my father has a live oak. I will be be going there an cut some limbs to season my self. Thanks for your help
I'm not from Thibodaux, just have had the good fortune to have traveled the state extensively, and have been to Thibodaux many times.
When the tree was cut makes a big difference imo, if in the fall when the leaves have came off the sap is down pretty good it wont take any where near as long to get dry enuf to use if split at covered out of the rain, don't ever expect it to dry out good if not covered, you will get mildew and mold on it ,
Monkey Uncle
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2014
- Location
- Somewher...
Not to be contrary, but my experience has been pretty much the opposite. Regardless of the time of year it's cut, the wood needs to dry through the summer; the hot weather helps. Wood cut in the fall will not be ready to burn until the following fall. However, wood cut in the winter or early spring can be pressed into service in late fall of the same year, if necessary. Not ideal, but it will burn if given enough air flow.
Also, wood should be left uncovered and exposed to the elements while it is seasoning. Sun and wind are critical for the drying process. Covering green wood holds in moisture and delays the seasoning process. Getting rained on does not add moisture back into the wood as long as it is stacked neatly up off the ground, which allows the rain water to drain off. Of course, once it has seasoned fully, you'll want to move it into a covered location so that it's ready for use at a moment's notice.
